The camp erupted—people spilling from tents, blurring as they sprinted for the horses. Elara barely registered the shouts before Bryn’s grip tightened on her arm, hauling her through thecrush. Horses whinnied, metal clashed, men shouted as armor was dragged into place.
She stumbled over a fallen pack, but Bryn kept her upright, kept her moving. Somewhere, a horse screamed—a high, keening sound that cut through the din.
“Bryn!” Dominic's voice boomed, already mounted, and maneuvering his steed. He charged toward them, halting so suddenly that his horse skidded, flanks heaving. His shirt was half-on, hastily pulled over his torso, and a sword was strapped to his back. “What’s the latest from theceirín?”
“They're just over a league out,” she managed, her voice rough with exertion. “We have minutes.”
Dominic swore a string of curses as Yoni rode up, his horse snorting, eager to charge. “Our wards are intact. It shouldn't have been possible for the High Priest to locate us.”
Bryn began braiding her hair back. “What about her bind?”
Yoni shook his head. “The bind is still pressing against our wards but hasn't broken through.” Looking down at her, his eyes were like dark pools. “The only explanation is that she carries something of theirs, one of their signatures.”
“Signatures?” Elara asked, her heart pounding.
“A ring, girl,” Bryn snapped.
Elara’s blood ran cold.A ring.She had almost forgotten she even had it after everything that had happened. Yoni didn't need to ask; the look on her face said it all.
“Fuck!”
Dominic swung down from his horse in one fluid motion. “Give it to me.”
Elara’s hands trembled as she pulled Algernon’s ring from her pocket and handed it over, the metal icy against her palm.
“No one thought to check her?” Yoni snapped, his eyes blazing.
“We don't have time to argue,” Bryn said, wringing her hands.
Dominic threw it on the ground, stomping on it with a force that sent a crack through the air. The jasper stone shattered, releasing a wisp of smoke that curled into the air like a dying breath.
Mother above. Whatwasthat?
Dominic's entire body shook with barely contained fury as he turned away, barking orders that cut sharply through the frenzy. “Head west—fast and hard!” He turned to Yoni. “Take the Hallowed to the safe house. It's a straight shot through the southern pass, less cover but faster. I'll lead the flock west toward the old mill, then light a beacon on the western ridge once we’ve diverted them. Wait for that signal before you even think about leaving. Stay sharp, stay hidden, and keep her safe.”
Yoni dipped his head, then turned to Elara. “Up.” He boosted her into the saddle and vaulted up behind her. She gripped the worn leather as the horse surged into a gallop.
Everything became a blur—shadows and dawning light merging, the camp disappearing behind them. Yoni held her tightly, his arms forming a protective cage as he began to weaveTírrísharound them, the ancient language tumbling from his lips like a sacred hymn. Each syllable spun out, shimmering gold, and enveloping them both in a gossamer cocoon.
Elara's muscles tensed reflexively, a cool sensation tracing her nerves as the spell tickled her skin. It felt as if they were being lifted, floating through the trees, their bodies as insubstantial as wisps of mist. She dared a glance upward, half expecting the dark watch of ravens against the pale sky, but there were none. Relief fluttered through her. Yoni's ether was hiding them.
She shut her eyes and drew a slow, steady breath. They’d claimed breaking Dario’s seal would grant her access to ether,but she felt no different. She searched inward, reaching for that quiet place—and found only herself: the beat of her heart, the rise and fall of her chest, the hush of her own thoughts. Disappointment settled, cold and heavy. There was no time for it.
Yoni urged the horse faster, breaking through the dense woods into a wide, open clearing. “Yah!” he shouted, and the horse responded with a burst of speed, hooves pounding the earth, dirt flying up in a wild spray around them. Elara's hair whipped about her face, a tangled, wild mane of its own, and she felt a surge of exhilaration so fierce it could rival the storm of hooves below.
“How far are we from the safe house?”
“Thirty minutes to the closest one,” Yoni said, his breath hot against her neck. “Once we reach the pass, we'll be out of?—“
Yoni didn't finish. Through the scattered gaps between gnarled tree branches, an armada of Verdaran guards burst forth, with Dario at the helm. His eyes found Elara's across the distance, wild with a fear bordering on madness.
Elara's breath caught, a sharp twinge of pain clenching at her heart at the sight of him.
“This ring’s power isn’t enough to get past all the security measures,”he had said.“There are protocols, safeguards in place. By dawn, you’ll be in chains, and I’ll be the one forced to drag you back in them.”
Safeguards. Had he been talking about the Binding Sigil? Had he been admitting it right then, and she’d been too blind, too stupid to see it? The realization hit like a punch to the gut, and any last threads of doubt about Dario's betrayal vanished in an instant.A surge of rage flooded her veins. He had played her like a fool, just like everyone else in her life.
Elara's eye contact with Dario abruptly broke as Yoni violently pulled the reins to the right. Startled, the horse rearedup on its hind legs, hooves slashing the air, before it crashed back down and charged back into the dense forest. Branches whipped cruelly at them, snapping against their faces and hands as they barreled through the underbrush.
