Rynna and Kaelith exchanged a glance before sprinting after him, weaving through the trees to catch up.
“And Bran! He’s joined the battle? He convinced the Wardens?” Her voice rose with excitement as they closed the distance.
“No, he left without permission, from what I heard.” Taren flashed a grin. “But yes, he and the Great Phoenix are charging through the dead.”
It’s all coming to a head, Rynna thought, her mind racing.But how can I make it through this with both Kaelith and Fenn alive? And Fang Unit? Was it even possible to keep them all from being swallowed by the chaos that was closing in around them?
The ground blurred beneath her feet as they sped through the forest, the shadows of the setting sun stretching long and dark. The weight of what was coming threatened to flatten her in the dirt, but for the first time since Fenn’s disappearance, she believed she could have him again. Maybe all of them.
Taren’s voice cut through her thoughts. “We’ll save him. We’ll end this.”
Ahead of them, the sky glowed red, distant flames reflecting off the horizon.
Chapter forty
“So,youthinkSkarnwants to change Fenn into one of his zombie Hollow-born?” Rynna asked as they bounded over moss-covered roots and twisted vines.
“Zombie?” Taren frowned slightly. “Oh, like back in Fallowmere.”
“But why keep him alive?” Kaelith leaped ahead of them, sniffing the air. “He can take control of a dead body just as easily. He’s already done it with the horde and the other Demons.”
“Yes.” Taren nodded. “But they’re not as powerful or intelligent as they were in life. They can follow fairly simple directions and retain a portion of their personality, depending on how much Source they wielded before they died, but it’s only a fraction. Skarn still has to command them in the field or at least stay close.”
“Putting him in harm’s way when he’s also the focal point keeping them alive.”
“Exactly,” Taren agreed. “He needs a commander who can think and fight on par with any of us. Someone who won’t crumble as the battle progresses.”
“Fenn…” Her chest tightened. She couldn’t let him be taken like that again.
“The Crimson Wolf is a good choice,” Kaelith acknowledged. “Skarn is perhaps more clever than I ever gave him credit for. Even the ambush was laid out well enough for the Demons to execute without direct oversight against three Vessel-level Hollow-born.”
“Including one of their own.” Taren pursed his lips.
“I parted ways with them before you could hold a throwing knife, boy.”
“Whatever.”
“Knock it off, you two.” She turned to Taren. “What’s our plan? How do we get him out alive?”
“I don’t think sneaking will be an option. He’s got traps laid out all over the lab.”
“Lab?” Kaelith asked.
“Yes, I found it earlier today, but he was already gone, presumably setting the trap. I assume it’s where he took Fenn.” He smiled. “But he will have to get creative with whatever procedure he has planned. I may not be as strong as Bran with fire, but there’s not much equipment left he could use.”
“Well done, Taren!” Rynna raised a fist.
Taren’s steps barely faltered, but something unreadable shadowed his eyes as he knocked her hand with his. “I’ve missed Fang Unit these past years, being part of the team.”
“We’ve missed you, too. I wish…” Her voice trailed off, but the unspoken words pressed heavily between them.I wish you’d have asked for help.
“I came back once.”
“What?” She tripped over a low-hanging branch.
His gaze remained forward as if searching for answers he hadn't found years ago. “But you were gone. Nobody knew where. Bran was off training with Thorn, and Elara had just taken command of her first healer's unit.”
“I’m sorry.” She’d barely had time to find Fenn, barely had time to tell him…that she loved him before the storm had ripped her away to another world. Her promise to return echoed in her mind like a heartbeat. “I wish I had been here.”
