Thorne faltered, his breathing ragged. A dart struck him in the shoulder. His knees buckled, but he snarled, ripping the quill free and forcing himself upright.
“Thorne …” I whispered, my vision darkening. The forest around me spun, dark and hazy. I couldn’t lose him. Not Dalric. Not Thorne.
He turned, his amber eyes blazing. “Get up, Rykr. You don’t get to quit.”
My legs gave out, the earth rushing up to meet me. Thorne’s defiant roar echoed as I fell, his blade swinging in one last desperate strike.
The remaining men who’d attacked us barreled past, charging behind their companions without another glance at us.
Stumbling, Thorne and I chased them, crashing into the thick brush.
Sluggishness spread like warm wine through my veins.
“How in Nyxva did the Viori get into Cairn Hold?” I managed to ask Thorne. I sounded clumsier than I’d intended, my tongue thick.
I had to keep going. If the Viori believed Dalric was Calix, they’d kill him—or worse, use him as leverage. Because of me. Because I let this happen.
Summoning whatever strength I had, I swung my sword, slicing through the tangled brush.
I had to save Dalric.
Fuck.
I couldn’t even see him anymore.
My lungs burned. Sweat dripped down my face, heat searing through me like a fever.
Thorne was gone too.
He must be suffering the same effects. I had no idea how long we’d been separated, or how long I’d been running.
My numb legs gave out as I stumbled into the overgrowth, thorns snagging my clothes and skin. I collapsed, thudding against the hard earth.
Dirt and leaves pressed against my face, but my body refused to move.
The forest swallowed me whole.
Silence.
Chapter 4
Seren
Something hunted me.
Close to the border with Pendara, the forest grew wild and unyielding. The terrain, rugged and tangled with dense undergrowth, formed a natural border between the Viori and Lirien—one we kept that way on purpose.
But the forest didn’t just belong to us. Ancient predators had roamed these woods long before the Viori arrived. Most had retreated deeper when we claimed the land, but here, near the border, their territory remained.
Whatever stalked me now was one of them.
The fire I’d built to cook a rabbit crackled faintly, its warmth fleeting against the chilly morning air. I kicked dirt over the embers, extinguishing the glow. The birds had fallen silent, the ever-present hum of crickets gone.
In the forest, silence was a bad omen.
I packed quickly, marking my place in my spell book with a leaf. Love spells and curses—useless. My mother had sworn they were important, but I wouldn’t waste time reading them twice. My memory retained anything I’d read, whether I wanted to or not.
The unseen presence crept closer, the seconds stretching taut with dread. My grip tightened on the dagger at my side as I stepped away from the thick pine I’d sheltered under for the night.
