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Damn. I had hoped the smell of the witches’ home would mask our scent. But we were out of time.

Ordinarily, Reid and I would shift to our wolf forms, as they were faster. But Tavik couldn’t carry the witch. Not when she was unconscious and would likely slide right off his back.

Besides, I didn’t necessarily trust Tavik after what had happened earlier.

“I’m fine,” he insisted, though he sounded less than certain.

“Can we outrun them on foot?” Reid asked as we hurried through the forest. It was only a mile to the border.

The sounds of pounding hoofbeats drew nearer.

Shit.

“Not when they have horses,” I hissed, glancing over my shoulder. The witch’s wild mane of red hair partially obstructed my view.

“I can use Nell to draw them away from you,” Reid said, angling his body toward the commotion.

“No,” I said sharply. “It’s too dangerous. What if they have another witch with them?”

“They will catch both of us if I don’t do something,” Reid argued. “Nell is fast. We’ll make it.”

I chewed on the inside of my cheek, gazing toward the trees. Branches and leaves rustled as the fae drew nearer.

“All right,” I said through clenched teeth. “But I’ll wait for you at the border. If you don’t show in an hour, I’m coming after you. Understood?”

Reid nodded his assent before shifting to his wolf form. I watched the amber wolf bolt through the trees toward the approaching fae.

It didn’t take long. Within moments, screams split the air, and a burst of power filled the forest.

I inhaled deeply, but I didn’t smell any cloves.

Which meant they were using ordinary fae magic.

Reid could handle this. I knew he could.

But that didn’t stop my stomach from twisting with unease. If my friend died, his blood would be on my hands. It would be my fault. As his captain, it was my responsibility to ensure he returned home safely.

And I would have to tell his wife and sister that he was dead because of me.

I sent a silent prayer to the gods that he would be safe. After adjusting my grip on the witch’s legs to ensure she wouldn’t slide off, I turned and sprinted in the opposite direction, my legs pumping furiously as I tore through the brush.

The trees became a blur around me as my mind whirled with questions and fears. Perhaps I shouldn’t have left Reid to cause a diversion. Perhaps I should have done it myself and let Reid go on with the witch.

But no… Tavik still wasn’t well enough.

What the hell had the witch done to me? What kind of spell caused my wolf such pain when I was in my human form?

Once we got back to our lands, I would talk to Dulsa, the healer. She would surely have some wisdom about it that might help.

But it could not be a coincidence that the old witch somehow had the king’s amulet and had been mysteriously murdered—and then when her granddaughter appeared, Tavik fell into a wild frenzy.

I shifted my free hand over my trousers to ensure the amulet was still tucked in my pocket. If the older witch had been killed because of this amulet, then why hadn’t the killer taken it? Why had it been left in the old witch’s hand?

A stitch had formed in my side by the time I reached the edge of the Alavern Lake, and my shoulder ached from carrying the witch for so long. I shifted her to the other shoulder, pausing to catch my breath as I gazed at the smooth surface of the lake. The expanse of water was so vast, I almost couldn’t see the other side. It would be easy to believe this was the coast, and there was no end to the murky gray waters.

I inhaled, recognizing the rich, earthy scent of Wolven magic. The energy swirled in the air, the only evidence of the wards surrounding the lake.

The water served as a portal to the Mage lands, but it only worked for those with Mage blood. Since Cerise was a witch, I would have to guide her through. She would have to be awake for the transition. If she remained unconscious, the intensity of the wards could very well kill her.