“We’ve got to get out of here,” Tol said, retrieving my spear. A crowd was forming around us—warriors of all clans whispering about the Engrossian dead before them.
I caught snippets of musings, “Is that the Revered Mystique?”
“What is she doing here?”
“It must be her.”
I whirled toward Tolek. “Now,” I ground out, a hint of pleading in my voice, and he whistled for Sapphire.
Tol wrapped his hand around my wrist and tugged me toward where she galloped around the corner. As he was hopping up behind me, the final Engrossian—the one I’d thrown a wineglass at—burst from Wayward’s entrance. The door banged back against the wooden facade, theboomhushing the crowd.
“Alabath!” the warrior called after us.
“Fucking Angels,” I cursed. How had they found us?
The Engrossian jumped on his horse, speeding after Tol and me, his black armor swallowing up the sunset streaming between the trees. They moved with a preternatural grace, sweeping beneath branches as smoothly as we did.
“My queen has need of you,” he taunted.
Tolek’s arms tightened around my waist. “Tell your queen to suck Bant’s golden cock. Ophelia isn’t hers.”
In response, the Engrossian launched a knife that sailed inches above Tol’s shoulder. Hot fury boiled within me at it all. The queen, her foot soldiers, and the uncanny ownership she felt over me. Spirits, even the claim the Angels had over me.
Ever since Damien’s first appearance to me, I’d become a puppet, strings warred over by agents of fate.
“I’ll kill her,” I growled.
“I’ll fight you for the honor,” Tol responded. “How far are we from the mountains?”
“A few miles.” Wayward’s small town was hidden among the trees not too far from the rocky base of the Mystique Range.
Still energetic in his pursuit, the Engrossian released another knife in our direction. Sapphire zigzagged through the trees.
“Caves?” Tol asked.
I nodded, picturing the deep caverns cut into the mountains like burrows, like the one I’d seen on the raid with Barrett.
If we could get away from our attacker, we’d be able to hide there for the night and continue our trek home in the morning. Hopefully?—
Another knife whistled behind us.
I ducked, but Tol pushed himself up behind me, nimble fingers snatching the dagger from the air. The blade sliced his bare hand, but he barely grunted. Without a breath, he flipped the weapon around and sent it flying back toward its owner. Thesquelchand echoingthudtold me enough.
“Impressive,” I panted, stressed nerves still tingling, ears perked for signs of pursuit.
“I know,” he murmured, laughing and pulling me tighter against him with his uninjured hand.
No hooves rang out in the trees as we ran. It was only Sapphire, Tol, and me, hearts pounding in sync below a dusk fading into night.
“That one,”I directed Sapphire after we’d been riding in silence for miles.
“Why that one?” Tol asked, curious.
We’d passed a few caves already, looming entrances spotting the base of the mountains, but at the nearest one, the second pulse beneath my skin sped. I couldn’t put a name to it, that instinct twisting through my body.
“It feels right” was all I said, and Tol took it as explanation enough.
We dismounted, and he headed inside, taking Sapphire by the reins. I threw one last glance over my shoulder, sweeping my gaze across the trees, but all was quiet.
