I trail after them up to the crest of the hill where there's a path that runs in both directions.
'Begin,' he orders.
I glance at the rest of the group. No one moves. At least I'm not the only one here who has no idea what Voss wants us to do.
'Well?' he shouts. 'Run!'
He points down the trail.
Everyone turns and starts to jog down the way quickly. I keep to their pace, but I stay at the rear. I'm not sure how quick I am compared to the rest of them. The pits may have done me a favor because not only do I still have the strength from that place, but I'm now well fed, too, so my endurance should be better. Regardless, I've decided that it's best to be underestimated until I know more about what's expected.
I stay behind the last one in the group, a female who’s a bit slighter of build, her long light hair in a high knot on her head. Keeping my eye on all of them, I stay close though none of them look back once.
There are eleven of them all together. Seven males, and five females including me. The fae are all tall and effortlessly ethereal, of course. Though none of them are as large as Locke, and definitely nowhere near Morgan’s size.
I run down the narrow path with a steep bank on either side, being careful to stay in the middle of it so I don’t slip down the steep incline. In front of me, the fae are gaining distance, so I increase my pace.
As we get to a curve in the path, I squint at the group. There’s a shimmer in the air, a ripple in front of them. I don't understand what I'm seeing until it's too late, and I run straight into some invisible barrier. My forehead hits it first and I’m knocked back, my head swirling as I fall to one knee. Not completely senseless, but close.
The ward around Halsford, I realize dazedly.
I hear snickering as I stagger to my feet and I see some of the fae looking back at me as they run, taking delight in my misfortune.
‘Hard luck, human!’ one of them calls over his shoulder, and they laugh as they disappear around the next bend.
‘Oops.’
I glance behind me toward the voice, my hand pressed over my throbbing forehead.
Voss is there, that same sneer on his face. 'Forgot you can't pass the ward, slave.'
‘I’m one of the freefolk,’ I tell him again, blinking hard as my sight slips in and out of focus.
Should have brought one of those healing vials with me.
He laughs. ‘You’ll never be anything more than what you were in the Dark Realms, girl. I’d be doing you a service to remind you.’
Remembering all the nasty comments Ogdan and Sio said to me over the years, and all the things Warrior whispered in my ear, I almost laugh in his face.
Is that the best he can do? He’ll soon learn that it’ll take much more than that to break me.
'How am I supposed to get through?' I ask, gesturing to the barrier.
He looks a little uncertain now. Perhaps I’m not acting the way he thought I would.
But he straightens and snaps a finger. 'Go on, then.'
I turn and sprint, eager to catch up with the others, only to slam into the barrier again. This time it's not as hard, but my nose still takes the brunt of it. Voss’s chortle makes me want to hit him across his smug, fae face, but I don’t let my anger get the better of me. I stare straight ahead in front of the ward instead, waiting for him to lose interest in this little game.
A scowl alights his face in my periphery and, after a few moments where I don’t give him the satisfaction of even rubbing my nose, he waves me off. I step to the barrier and, this time, it lets me pass through.
I run a bit more quickly than before to reach the others but decide not to do my very best. For the rest of the jog, I keep my hands slightly in front of me as well, just in case.
We’re made to traverse the entire perimeter of the village and down into the next valley. At a clearing in a low ravine, there are fighting circles already laid out on the ground with stones. Here, Voss is waiting for us. He tells us to stop running.
‘How did he get here?’ one of the females beside me mutters.
I glance over at her, remembering how he appeared on the trail out of nowhere.
