Page 112 of The Twisted Throne

“James!” a voice cried out. Then another shouted, “Ahnna!”

“It’s William and Georgie.”

Ahnna had only a heartbeat to grieve the end of a moment her heart had half wished would last forever before James shouted, “We’re here! Will! Georgie!”

“I hear them!”

Boots thudded against the ground, then Georgie’s face was above them, peering down. His eyes skipped from her face toJames’s, and Ahnna could feel Georgie’s displeasure that they were together. Yet all he said was, “Thank God we found you! Are you hurt?”

“We’re fine,” Ahnna said. “Have you found the horses?”

“Maven came galloping into Verwyrd with your gelding on her heels,” William said from over Georgie’s shoulder. “We knew from her injury that something had gone wrong. We sent out a search party and crossed paths with Georgie, who told us about the ambush.”

“My men?” James asked, and Georgie shook his head. “Dead. And it’s a small miracle you aren’t as well. Both of you.” His tone was frosty.

William didn’t seem to notice Georgie’s displeasure, for all he said was, “All that’s left of the Amaridians is meat, though it’s impossible to tell whether that’s because of you, the herd, or the storm. Some of the herd was lost, and it looks like a battlefield out here with the wolves feasting. You’ll see when we get you out, James. Bloody massacre. Not fit for a lady’s eyes, though, so you might wish to close yours, Ahnna.”

“I’m sure she can handle it,” Georgie muttered. Then he shouted at his men, “Come help with this beam!”

“The last wall is ready to fall,” she warned, half wishing that it would fall on Georgie and solve that particular problem. “Take care.”

“Don’t concern yourself,” he said. “We will manage.”

James kicked dirt over the fire to smother it while the men outside worked to secure the wall, then clear the debris. It wasn’t long until the opening revealed the starry sky and James was lifting her, Georgie pulling her out of the cellar and then helping James.

“My God, Ahnna,” William said, gripping her arms. “Ithought I lost you and Jamie both, whether to the Amaridians or to the storm. We’ve been looking among the dead cattle for hours.”

The concern in his voice seemed genuine, but hers was wooden as she said, “I’m fine. We were caught in the storm, but James had the wherewithal to seek cover in the cellar. If not for how the old house collapsed, we’d have walked back to Verwyrd.”

“What happened that brought you onto the Ranges?” William demanded.

“I was outnumbered,” James answered. “I hoped to lose them in the storm.”

“Not. You.” The words came from between William’s teeth. “Her.”

“I knew something had happened,” Ahnna replied, understanding how her reaction had looked, especially to Georgie, who was glaring at her. “I was already on horseback, and my horse is fast. I meant to catch them and even the odds.”

“Not that fast,” William snapped. “Else he’d still be on the tracks. It’s only luck the Amaridians didn’t ambush you.”

“He’s right,” James said. “You shouldn’t have taken the risk. But if you hadn’t, I’d be dead, so you have my gratitude for your actions even as I pray you’ll never have cause to undertake something similar in the future.”

“She won’t.” William leveled a finger at her. “Because you will not leave Verwyrd again, am I understood?”

Ahnna stiffened, every part of her rebelling at such a restriction on her freedom, but then William gave his head a shake. “You are too precious to risk, Ahnna. Promise me you’ll not endanger yourself again.”

Her anger deflated, but she still choked on the words. “I promise.”

“Good.” He went to his horse, mounting and then holding out a hand. “Come along, then.”

“Georgie and I will hang back,” James said as she mounted. “See if we can get a better idea of the losses we took.”

William gave his brother a measured look, then shrugged. “Don’t get eaten by wolves.”

He heeled his horse into a trot, soldiers forming up around them as they headed toward Verwyrd.

Don’t look back,Ahnna told herself.You cannot look back.

But her heart said otherwise, and she glanced over her shoulder.

---