Elska whines, pacing in a tight circle, eyes wild, blood flecking her muzzle.
‘You’re not dying,’ I say fiercely to Kyor, as much for myself as for him. ‘You hear me? You do not get to die. I am the only one who gets to kill you.’
The ghost of a smile tugs at his mouth. ‘Seems fair.’
‘Someone, help me get him onto Elska!’ I shout as my heart throbs so deeply I don’t know how I’m still breathing. Given that Stide is the closest, I assume she will be the one to come to my aid, but instead it’s Ruben. Stide’s hands are trembling, and she’s still looking at Kyor, frozen in complete horror at whatherspear has done.
‘Fuck, just when I thought this couldn’t get worse,’ Kyor groans as Ruben begins to touch him.
‘I mean, it’s barely a nick, but if you need help, I’m gentlemanly enough to give it.’ Ruben smirks at Kyor, but when his eyes flick to me, the worry he feels is on full display. It’s bad. He can see it too. He’s just trying to keep Kyor talking, and pissing him off is a good way to do that. ‘Maybe Rose and I will tell our kids about this one day. About the way I rescued the fancy little prince.’
‘Prick.’ Kyor’s jaw clenches, but his voice is getting weaker, and it’s clear just how much it pains him to talk.
‘We’re getting you to Galreck,’ I say, standing behind him. ‘You stay awake. You stay with me.’
He nods once. Barely.
He’s a soldier, and he’s got his orders. He’ll hold to them.
Until he can’t.
‘Ready, girl?’ I say to Elska. Other than when I said her name a moment ago, she hasn’t stopped pacing, but this time she twists her head towards me, locking those bi-coloured eyes of hers on mine before she drops down. I climb up, and together Ruben and I lever Kyor upwards with me behind him, trying to steady his frame, which he seems to have lost control of.
Around us, the forest is wrong-quiet again. The Rottings’ parts lie scattered and broken, twitching uselessly where they fell. The Myrkr is gone, but the cold he left behind still clings to my skin, or maybe that’s just from ripping my shirtto shreds to pack the wound.
‘You got him?’ Ruben asks, a hand still on Kyor to ensure he doesn’t topple.
‘I’ve got him.’ I nod, fixing my arm firmly around the prince’s waist.
Ruben tests me first, letting go but keeping his hands hovering for a moment before he finally steps back.
‘I’ll meet you in Galreck,’ I say to the others. ‘Elska can run far faster than the horses, and we have no time to delay. He needs a healer – now.’
‘You go,’ Benny says firmly. ‘We’ll clear up this mess, and then we’ll be right behind you.’
Without the strength for words, I grip with my legs and squeezeElska into movement. Her first steps are a slow test of her balance, but then, when she’s certain neither of us will fall, she breaks into a run.
Behind us, I hear Thessa instructing the others to burn the Rottings’ parts, but I can think of nothing but Kyor.
All I can ever think of is Kyor.
Chapter 34
Time is moving impossibly slowly, and the city I thought was so close is still evading us, even as night falls. I try to stop the blood from flowing, try to keep Kyor talking with question after question, but at some point the answers stop coming.
Kyor’s weight slumps fully against me, his breath frighteningly shallow but still there. That’s what matters. He’s still breathing, and as long as he’s doing that, there’s a chance.
By unspoken agreement, Elska and I continue on through the night. There will be no stopping until he is dead or we are in Galreck.
My arms ache and my eyes become desperate to close, but I stay awake, praying with every part of me that his heart keeps beating.
As dawn rises, Elska stumbles, and in my own sleep-deprived state, I struggle to keep Kyor on her back. She turns a little and looks at me with apologetic eyes.
‘It’s okay,’ I murmur to her. ‘We’re both exhausted. But we can’t be far from Galreck now. We have to keep going. If we stop … I don’t think he’ll make it.’
She gives me a weary nod and starts to propel herself forward again. I believe what I say. Wehaveto be close. We exited the forest hours ago. We’ve been on a main road ever since, wide and flat, worn smooth bycarriage traffic. Wehaveto be near Galreck now – we just have to be. A rhythmic thud begins to sound in the distance. Drums! Galreck is the city of drums. We must be close.
It’s near midday when the four towers of Galreck rear into sight, and tears fill my eyes as a tremble of relief rushes through me. Not that we’re out of the dark yet. Not even close.
