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Riders are coming down the street.
Toward us.
“Hide!” I yell at the others. “Hide, now! Take Ariadne away!”
“Finn,” Taj starts.
“Take her now!”
“But you—”
I break into a sprint, running toward the riders. I somehow know that they are either Temple or military, that they spotted us, somehow recognized us.
“Finn, no!” Ariadne screams but I don’t stop—instead running faster, harder, straight at the galloping horses.
Someone shouts an order, the horses slow down, and I’m still racing toward them, each breath a slice through my lungs, my boots catching on cobblestones but still I manage not to fall.
I have to distract the riders.
Give my clan a chance to flee or hide.
I have to stop them.
I have to—
The hooves thunder so fucking close to me, a sharp pebble cuts a line of fire on my cheek—and then hands grab me, lift me in the air.
I howl.
I’m thrown belly-first on a saddle and the horse canters away, while a voice says, “Find them!”
16
ARIADNE
Kiaran is dragging me into a side street, behind a cart with a hay-chomping mule harnessed to it, cursing under his breath. Taj is right behind us, clothes flying as he races to catch up with us.
“Finn!” I gasp. “Where is Finn?”
“Shush.” And for good measure, Kiaran slaps a big hand over my mouth. “Hide. Finn say hide.”
“We left him there?” I shout behind his hand but nothing intelligible comes out. I try to pull his hand away. “Finn!”
Taj reaches us as Kiaran pulls me down to the ground, behind the cart. “Good thought. Stay down.”
I bite at Kiaran’s fingers, tasting salt, and he releases me, giving me a startled look. I draw a deep breath, trying to fill my aching chest.
“Finn,” he says quietly. “Where?”
“They were so damn fast!” Taj pants, crouching down beside me, dark hair falling in his eyes. “The riders grabbed him as they passed, took him away.”
“No!” I breathe.
“That idiot. He ran straight at them.”
“Why would he do that, why—?”
“To distract them, give us a chance to save ourselves. If they kill him, I’ll find him and kill him again myself.”
