To make things worse, Eva had no idea where they were. When they'd left Drake, they'd ridden blind, choosing a path by instinct.
For all she knew, the enemy could be waiting up ahead for them to stumble into their trap. And they were on low ground with the mother of all storms raining down around them.
Visibility was poor. The rain making it hard to see more than a few feet in front of them.
They could stumble on their enemy and not know it until it was too late. The only silver lining was their enemy suffered from the same conditions.
To compound matters, the creek they were traveling next to was filling up rapidly. The rushing sound of water told Eva all she needed to know as the creek spilled over its banks.
It didn't take a pathfinder to realize how much danger they were in.
If the enemy didn't kill them, nature just might.
Eva cursed. What a mess.
"Jason," Eva trailed off before gathering her courage again. "I'm so sorry. If I hadn't gone after the horses—"
Drake wouldn't have followed. He wouldn't have taken an arrow for her or remained behind to buy them time.
She didn't know if he and the others were alive or dead.
All because she couldn't abandon her charges.
She wanted to hate herself for causing all this, but she couldn't. Given the same situation, she wasn't sure she would have done anything else.
She was responsible for those horses. No one else.
She just wished others hadn't had to pay the price.
"You had to," Jason said. "There was no scenario where the Trateri would have abandoned those horses. If it wasn't you, it would have been Ollie or me."
It was tempting to take the blame, but the fact of the matter was Jason was right. Someone would have had to go after the horses.
Maybe the enemy wouldn't have struck right then or maybe that was just wishful thinking and they'd always planned to ambush them the moment Eva was vulnerable.
"I'd like to know how they got so close," Jason mused, following Eva as she pushed toward the many boulders waiting along the sides of the canyon. "I thought Reece and Buck were keeping an eye on the situation."
If she could find a cave or a way up to high ground, she thought their chances of drowning if this place flooded would be significantly reduced.
Eva took in the shadowed forms of the boulder, a tree growing out of one. Its roots wrapped around the side in long ropes. Its bare branches proud and lonely looking.
"They probably were," Eva answered. "No one can account for everything."
Especially up here. There were too many places that could be used to conceal a group.
Caves. Uncharted ravines and canyons like the one they now traveled. Valleys that no one had ever traveled.
It would take a lifetime to learn all the hidden nooks and crannies and even then, you were liable to miss a few.
Eva spotted a meandering path leading to the ridge above.
She guided Caia toward it, wanting a better look. If it was what she thought, they could get out of this place. Maybe even give their pursuers the slip.
Jason followed. "You think we can make it up that?"
Eva shook her head. "I'm not sure."
It looked pretty narrow in the dim light and the rain wouldn't help matters. It was likely to be muddy and slippery.
