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Aderick.
Oh, no. Please don’t be…
Cold fear grips my heart.
I’ve seen enough death already.
Silently, I curse my father and Emperor Duthriss.
Why is it that when old men try to connive and make plans, they so often end in nightmares?
And this son of the Emperor, this Corvan Duthriss… what part didheplay in all of this? Was he not expecting me? Could he not even send an escort to the border of his lands to greet us?
Kastel and Garan are gaining ground quickly. Aderick’s unmoving form sways, his hands swinging from side to side.
The boys are wearing thick leather armor emblazoned with the serpent insignia of Ruen. Their heads are covered by sturdy leather and metal helmets. Longswords hang from their sides.
Their armor is splattered with blood.
The lads are much better fighters than I’d thought.
“What are you doing here?” I scream. “You should not be here, Kastel! Itoldyou not to worry about me.”
Anger wells up inside me, combined with a strange feeling of gratitude.
They’ve followed meallthis way. For what? To rescue me from the clutches of this supposedly mad, terrible Corvan Duthriss?
Kastel reaches me. He slows his horse and manoeuvers the big gelding until he’s alongside me. “Finley! You’re safe! Thank the Goddess. If we didn’t reach you just now, those brigands would have…”
Realization hits me in the chest like a vicious punch.
He’s absolutely right.
I would have been…
Dead. Or worse.
“No time for worrying about what might have been,” I snap. “What about Aderick? What’s wrong with him?”
Kastel dismounts. Garan does as well. He unrolls a blanket and lays it on the ground. As gently possible, they pull Aderick off the horse and lay him down.
To my relief, my brother is breathing, but his face is a worrying shade of pale; almost blueish. Deep shadows encircle his eyes, which are closed. A blanket is crudely tied around his belly.
“One of the brigands got him,” Kastel says, a tremor entering his voice. “Stabbed him with a sword. Right in the gut, through his leather armor. He’ll bleed out if we move him any further by horse. We’ll have to put him in the carriage and hitch the horses to it. Find a healer.”
“Tyron Castle shouldn’t be too far from here.”
“We arenotgoing to that castle, Fin. We heard the truth from a maid. She listened in on the whole thing. You should have told us what father was planning. I can’t believe he would give you tothatman against your will. We were going to steal you back and hide you away… I’m sorry, sister.” Kastel’s lower lip is trembling. Beneath the shadow of his helmet, it’s so obvious that he’s still a boy; just on the cusp of manhood.
Soyoung.
Young enough to do utterly reckless things.
He shouldn’t be here. None of them should. What in the goddess’s name possessed them?
I turn and look across the woods, following the snow-covered road.
Thereisa road. It’s hard to make out at times because it’s covered in snow, but it’s there; compacted, trodden earth where nothing grows, cutting a swathe through the skeletal trees.
