Page 91 of On Brutal Thrones

I barely notice it at first. It’s no more than a pale ribbon drifting across the path, but then another follows, and another. Within moments, the forest ahead is disappearing behind a wall of white.

“Nyx?”

She’s beside me. I know she’s beside me. I turn toward her, reaching for her hand, but my fingers close around empty air.

“Nyx?”

The mist thickens. I can’t see more than a few feet ahead, and the trees that were standing on either side of us are gone. Even the ground beneath my boots is fading from view.

“Talon!” I shout.

“Right here!”

His voice comes from somewhere to my right. I turn toward it, but the mist swallows the sound almost as soon as he speaks.

“Where’s Nyx?”

“I can’t see shit!”

“Fenric?”

“I’m here!”

His voice comes from behind me.

At least they’re alive.

But Nyx still hasn’t answered.

“Nyx!”

I take a step toward where she was standing. The mist moves around me, thick enough that I can’t see my outstretched hand. I reach farther, expecting to find her arm, her shoulder, anything.

Nothing.

“Nyx, answer me!”

My voice sounds wrong. Muffled. As though I’m shouting through layers of heavy cloth. I can barely hear the last word leave my mouth.

“Talon!”

No answer.

“Fenric!”

Nothing.

Fuck.

I push forward, trying to keep moving in the direction Nyx had been standing. The smart thing would be to stop before I lose my bearings completely. Wait for the mist to clear. Find the others when I can see again.

The smart thing can go fuck itself.

I’m not leaving without them.

“Nyx!”

I can’t even hear myself shout her name.