“She will. She is always with us.” I strode back to the forest with Thenris.
“Sir Thenris, halt!” Tiernan dashed after us.
Thenris stopped at the edge of the forest. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Great fuck,” Tiernan muttered. “Sir Galleth, look after Sir Thenris. Keep him away from the blight.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Galleth hurried over to Thenris and took his arm.
“You needed only to have instructed me, Your Majesty,” Thenris said. “I will remain out of the blight. But that is where the rest of my regiment is.” He pointed into the forest.
“It's all right, Sir Thenris.” I stepped around him. “I'll clear a path, and you can direct me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Tiernan moved up beside me. “This is unnerving.”
“It's fucking weird, is what it is.” I held out my hand. “Together, Lord Hunter?”
Tiernan grinned—totally inappropriate for the situation, but I understood. It felt good to be a team again.
He took my hand. “Together, Extinguisher.”
We faced the forest as footsteps came up behind us—our knights coming to guard us, albeit from behind. I appreciated that they were smart enough to know that I had to go first and that their duty had to take a backseat to that. That's what happens when you protect those who are stronger than you.
Wielding Light with precision so I wouldn't burn down the forest, I went forward. Tiernan winced but didn't cover his ears when the shrieks returned. As it had before, the darkness withdrew, slinking back like sentient oil, thick and glossy. The liquid bubbled furiously, steaming in places. I cleared an area in sweeping movements and went forward to clear another. It was slow going, but worked well. Until suddenly, a black whip lashed out at us. The rope wrapped around Tiernan's ankle.
A lot happened at once.
The King's Guard attacked as one, tossing all manner of mórs at the blight. They rushed forward, surrounding Tiernan and me as best they could, with Thenris getting shoved aside to watch calmly. None of the magic—and it was all impressive—did anything to the blight.
Meanwhile, Tiernan grunted, and light burst from his hand. But the light wasn't his weapon. It was the shadows cast by the light that bent to his will. They swept over the inky tendril, shadows over oil. I hesitated when it looked as if his shadowsmight succeed in freeing him, but then Tiernan's light went out, and he fell to his knees.
Seconds later, I blasted the black root with my Light as I shouted, “Tiernan!”
At last, the blight shrank back with a whimper.
Tiernan echoed the sound and swayed. Sir Frehar steadied him and then helped Tiernan to his feet.
“Are you all right?” I took Tiernan's hand.
Tiernan took a shuddering breath. “Yes, I'm fine. Let's continue.”
“Oh, hell, no. Pull back, everyone.” I ushered Tiernan out of the forest and into the relative safety of the bare field. “Sit down, T.”
“I'm fine, Seren.”
I cupped Tiernan's cheek and peered into his eyes. They weren't empty as Thenris' were, but there was something wrong. “Are you enchanted?” I let my uncrossing magic seep from my fingers into his cheek, the lavender glow seeking anything that may have been left behind by that dark rope. But it returned to me in seconds, finding no target.
Tiernan took my hand and eased it away from his face. “I'm not enchanted. It . . . I felt a pull.” He frowned. “I felt . . .” He glanced at the knights.
“Give us a minute,” I said to the knights. “Keep an eye on the blight. Shout if it moves.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Riosel motioned the other knights away from us and over to where Thenris stood, just a few feet away from the forest, staring at it.
“What did you feel, T?” I asked.
“I'm not sure.” His face twitched. “Guilt, maybe. It was as if it the blight entered my heart, searching for pain.”
