Page 113 of The Heart Trials

Two.

“Go!” The Mercyenforcer drags his fist down as a siren wails.

Caelus is a blur passing me. Dorian lunges, yanking Mae with him, and her boots slip on wet rock. I throw myself toward the tree line. But a hand grabs me from behind, pulling me back.

It’s Kade.

I shove him off me. He growls and charges, but I sidestep and he staggers past me into Jace, who is swinging a hand axe. Kade grabs his curved sword. They circle.

“What’s your issue with me, Kade?” I spit.

But Kade growls, fully focused on Jace now, and I stand there wanting to scream at Talia—who is hovering nearby—to see that Rhythe has put Kade up to this. He wants her loyalty, whatever it takes, even if it means taking Jace from her. He wants to use her somehow. That’s why he was so interested in recruiting me. Whatever he is after, she shouldn’t trust him.

“Axira!” It’s Caelus.

Talia glances at Kade warily on her way to the grove of trees behind us, begging Jace to come with her. Jace steps back toward her, keeping his eyes locked on Kade. When they’re out of sight, Kade spins and flings a throwing blade straight at Dorian, who’s ducking into the forest on the other side of the clearing. It catches him in the leg, slicing into his flesh. He howls.

Warm hands wrap around my arm. “We need to get far away from everyone,” Caelus says.

We take off, past Dorian limping with Mae, and disappear into the trees as well.

A pop cracks once. Someone screams. Horrific sounds of death.

I don’t look back.

I run as hard as I can. I run until my legs feel like they may give out. I run with the sound of Caelus panting behind me, urging me to go faster. I run until the shadows of the forest are thick enough to hide in. Then I collapse against a tree stump to catch my breath, and instantly stiffen.

I hear Rhythe’s voice.

Caelus crouches beside me behind a cluster of frosted boulders. We cover our mouths to hide the clouds of frigid breath our exhales make. The wind cuts through the pass, sharp enough to rattle the pines overhead. We huddle closer, just close enough to catch the sharp edge of Rhythe’s voice as he gestures to his alliance. Jace lingers nearby.

“Talia, Ivy, you two stay together, keep each other safe,” Rhythe says, tone cool but commanding. “I’ll get the antidotes for us. I’ll get there first and take as many as we need. Hide, down here. That’s the safest move.” His eyes flick briefly to Ivy—so brief the others might not notice.

“I’m not hiding,” Jace says.

“You are if you’re with us,” Rhythe says.

“Forget that. Talia, let’s go.”

“She’s with us,” Rhythe says.

Talia’s gaze darts between them. It’s either betray her alliance or her love.

Finally, she crosses her arms. “And if you can’t get enough, who are you going to give the antidotes to?” she asks Rhythe.

He doesn’t flinch. “That won’t happen. If it does, the antidotes I do get will go to whoever proves most loyal to me,” he says, like it’s a currency he controls, sounding like the Benevolent. Ivy doesn’t look at him. She doesn’t have to. He’s lying. He’s going to give an antidote to Ivy.

“I don’t trust him,” Jace says.

“Then climb with me,” Rhythe says. “Don’t go at it alone. Maybe we can grab more antidotes if we’re together. We can get them by tomorrow’s sunrise, then spend the next two days on our descent.”

Jace folds his beefy arms across himself. Talia’s arms fold too, loosely, but not relaxed. Her brow furrows in deep thought, but her stillness is unsettling.

Jace waits for her to object. She doesn’t, so he finally says, “Fine.”

“We have to do something,” I whisper, and Caelus’s hand gently covers my mouth.

His breath is warm on my ear when he says, “We have to get far away from them, get that antidote, and get to the ground.”