“Hold up,” I said, grabbing his shoulder.
Jask had run over to check on Kael.“He’s breathing steadily, but he’s out cold.That must have been one hell of a fight that I didn’t even see.”
Horns blared from far away, but not nearly far enough.The Royal Guard was on alert.The massive amount of Ember Darion and Kael had used must have been like a blinding beacon for any Sentinels in the area.
“We have to go!”Darion pleaded, finally able to speak.
Working together, we managed to get Darion onto my horse behind me.Jask hastily tied a rope around our waists.I wasn’t entirely confident that if Darion lost consciousness and fell over, he wouldn’t take me down along with him.But we made do with what we had.
As we galloped away, a few townsfolk gathered around Kael.It was a gamble leaving him, but we couldn’t take him with us, and with the Royal Guard closing in, we couldn’t risk staying around.
I watched for pursuers as we left the town, but as far as I could tell, no Sentinels or members of the Royal Guard had spotted our hasty getaway.Just a bit north of town, Jask guided us off the main road and onto a less-traveled trail with better tree cover.She explained that this was the remnant of an ancient road from a long-gone civilization.I could make out the occasional stone border wall amidst the overgrown grass.A worn marker sat by the side of the road, its carvings long eroded.
After a long while of hard riding, when it became clear no one was following us, we paused.
Elena spoke first.“Would somebody tell me what in all the hells is going on?What happened with Kael back there?”
“Kael’s contact at Pyrehold betrayed me,” I said.“And Garrick warned me there was a traitor in the Order.I fear he is a spy.”
Darion had regained his wits enough to speak somewhat coherently.“And given what just happened—the way he tried to stop us, and the way he attacked me—it seems we might have confirmed it.”
Elena scrunched up her face.“But he was so nice.I trusted him.”
“How did you end up on the road alone with him?”I asked Elena, “And why the East Road?”
“Oh, that was probably my doing,” Elena said.“When everybody started evacuating the Order, only Kael remembered me.He helped me escape.I told him that you and I had agreed to meet at our old farm, so he was helping me get there.”
That was the only plausible explanation I could think of thatdidn’timplicate Kael.If it had been his idea to take the East Road, it would have been very suspicious.I’d almost hoped he had so the issue would be settled, but instead I now had a seed of doubt in my mind.
On the other hand, Kael had attacked Darion, so maybe there was little left to discuss.
“You didn’t tell Kael exactly where the farm was, did you?”I asked Elena.“Or mention anything else specific, like the wishing well?”
“No, just that our farm was near Meadowrun,” she said.“That’s it.”
I breathed a sigh of relief.But even still, I feared the area might be swarming with Royal Guards if Kael had fed them that information.
Zephyra, who had been circling overhead, dove down and landed on my shoulder, and I let my Ember flow.
Little Cas, the people place is swarming with Royal Guards, but none have followed us.
“That’s good news,” I said, then turned to the others.“Zephyra thinks we aren’t being followed.”
“Thank dust,” Darion said.
But Zephyra must say something important.
“What is it, Zephyra?”I asked.She normally just got straight to the point, so the statement got my attention.
Zephyra stayed to help little Cas get Elena.
“Yes, and I appreciate that.You’ve been a great help.”
But Zephyra must go now.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said, stroking her head.“Is everything okay?”
Everything isveryokay.Zephyra is with egg and must nest for many sunrises.
