“Love it.”
Hate it,Kreya thought. There were too many risks. But the army had far too many swords, axes, and spears. Catch them by surprise, and they had a chance.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jentt spurt toward Marso. Empty-handed. Either Stran was safely beyond the wall or... Or he was dead.
She thought of Amurra. And the children. How would she tell them—
As Jentt twisted to evade a soldier’s spear, she saw his shoulder: an arrow was sticking out of it. Kreya faltered for an instant, and a skeletal soldier slammed against her. She shifted her focus back to fighting as Jentt scooped up Marso and sprinted away with him.
“Follow him,” Kreya ordered.
Zera tossed her the talismans. Simultaneously, they activated them and ran up the nearest soldiers as if their bodies were ramps. She didn’t let herself think how stupid this was or how bad the odds were. She called out to the flight talisman as she pushed off the helmet of one soldier.
Landing for only a second on the next one, she pushed offagain and felt the flight talisman propel her farther. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zera leaping as well.
They crashed down on the other side of the soldiers, beyond the edge of the army. Kreya felt every bone in her body jolt. She was going to pay for that later, she knew.Please let there be a later!
“Run!” Zera shouted.
Side by side, they both ran.
“Any more speed talismans?” Kreya called.
“Gave them to Jentt! We’re out!”
Close behind, the army chased them. She heard them roar, like a howl of wind. Glancing back, she saw some of the soldiers were gaining on them.
She searched her brain for another clever plan. A new trick. Anything—
It’s not going to work,she thought.We’re not going to make it.
Ahead, in the distance, she saw the wall. It was at least two miles. She knew she couldn’t outrun them for two miles. Maybe in her youth. Not now.
Her side ached. Her breath burned in her throat.I’m sorry, Zera,she thought.Jentt. Stran. Marso. I’m so sorry.
She hoped at least a few of them had made it, to spread the warning to the rest of Vos. It might be too late for her and Zera, but she had to hope it wasn’t too late for the world.
“Kreya, they stopped!”
She shot a look backward and saw it was true: the soldiers had slowed, hanging back. She slowed as well, catching her breath. Every gasp hurt. “Why?” And then she guessed the reason: “Orders not to be seen.”
Just like the patrol the last time. That was how Eklor had kept them secret. He’d kept them away from the wall. And they were obeying that order now, either because Eklor cared moreabout keeping them secret than he did about running down his prey, or because Marso had distracted him from remembering to issue a new order. Either way, she’d take it.
“Keep going,” Kreya said, forcing her body to move again even though every step hurt. He could still change his order. “We’re not out of this yet.”
Reaching the wall, Kreya saw the guards were alert. Probably for the first time in their tours here.
They were the ones who had shot Jentt, she realized.
And they would happily riddle Kreya and Zera with arrows as well. She spared an instant to worry about Jentt, Stran, and Marso—she didn’t know what it meant that Jentt hadn’t returned. His speed talisman could have failed. His arrow wound could have disabled him.
She refused to think he could be dead.
Or that Stran most likely was dead.
And Marso... She didn’t know if he’d made it either.
But she had to focus on the immediate problem.
