Dulan looks back after jumping over a root. “When we make it into the tunnels, I can show you a hiding place where they’ll never find—”
An arrow penetrates the center of Dulan’s back.
I suck in a sharp breath and come to a screeching halt as he staggers a step or two, then turns around to face me. Blood drenches his tunic, and he points at the arrow protruding from his chest, as if he’s trying to make sure it’s real.
“No!” I cry as he falls to his knees. His glossy eyes pin on mine, desperate and afraid, before he tips over and hits the ground.
I start to run to him, but Algar yanks on my arm, dragging me away and shouting, “We have to keep moving, Zaira!”
Clearly, the adrenaline is fueling me because I grow steady on my feet and reality becomes clear again as I run with him. I have no chance to check on Dulan or come to his aid, even. He’s dead because he tried tohelp us, and we’ll be next if those Ruvainers catch up. That fear is enough to push me. I can be devastated later, once I reach safety.
Algar remains hot on my trail, pretty damn fast for someone who has what I assume is a permanent limp. Thane is right behind us, mask up and eyes sparking gold as he rides Pearl.
As he nears me, he scoops me up with one muscled arm and cranes it with just enough force to swing me up so I’m seated sideways in front of him on the horse.
Damn. That was smooth.
“What about Algar?” I call, looking behind his shoulder to see if the guards are gaining on us.
Algar shows up a millisecond later, now several feet ahead.
I lean over to peek around Thane again, and a lick of heat sears my arm, followed by flurries of fire zipping past us. I yelp as an arrow wrapped in flames flies by, stabbing into a tree trunk.
“Thane!” I yell as more dart in our direction.
“Take over the reins!” he commands.
I swing my leg over to straddle Pearl and keep her as steady as I can. Thane twists in the saddle, lifts a hand, and sends a fiery gold cannonball toward the men who are launching the arrows. Several of them are beastials in uniform running on all fours, dodging logs or skittering up tree trunks to leap to the next. Thane’s fire blazes bright enough to light up the gloomy forest, singeing tree leaves, branches, and everything in its wake.
More arrows whiz by, and Thane blocks them with a glimmering shield. So many fires are growing, spreading through the forest like blazing rivers. Glancing over my shoulder, I witness Thane throw his hands up and grunt as he rips a large tree from its roots. He slams it to the ground to block the guards, then thrusts a hand forward, setting the tree ablaze, too.
Shadows.
The spread of flames is exactly what he wants.
The fire engulfs the forest behind us, swallowing it whole. The arrows stop, and the beastials come to a halt as some of them shout to retreat. I give my thighs a squeeze, urging Pearl to go faster as Thane twists around and faces forward.
We gallop through a clearing, past a roaring waterfall, and don’t stop until we can see a two-story building, lit with gold lanterns in the distance—probably an inn. Thane climbs off Pearl’s back first, reaching a hand up to help me down, but when I drop to my feet, I stumble.
“Sorry,” I wheeze. I cling to his arm, trying to stand up straight, but dizziness takes hold of me.
“Quinlocke,” Thane says. “Can you stand?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I let go of his arm, but that’s a mistake because I crumple. Well, would you look at that? Turns out I’m not fine.
“Hey, hey! What’s going on? Where are you hurt?” Thane yanks his mask down and drops to his knees next to me.
Another person appears above me, panting wildly.
“What happened to her?” Algar asks.
My arm. It burns. It burns so much. I groan in pain as Thane touches the arm of my shirt where the fiery arrow cut through. He rips the fabric open wider.
“Shit.” He presses his fingers to the wound. I cry out as the pain heightens. The dizziness becomes stronger, bile climbing up my throat. I’m going to vomit. I can feel it.
“It’s poisoned. We have to get it out of her system now,” Algar urges. “Pick her up. I know the owner of that inn up ahead. She can help.”
“Okay,” Thane replies quickly. “Get the horse while I carry her.”
