“Are you okay?” I demanded as I succeeded in tugging the reins free.
“Get us out of here.”
Pain radiated from his voice, but I couldn’t look at him as I tried to regain control of the animals. If I stopped now, we were as good as dead.
Shouts came from the remaining guards behind us; branches and trees broke as some of them had taken their mounts into the woods to avoid the rope and pursue us, but some had to remain behind with the rest of the money… or so I hoped.
I didn’t know what had become of the others. I knew the rest of the plan and could only hope they’d succeeded in either opening a portal out or hiding in one of the many pits we’d dug for them to do so.
If the guards captured any of them, we could only hope they would keep Tucker’s encampment a secret. Many would cave beneath the torment sure to follow their imprisonment, but we’d needed help to pull this off, and if we were to become an army, then we all had to work together and trust each other.
CHAPTEREIGHTY
Ryker
I grittedmy teeth against the jarring impact that caused the three arrows in my back to shift and grind against my ribs and shoulder. One had pierced all the way through, but the other two remained lodged inside me. The problem of the arrows would have to wait until we were somewhere safer.
A large hole in the road caused the broken shaft on the carriage to jerk into the air, scaring the horse next to it more. I eyed the broken shaft before shifting my attention to the remaining one. If it let go too, we were fucked.
The horses thundered down the road, rounded a bend, and continued onward. The rattle and clatter of the wheels, plus their hoofbeats, made it almost impossible to hear anything else.
Fog rolled in to obscure the road. It created a thick, white wall before us as it rose higher.
“You?” I asked Ellery.
She wasn’t supposed to use any abilities that weren’t publicly known, but she didn’t always listen. “No.”
That meant one of the guards possessed the ability. Shifting the reins into one hand, Ellery twisted her other before her.
I felt the pull of air currents as she grasped the wind, strengthened it, and spun it into a whirling vortex that sucked the fog from the air and pulled it away from the road. The wall of fog continued to obscure the forest, but the roadway was clear again.
When wind buffeted the sides of the carriage, I realized the guards were trying to use that ability against us. Though every part of me hurt, I drew on their wind, twisted my hand before me, and sent it spiraling back into the trees with enough force that it tore one of the trees from the ground.
Bracing myself for the pain, I rose to look over the top of the carriage. Three more guards remained behind us while two more emerged from the trees and raced down the road to join them.
We rounded another bend before coming to the open expanse of road where the giant had hidden. As soon as we passed his location, I started counting as the guards closed in on the vehicle.
They were almost to Ianto’s hiding place when a net sprang across the road. A couple of the horses reared and spun, two crashed into the net, and the fifth veered into the trees.
The thickness of the woods hindered him, but he was still close enough that I didn’t dare open a portal. I didn’t know if I could close it before he followed us through.
Despite my injuries, I could still take him; I was more concerned he’d see where we’d gone, flee, and return with an army. We couldn’t have them knowing our locations or realizing how deep into the woods we’d gone.
Ianto should already be slipping into the hole we’d dug for him. He’d bury himself beneath the earth and wait for the chaos to settle, so I didn’t worry they’d find him.
They’d all take to the woods to get around the net and come after us, but I hoped we’d be gone by then. The remaining guards would have to ensure the rest of the money made it to the palace, and once night fell, none of them would remain in the Revenant Woods.
Once he learned what happened, Ivan would send an army to track us down. These woods would become more treacherous, but I doubted they’d find us.
Plus, they would most likely believe we’d return to one of the towns and not reside in this place. Ivan would never be able to fathom the possibility someone would choose to do so.
The guards also had no idea how many amsirah were involved in this robbery, which would help keep us protected. A handful of Tucker’s followers had helped us get the carriage, and more remained in strategic locations throughout the trees to provide more assistance if necessary.
“The net’s up,” I told Ellery through my teeth.
“Are you okay?” she demanded again.
“Yes.”
