Alice spun around, eyes wide, scanning the dark trees. “What’s wrong? What’s that noise?”
The rumbling grew louder. Closer. The earth itself seemed to tremble.
My hand fumbled for my weapon. Too slow. Too weak. I couldn't even stand, let alone fight.
Caterpillar rose slowly—too slowly—and unsheathed his sword with an air of resigned calm. Chester’s grin vanished. For once, his whole face looked deadly serious.
“The queen’s army,” Chester said, looking down at me.
I tried again to stand. My arms gave out. Useless. I was useless.
“How many?” Alice’s voice pitched higher.
Chester cocked his head, listening. “Too many.”
Panic flashed across Alice’s face. She looked at me—bleeding, broken, unable to move—then back at the trees where torchlight was beginning to flicker through the branches.
“We have to run,” she whispered.
I couldn’t run. I couldn’t even stand.
And we all knew it.
Chapter Eleven
Alice
Oh crap. This couldn’t be happening again. Darius would definitely be captured. The sound of pounding hooves grew closer and closer, louder and louder.
Darius couldn't fight. Could barely keep his eyes open. If those soldiers reached us before help did, he'd be dead before they even put him in chains.
He wouldn’t survive the torture. Not with that arrow in his side.
“You have to get up, Darius.” I clasped his hand.
“Go.” He wiggled free of my grip. “I can’t move. Don’t let them capture you.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“You must.” His silver eyes burned into mine. “Go.”
Caterpillar exhaled slowly. “How fascinating. Two people arguing about who should sacrifice themselves for the other.” He tilted his head. “Perhaps neither of you should be captured. A novel thought.”
“This isn’t the time for riddles,” I snapped.
“No.” He fixed his gaze on me. “It is time for magic. You stopped time once. Do it again.”
The air rushed out of my lungs. “I don’t know how I did it. It just... happened.”
My hands were shaking. What if I couldn’t do it again? What if I accidentally froze Darius instead? Or sped time up and watched him bleed out in seconds? My magic had never listened to me. Why would it start now?
“Then make it happen again.”
“I can’t just?—”
“You can.” Caterpillar’s voice lost its lazy drawl. Sharp now. Urgent. “You felt something before. Find it again.”
The hoofbeats thundered closer. Torchlight flickered between the trees.
