"No," Eva cried, starting for the horse. To do what, she didn't know.
Hard hands grabbed her and yanked her back.
Caden's furious gaze met hers. "You can't do anything for her now."
He dragged her toward the front of the stable as Eva resisted. "You don't know that. I have the poultice."
It was true. She'd handed off the bowl, but she still had the small sachets stashed in her pockets.
He shook her, his furious gaze swinging toward her. "There's nothing you can do."
Her shoulders slumped and grief welled. He was right. There had been dozens of stings. The poultice wouldn't even begin to cover them.
The look he sent her said he knew she knew that too and wasn't going to waste precious time arguing about it.
She gave him that. He'd been right to stop her. "There are still other horses in here."
To that, he flicked open several stalls, barely pausing as he dragged her in his wake. Horses burst out and streamed past them.
"We have to put them on leaders," Eva protested.
"No time. They either survive or they don't. This at least gives them a chance," Caden said brusquely.
His pace didn't slow and they were off again. It took him no time to undo all of the stalls and throw them open, never once losing his grip on Eva.
It wasn't lost on her how many of the horses didn't erupt from the stalls. They'd lost more than a few to whatever these things were.
"That's the last of them," Jason called, rushing over from the other section.
"Good, we're getting out of here," Caden ordered. "Follow us and don't fall behind."
Jason nodded, the younger man's face tense but trusting.
Caden started back toward the front, only making it a few steps before he stopped. Bugs, dozens of them, waited by the door. Two horses galloped toward them, the first was quick to stomp anything that got near him, disappearing into the night seconds later. The second wasn't so lucky. Two of the bugs leapt, stinging him before falling to the ground dead. The horse's scream of pain echoed in the small space. With it came the scent of smoke.
Eva was distracted as the horse galloped after the first. She sniffed. She'd been right the first time. It smelled like smoke. Worse, it smelled close.
Smoke started pouring from one side of the stable, filling the stalls before snaking out into the hall. She grabbed Caden's sleeve and pointed. "We need to get out now or the bugs will be the least of our problems."
She didn't know which was worse, burning to death or becoming one of the woodling spawn. Both scenarios were abhorrent.
"I think there's another way out the back." Jason fled the way he'd come, Caden and Eva racing after him.
It was growing hard to see in the stable, haze from the smoke covered everything. The fire crackled in a thunderous roar, spreading fast, like it had a life and mind of its own, consuming wood and hay as it frantically burned through fuel.
The high-pitched shrieking of the bugs assaulted her ears as they rushed through the low visibility, Jason a barely distinguishable figure ahead of them.
It was becoming hard to breathe as Caden tugged her forward.
They stumbled out of the stable, coughing so hard they could barely stand. Caden's strong arms braced around her back as he practically propelled her forward.
Eva glanced frantically around. "Where's." Cough. "Jason?"
A thump sounded and Caden collapsed to the ground, bleeding from a wound on his head. Laurell stared at her over his body. The warrior jerked forward a step, her movements awkward.
"Run," Laurell managed to gasp out even as her arms reached for Eva. Her sleeve slipped back, revealing skin transitioning to wood, green lines where her veins should have been.
Eva barely evaded her reach.
