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“He is an hour’s ride toward the mountains.” She motioned to her horse that was already saddled. She’d known there would be no stopping me once I found out where the Shades were.
“Not the way I ride.” I kicked my horse into a running start and flew toward the flaming red trees of the Burning Mountains.
The Elverin we’d left behind in Aralinth were camped beside a small creek just a few strides from the main path. Two Halflings jumped in front of me as I approached. I pulled tightly on the reins, but my horse reared and kicked one of them in his chest.
“You deserve it,” I spat, jumping off the horse and passing the reins to the other Halfling. Her eyes were angry slits, but she took them without complaint.
The rest of them had formed a wall between me and whoever stood on the other side of it.
“Riven!” I roared, pulling the dual blades from my back. “If you’re still alive, you have three seconds to call off your hounds before I put them down.” I swung a blade above my head and crouched. One more second and I would begin with the Halfling on my right.
“Let her pass,” Riven commanded. I’d recognize that cold disdain anywhere.
The group pulled back. Riven was standing next to a small fire with one of the Shades bound and gagged beside him. Her eye was already black, and a thick line of blood marked her mouth. Her blond braid was stained amber.
“Put down your weapons,” Riven demanded. His voice was icy and hard, but it only ignited a raging fire inside my chest.
“What is the meaning of this?” I lifted my blades in front of me and bent my legs. The slightest move and I would pounce.
“There was an attack—”
“Where is her partner?” I didn’t see the second Shade. If she’d escaped, our plan was doomed.
“She’s dead.” A cheerful voice cut through the crowd. My eyes scanned through the bodies until they landed on the smug smile of a sandy-haired Halfling. Collin.
Nikolai and Syrra finally caught up. Syrra launched herself off her horse before it even stopped, pulling out her circular blades and placing herself between me and Riven.
“What’s going on?” Nikolai’s tone was too casual as he slipped off his horse.
“Riven was just about to tell me why his scoutskilleda Shade,” I said, gritting my teeth.
Nikolai gulped. His eyes shifted to Riven.
“Like I said”—Riven’s dark eyes cut to Nikolai—“there was an attack. The Shades ambushed the caravan last night.”
The Shade tied next to the fire began to thrash against her bindings. Her angry words were unintelligible with the thick rag stuffed down her throat.
“There were only two of them,” I bellowed, pointing to the tiny bundle of a girl in front of me. “If the Shades did attack them, then they did something to provoke it.”
Riven’s eyes flicked to Collin who was staring at the ground.
I pointed my blade at the young Halfling. “Speak,” I commanded.
Collin looked to Riven who nodded. I took a step closer, so the tip of my blade was only a few inches from his chest.
“We were camping in the woods. I was on watch with Tarvelle.” Collin pointed his chin in the direction of a tall Elf with deep brown skin and green eyes. “We were filling canisters from the creek when the Shades attacked us.”
I shook my head and tilted my blade toward Collin’s heart. I heard it begin to race, pumping against his chest in fast, ragged beats. “Why did they attack you?”
Collin shrugged. “Because we were easy prey? I don’t pretend to know why killers kill.” The sneer Collin shot my way didn’t go unnoticed.
I jabbed my blade at Collin’s throat. He fell back, a small drop of amber blood pooling along his skin as he hit the ground. I pulled back my blade and holstered both behind my head. Collin’s eyes shifted to Riven and back to me. When Riven didn’t rise to defend him, he turned back toward the crowd, scurrying to safety on his hands and knees.
If Collin wasn’t going to answer my questions, I knew someone who would. I walked over to the Shade whose eyes were stalking me. I knelt in front of her, so our eyes were at the same level.
“Do you know who I am?” I asked gently. She nodded. Her pupils were so wide her eyes looked black, lined with red from the punches she had taken. I could tell from the deep bruising that the blows had happened after she’d been restrained. Shades protected their heads at all costs, they were our greatest weapon.
I shot a look at Riven, prepared to hurl every curse I knew toward him, but his eyes were soft and guilty.
