“It would appear you made the right decision,” Hall murmured from beside him.
Absolutely. Getting Christiana away from that monster was the smartest thing he’d ever done.
Ulfr moved ahead, putting distance between them by the time Chase climbed into his saddle.
“Say what you will.” Fergus drew even, speaking over his shoulder to Artur. “I figure one day our laird will stop asking for those maids and he’ll satisfy himself with that which he really desires.”
“In truth,” Artur replied. “Wouldna surprise me to find he did that exact thing after we found her sleeping in the old chambers this morning. He sent Ulfr and me away quick enough once he saw it was her, he did, and shut himself inside the room with her.”
They found Christiana in the keep? Chase jerked on his reins, pulling his horse to a stop, his stomach knotting in fear. She hadn’t escaped with the Tinklers. She’d never left the keep.
“Keep moving,” Hall hissed close at his side.
“Didn’t you hear what—” Chase could hardly force the words from his mouth. Torquil had foundher becausehehad left her there alone. It was his fault. He should have insisted that she leave when he did. He should have followed her and made sure she got out of the keep.
“I heard well enough.” Hall cut into his recriminations, jerking the reins from his hands. “We’ve less than an hour before sunset. When we’ve the cover of dark, we’ll make our move. If we ride through the night, we’ll be back at Tordenet before the sun fully warms the day. Patience, little brother.”
Hall was right. Another hour wouldn’t change what had already happened and risking a fight, outnumbered as they were, would be foolish.
He needed to get back to Tordenet in one piece.
One pissed-off, ass-kicking piece.
OceanofPDF.com
Thirty-two
CHRISTIANA STOOD BYthe well, a soft wind blowing through her hair, an overwhelming relief filling her heart.
“Thank you,” she whispered, choking back her emotion to lift her voice. “My thanks to each of you for allowing me to escape to your world.”
None of the three figures sitting under the great tree so much as glanced in her direction.
“You cannot remain here. We are not meant as your refuge. Drink the water and be about your business.”
She touched the cold, crisp liquid to her lips and lifted immediately from her feet to float above the land. This time her focus was homed solely on what was yet to be.
Below her, the Mysts thickened at the edge of Now and she dipped lower, batting at the puffy dis-colored clouds to dislodge them that she might see what they hid. So many paths, but only one held interest for her now. The one leading to the Sinclair’skeep, where Torquil had indicated he would send Chase and Halldor.
Eleven men rode toward the Myst. Eleven men but twelve horses. From this height she recognized them all, even the empty saddle keeping pace next to Chase. The empty saddle belonged to none other than Halldor O’Donar.
Hovering above them, a shock of realization swept over Christiana as she accepted what she was seeing. She knew Halldor existed in that scene. If she dipped lower and concentrated on the spot where he should be, it was almost possible to decipher his form. Yet, for reasons she couldn’t understand, the sight of him was masked from her.
Second, and possibly more confusing than her not being able to see him, was the realization that Halldor could not possibly be Chase’s brother. She should have recognized that long before now. Unlike Chase, Halldor existed inthistime, whether or not he was visible to her in the Visions.
Like so many other enticing strands, these would be paths of knowledge for her to pursue at another time. Though she had no doubt of their importance, they were not her purpose for being here today.
Pulling back to regain her perspective only increased her frustration. So many paths branching out from each of the men below presented a tangled maze for her to sort, requiring her to carefully pick and choose a single thread to follow. Her focus sharpened on Chase, as it must if she were to haveany hope of finding what was to come if he traveled these paths.
She’d seen this part before. She’d watched as their horses entered the Mysts bound for Sinclair Keep. It was what lay beyond this that she must find now.
Once again she dipped lower, plunging into the heavy Myst to find a point in the future where the horses followed a return path to Tordenet. There were only six animals along this particular strand of the future, galloping hard, their sides bellowing in and out. Two were riderless, one of them belonging to Chase.
Not that path!
She backtracked, blinking at the burn in her eyes and the acrid taste in her mouth as she plunged again down through the Myst. Each of the paths she followed from Sinclair Keep led to the same result. Chase would not survive.
The realization buffeted her, rolling her feet-over-head and tossing her like a leaf high into the air. By the time she recovered her stability, she was so far above them, what little she could see appeared as no more than insects.
