Page 187 of A Legacy of the Light

She peers round the door again, taking my hand in hers, ready to run.

“Now!”

We fly out of the door and into the main room, where chairs lie in splinters and tables are overturned. In the far corner, black shadows swarm around the Brollachan as they gather around the bar, shielding them from full view.

Reyne tugs on my hand, pulling my attention back to our escape.

The need to keep quiet stops us from flat out sprinting to the door and I can only hope the brush holds their attention long enough.

Reyne’s distraction provides the cover we need and we escape into the square at the front of the inn. The sounds of fighting and screaming are louder out here. I stumble a step when a child crying in terror echoes through the streets. Reyne holds my hand tighter and we run for the stables.

When we reach the wooden doors, she turns to the guards that followed us. “I have to get Elsie out. Go help the others.”

They say nothing as they turn and sprint into the fray.

“Come on,” she pulls on my hand again and we hurry to our horses.

I stop short in the pen I left Mabel in a few hours ago.

“Reyne, they’re gone,” I whisper.

Each of the stalls are empty.

“Shit.” Reyne turns in a circle, looking in each stable. “The hands must have set them free rather than see them killed.”

“What do we do?”

“We go on foot. We have no choice.”

I nod and she holds her hand out to me again. I take hers, and send a silent wish into the night that Mabel and Atlas are okay.

We keep to alleys, and the walls of buildings, as much as we can, making our way through the town. The forest is on the other side and our only means of escape, we need the cover of the trees. I hold onto Reyne tightly with one hand and my weapon in the other. More than once we have to change direction to avoid fighting Seelie or prowling Brollachan.

The clashing of swords, and the noise of fighting, follows us through the streets. Remnants of mist and shadows dance around our legs as we hurry to escape.

Where is Tavish? Is he hurt? Is he okay?

The questions haunt me as we make turn after turn. Sometimes we hear the whimpering of children and the hushing of mothers hiding them from the evil destroying the peace of their home town.

Reyne holds my hand as tightly as I grip her, and she signals with her head or temporarily releases my hand when we need to move round a building or cross a street.

We come to a long, narrow alley sheltered enough for us to run down. We stop and Reyne peers round the corner of the building. I rest my back against it and take a few steadying breaths and close my eyes in an attempt to drown out the sounds of steel clashing against steel and the screams of anger and pain.

“Bollocks,” she murmurs.

“What?” I ask softly.

“We’ve reached the town square, there’s no way round. We’ll have to fight our way through as best we can.”

“Fight?” I repeat, my voice trembling even on a whisper. I peer around the building and see what made Reyne cuss. The hours we spent in the training ring suddenly don’t feel enough.

Reyne turns to me and nods. “You can do this, Elsie. You’re fast─faster than most. Use that. If anything happens to me, you don’t stop. You run for the forest and keep running. Okay?”

“I won’t leave you,” I tell her.

“Elsie, you fucking run if I go down. You hear me?”

I stare at her; at the fierce blue gaze that stares back at me. I remember the promise I made to Finneus. I remember the promise I made to Granny in my dream. The family waiting for me at home. I might be Seelie, but I’m no match for anyone, and Reyne will likely get herself killed trying to protect me if I do anything stupid.