“The King of Daramveer and I have too much on the line for a group of idiots to mess this up. Where is Briar, by the way? Her father made me promise to keep her safe—well, alive. Her condition really doesn’t matter,” he laughs.
Thatcher’s mocking only makes the shadows around Silas grow. Rage leaks off his taut body.
Oak and Silas share a quick look of understanding. Oak heaves his sword toward Thatcher and Bardot. The blade cuts the air with precision.
What the hell are they doing?
Thatcher blocks the sword with his bow, the weapon nearly snapping from the weight of the blade, but he laughs. “Pathetic.”
As the distraction blinds the others, Silas extends his arm. A black light bursts from his hand, throwing Thatcher and Bardot against the hard wall. Their heads slam into the stone.
The commotion echoes through the forest as I sprint to Silas. “What the hell? How did you do that?” Confusion races through my mind. “The Dyisen has been suppressing our magic.”
“The bag I chose on the island. It was magical. I got to keep it as my weapon during this trial. I shifted here when I heard your scream. That’s how I got here so quickly.” He brushes a hand against my cheek, and my face turns pink.
“Can you two do this later? We need to get the fuck out of here,” Oak cuts in.
A scream rattles the mountaintops from a close distance. Rohhit tries to stand but fails. Oak grabs him by the waist. Thatcher and Bardot lie unconscious near the inner walls of the cave.
“We need to leave right now,” Silas barks.
I holster my other axe, a plan quickly forming in my mind.
“Silas, you need to shift Rohhit out of here. He won’t be able to run.” I demand.
Oak nods in agreement.
“I’m not leaving you here, Briar. You heard what’s heading in our direction.”
I move toward him, grabbing his strong shoulders. “If you don’t shift him right now, we’re all going to die trying to save him.”
Panic laces his hard exterior as he towers over me, letting me hold him a moment longer.
“Shift him now. Try to come back once he’s safe. Toward the castle, the clearing I told you about. You’ll know it when you see it. You’ll be safe there. We’ll meet you there when we can.”
The scream moves closer, making us all jolt. Knowing we must move fast, Silas kisses me deeply. His tongue sweeps thoroughly through my mouth, as though kissing me for the last time.
“I told you I would protect you,” he murmurs, his breath ragged against my lips. “This is me failing to do so, and I hate myself for it. I will find you as soon as I can.”
His grip releases my face, leaving me feeling empty in the cold cave. He moves swiftly toward Rohhit, wrapping an arm around his waist. With one final glance in our direction, Silas vanishes into the shadows, taking Rohhit with him.
I turn to Oak. “You ready?”
He leans down to grab his fallen sword. “Do I have a choice?”
We take off from the cave, leaving Thatcher and Bardot behind. Bounding through the trees, I feel a pull in the direction I’m leading Oak. He’s not going to be happy with me, but I have a plan.
I lead us back toward the Figgawen I narrowly escaped earlier. Oak keeps up well with me, effortlessly passing through narrow trees with his broad body. The scream continues to grow closer. We are running out of time.
Instead of staying silent, I let out a scream, letting the creature know exactly where we are.
“What the hell are you doing?” Oak yells from behind me.
“Keep running!” I snap, my lungs filling with fire.
As we approach our destination, the trees become less of a green blur and more familiar. Only a few more turns stand between us. I stop near the edge of an almost invisible ravine. Oak stops breathlessly beside me.
“What the hell, Briar! Are you insane?” He crouches to his knees.
