“Aye, puzzling that.” Von frowned at their surroundings. The trip down the steep hill would be dangerous. “Watch where you step. We’ll walk from here—”
The lass tore herself from him and ran, but she lost her footing on the precipitous slope. She fell, bounding into the fog out of sight.
“Dyna!” Von and Geon rushed after her. He couldn’t see a thing as they staggered and slid down the hill. All they heard was the terrible sound of her crashing through foliage and rebounding off the ground in her descent. There was a sharp grunt, and a dull thud, followed by a dreadful quiet. “Lass, where are you!”
A faint whimper led him through a cloud of mist on a leveled spot of the hill. Dyna had collided into a fallen log that stopped her descent. She lay there, half unconscious, her arms and legs scraped, her dress torn. A thin red trickle leaked from her temple.
Von rushed to her side. He removed the gag and held up her face, checking her eyes. “Are you all right? You took a blow to the head there.”
Dyna moaned weakly, “Will I ever cease to be so clumsy?”
Von supposed clear speaking was a good sign.
“She’s bleeding,” Geon said. He tore at the hem of his tunic again and pressed the cloth to her temple.
Dyna glared at them and pushed his hand away. “Why are you doing this? What do you want?”
Von and Geon shared a look.Theydidn’t want anything.
“This is my doing, isn’t it?” she asked. “For telling you of Mount Ida. But it was as though you stole the words from my mouth.”
“Aye, I suppose I did with a truth spell. It wasn’t intended for you.”
“What are you going to do to me?”
“I’ll not harm you, lass. If it were up to me, you would not have seen me again. My actions are at the mercy of my master.”
Her eyes widened. “You have a master?”
“I do.”
Traces of sympathy hovered in her gaze. “Why does he want me?”
Von hesitated to answer. He couldn’t tell her the full truth. “We need you to view your enchanted map.”
Dyna flinched. “How do you know about that?”
“Our spies have been watching you. We know all there is to know about you and your companions.”
Her face tightened with anguish. “Cassiel …”
Von sighed. “I waited until you separated from them to take you. I tried to spare the Celestial,” he said softly. “I’m sorry, Dyna.” And he meant it.
Her eyes widened in horror at the realization of what he meant. She shook with heartbreaking sobs. She folded over herself as if to contain the pain. Von laid a hand on her shoulder and she hit him with her bound wrists.
“Get away from me! Don’t come near me! None of this would have happened if I had not met you!”
He caught her hands. “I’m beginning to believe that no matter the circumstances of that day, our meeting was inevitable.”
“What do you mean!”
“It was foretold, many years ago, you would come,” Geon said. “The Seer from Faery Hill said the Maiden with the key would lead us to Mount Ida. She spoke of six Guardians who would protect you.”
Dyna stared at him. “What?”
“The wolf and Celestial are the first. We captured you now before you had the chance to gather them all.”
“Geon,” Von warned. The lad was telling her too much.
