“All we can do is run and pray that Luna does the same,”Caith replied.“’Twould be wise of ye to do that, my friend.”
“Right. Friend.”She squinted against the rain.“And how is that again? How did we know each other before?”
She still couldn’t believe that Aodh’s horse was her familiar. Nor could she believe everything she’d been capable of since meeting him. The sadness she felt when she discovered him so close to death had been indescribable. Then the feeling when she’d pressed her forehead to his.
In some strange way, it had felt like coming home.
While she vaguely remembered chanting in a language she only partially understood, shedidremember the warmth she had felt. The flicker of a sunlit forest. The joy she had experienced as she flew through the woodland on Caith’s back in another time and place.
Now here she was, flying on his back in the driving wind, both fearful and exhilarated. Fearful because she had no idea where Luna was. Exhilarated, because she’d never felt so alive. Not just because of her surroundings but because of the rush of trying to outrun the enemy.
Not to mention the rush of having Declán at her back.
From the moment he first touched her, she had felt that same rush. One undoubtedly because of coming so close to plummeting to her death, mixed with how she had felt when he pulled her back against him. She had experienced a burst of awareness she’d never felt before...at least not in this life.
It was safe to say Declán aroused her, but it was more than that. A sense of familiarity every bit as strong as what she had felt when she healed Caith. A feeling that she knew him so well it made tears sting her eyes.
Now here they were, dodging fireballs as they raced into the woodland with warriors in pursuit. Declán had crossed blades with several in passing before he sheathed his blade, curled over her close to Caith’s neck, and they flew into the dark forest.
“Luna,” she nearly cried out, but Caith halted her telepathically.
“Yer wee beastie is not at the castle anymore,”he assured.“I sense animals even better than humans, so I would know.”
“I hope so,”she prayed, which was new for her. Like Madison, she wasn’t particularly religious, so praying this much was odd. More so, not being entirely surewhoshe prayed to. All she knew was she wouldnotleave Raghnall’s land until Luna was safe and said so.
Neither Declán nor Caith responded, but she hadn’t expected them to. Not yet. Not until they were out of danger which seemed never ending as more and more warriors fell in behind them. Fireballs had stopped falling, but only because of the thickening trees. She didn’t doubt Raghnall would find another way. That he was tracking her every step.
Raghnall.
The man she was apparently married to in another life.
While part of her railed against the idea, another felt accepting. As though he were, in fact, important in her life. Or, better put, her previous one. Did she like the feeling? No...yet it was there, nagging at her despite what he had done to her back at the castle. What he’d nearly done to Luna. Which made no sense. She should hate him. Loathe him. But she didn’t, whether because of their previous life or because of the magic he had used on her.
While tempted to press her cheek against Caith’s neck rather than watch trees racing at them, she couldn’t pull her gaze away because they were heading somewhere important.
Somewhere very familiar.
“King’s Echo,”she whispered into their minds, certain she was right.“That’s where we’re heading, isn’t it?”
Neither responded, but she knew she was right as they flew faster and more and more warriors fell in behind them. Too many to count. Too many to fight.
That’s when she saw it. A wide half-circle of cave loomed ahead. And it did just that.Loom.Sinister and gaping as though ready to eat them alive.
“I don’t think this is such a good idea,” she exclaimed, but her words were lost on the wind. Soaked by the driving rain. Drowned in thunder and what seemed like the roar of dozens upon dozens of horses’ hooves.
“Oh shoot, shoot,shoot,” she cried as they raced closer to the gaping hole. One that couldn’t possibly be safe for a horse. One that had been at the heart of her recent dream. Close. Closer. Right on top of it.“Shooooot!”
“Hold on to Caith tightly and do not let go,” Declán murmured into her ear before he vanished.
“What the?” she gasped, only to look back and see him off the horse with a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other as he raced toward the line of incoming warriors.
“Hold on,”Caith roared and flew into the darkness of the cave. While rain didn’t prick her face anymore, and wind didn’t chill her skin, the air was frigid. Dank. Unwelcoming as the horse continued catapulting forward.
“Stop,”she cried telepathically, hating that not just Luna but Declán had been left behind.“Please stop!”
“I cannot, m’lady.”
“You can!”
