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I knew it was as the needle-like barbs were already receding from my temple, but she nodded anyway, confirming my fears. “But I don’t understand,” she rasped. “We weren’t even moving. How could I have walked into another magical parameter trap without going anywhere?”
“I don’t know.” I shook my head, already pulling up my trousers and tying the opening closed. “Unless the trap’s moving. Maybe they’ve figured out a way to make a mobile one, except I’m sure a traveling trap couldn’t have as big a circumference as a stationary one.”
Which meant they’d have to be much closer for it to trip this time.
“Fuck,” I hissed, watching her face. “Your eyes are starting to change.”
We needed to get out of here.
I snagged her hand and began to run in the direction of the horses. But shouting voices from the direction we’d left them caused me to skid to a stop. “This way.”
We changed paths and darted between trees. When I glanced over, her eyes were brown again. “Okay,” I said, breathing out a relieved breath, even though I knew we definitely were not out of danger yet. “I think we got you out of the trap.”
She didn’t seem relieved at all, though. “What about our horses?”
I glanced back. No way were we going back that way. At least…
No way was she going back there.
“I’ll get them,” I said. “I won’t trip the alarm. You follow the stream back to the loch, and I’ll meet you there with the horses.”
But she was already shaking her head no. “We shouldn’t separate. What if—” Sucking in a sharp breath, she smacked her hand over her mark once again, and almost immediately, her eyes changed.
“Dammit.” They were on our trail again. We both looked around, and when we heard riders through the trees, I dragged her low, crouching behind some brush.
Then came a muffled call. “Oh, little Graykey slut. Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
Quilla shuddered out a breath against me.
I pressed a finger to her mouth. “Shh.” With my mouth against her ear, I whispered, “Follow me. We’re going to crawl.”
She nodded, and we began to move. I kept her at my side, so I could look over constantly to monitor her eyes. They remained black no matter where we went. Since we couldn’t seem to evade our pursuers, and Melaina wasn’t here to disguise us, nor was Holly around to turn into a dragon, I doubled us back to where we’d left the horses. And had weapons.
Our hunters hadn’t found them yet, thank goodness.
We crept as silently as possible through the grass to my old mare, where I leaped to my feet and dug into my pack, fingers shaking the entire time.
Quilla busied herself, extracting weapons from her own pack and strapping them on. She blinked in surprise when I pulled out my second pair of tattered boots after getting my hand on a sword.
“What’re you doing?” she hissed, shaking her head in confusion.
Fumbling, I cursed under my breath, then slid open the hidden compartment in the heel of the boot. Quilla let out a silent gasp as she watched me gently pull out the leather strap of a necklace where the length was wound around a golden amber crystal.
Her gaze lifted questioningly to mine as I held it out to her. When she didn’t move to take it, I shook my head and grabbed her hand, pushing the amulet into her palm before manually closing her fingers around it.
Then I leaned in and pressed my foreh
ead to hers, explaining almost soundlessly, “Qualmer was wearing it the night he attacked and killed my parents. It came off in the scuffle, and I picked it up after he left. I’ve kept it ever since to help me remember what he did to them.”
She shook her head, still not understanding. She looked almost betrayed to learn I’d had one of the very amulets she’d been looking for all along, so I added, “I had no idea what it was until I saw the one you were wearing last night, I swear.”
Torment filled her gaze.
“I didn’t want you to leave me behind,” I hissed urgently. “But now, you have to.”
Her eyes flared even wider, filling with panic. I glanced around to make sure no one had found us yet. “You stay here,” I instructed. “I’m going to cause a diversion, make sure they chase me, thinking I’m you. I’ll lead them in the opposite direction as the loch. When they’re far enough away, you run. Okay? Get back to Melaina and use the amulets so you two can go to Earth. Go to your safe place and live a full, happy life.”
Her lashes fluttered and her breath heaved as she shook her head insistently. “No. I’m not leaving you here to deal with this alone. Never.”
