Taking Aisling’s hand, I led the way into the trees and down the rocky terrain of the mountain. Pine cones and dried pine needles crunched beneath our feet, as did some of the smaller stones littering the ground.
The trees were sparse through here and consisted mostly of scraggly pines. When the descent became too steep, I released Aisling’s hand, and we went sideways to keep our balance as we moved from tree to tree and boulder to boulder.
We were halfway down the hill when Caim landed beside us. He transitioned from a raven before shaking out his wings.
“Are you okay to be around her?” I demanded as I pulled Aisling closer. I’d come to like Caim, but I’d destroy him if he tried anything with her.
“Yes,” Caim said as he settled his wings against his back. “Lust’s effect on me vanished when she died.”
“Did you see anything in the town?” Aisling asked.
“The smoke blocked most of my view,” he said. “When you get further down the mountain, you’re going to have trouble seeing.”
“Great,” she murmured. “Where are the hounds?”
“When I saw the smoke coming from the cave, I left them at the edge of the barrier to see if I could find you. They’ll stay there until we return for them,” Caim said. “Is the minotaur dead?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Olé!” he shouted and put one hand on his hip as he threw the other in the air like a bullfighter. “Too soon?” he asked when Aisling and I stared at him.
Then Aisling started to laugh. “No, it’s not too soon. We should celebrate the death of that monstrosity and two more horsemen.”
We should, but there was no time to celebrate now.
“When this is over, there will be lots of celebrating,” I promised as I brushed back her hair and kissed her temple.
She leaned against me for a second before pulling away and starting down the hill again. Caim hesitated as he looked to me before glancing at Aisling.
“What is it?” I asked.
Aisling stopped and turned to face us as Caim ran a hand through his hair. “The fog is moving closer,” he said.
“The fog with thosepeoplein it?” Aisling demanded.
“That’s the one,” Caim replied.
Aisling paled visibly. “How close is it to us?”
“About a mile.”
“Too close,” she whispered.
“We have time to go to the town and leave again before they reach us,” Caim said.
Aisling’s jaw clenched, but she didn’t say anything more as we started down the mountain again. When we were halfway down the hill, a flash of something across the valley and on another mountain caught my attention.
I squinted while I tried to ascertain what it was, and then I realized a ball of fire was climbing the mountain across from us. It wasn’t until the fire rose higher on the hill that I realized a horse and rider were within the flames.
“Wrath,” I muttered.
Before Wrath arrived at the top of the mountain, the fire engulfing him went out. He paused to look over his shoulder as he pulled something from him. It wasn’t until he lifted it in the air and the sun glinted off the blade that I realized Bale had been missing her sword.
Instead of tossing the sword aside, he laid it across his lap and continued up the hill before vanishing into the woods.
Chapter Forty-Four
Hawk
