Page 135 of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly

Someone shoved it into his hands. He lifted it, narrowing in on our area and waving us away when we crowded too close, blocking his light. His finger jabbed into the parchment and then trailed down.

“We’ll travel by river,” he said. “It’s fast, it’s close by, and it’ll get us to the only road they can take southwith a carriage. The iron guards won’t expect it. They’ll stick to the forest trails, and if the gods are smiling on us today, they’ll miss us entirely.”

My heart stuttered. “Prisca nearly died in that river.”

“It was much colder months ago when she went into the water,” Demos pointed out. “I know this area, and the river isn’t as fast here. As long as we stay together, we’ll be fine.”

It was dangerous, but it was our only hope. And I trusted Demos to make the most strategic decision.

Brinlor heaved a sigh. “Perfect,” he said. “I was hoping to spend some more time in cold water.”

Demos was already handing back the map. “Let’s go.”

We ran until I could hear the water even over the heavy pants of our breaths, our footsteps thumping along the forest path. My stomach churned, but within seconds, we were heading downhill. I stumbled, regained my footing, and we burst through the tree line and onto the riverbank.

Here, the Dytur River flowed quickly, but it didn’t hold the same mortal peril as the section near our village. There, the water had been white in places, filled with rocks, and flowing so fast, I was still sometimes shocked that Prisca had survived. Here, the river was moving quickly, steadily, but it wasn’t wild. We were farther from the mountains here, and I couldn’t remember the last time it had rained.

Demos didn’t hesitate. Within a moment, he’d grabbed my wrist and was wading in, pulling me with him into the water.

My teeth chattered. The river wasn’t as cold as I’d imagined—compared to the lake within the mine, it was almost tepid—but my body was struggling to handle the constant rush of adrenaline.

With a single glance at the others, Demos nodded, kicking out and pulling me farther into the water.

Not for the first time, I was forced to admire his strategy. I knew some of it was his magic, but much of it was also his mind.

The river swept us along—pushing each of us into the occasional rock, but that was to be expected. Demos and Brinlor were watching each bend carefully, likely comparing it to their mental images of the map.

The guards were traveling down the main road toward the south. Which meant, depending how fast we traveled, there was a chance we could be lying in wait.

If we missed them…

If we missed them, our only shot was Yan. Perhaps he could create some kind of distraction or find a way to slow the carriage down. My heart tripped at the thought. The soldiers guarding the amulet would be some of Regner’s best.

Anyone who slowed them down would die.

The river was cool, then cold, then frigid. I shivered, focusing on staying close to the others. I touched the bottom a few times, using my legs to push off from the riverbed. No one spoke, all of us grimly silent.

Regner had outwitted us yet again. I was glad Nyrik hadn’t known the amulet was a fake before that creature had pulled him down into the depths of that lake. At least he’d died believing he was a hero. That he’d donesomething incredible for the war. That his actions had mattered.

A thick, dark cloud seemed to invade my head, turning it foggy. And it suddenly felt as if a heavy weight had been dropped on my chest. Demos moved his body closer. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to. But one of his arms came around me, and we floated together, both of us lost in thought.

As we rounded the next corner, Demos jerked his head, and then he was steering me toward the riverbank. Obviously, he’d seen some landmark he’d recognized. All I knew was I was more than ready to get out of the water.

It felt as if we took half the river with us as we crawled out, water streaming off our clothes. It was even colder out of the water, but Demos grabbed my hand and immediately broke into a run.

“You don’t have to drag me with you,” I muttered. “I’m not going to get lost.”

“If I don’t keep you close enough to touch, you might risk your life again.”

Who needed dry clothes? It turned out, fury could keep you just as warm. I opened my mouth to snarl a reply, but someone let out a bird call, and Demos dropped into a crouch, yanking me down with him.

I glanced around me. Everyone else had hit the ground at the same time.

“The carriage is approaching,” someone murmured behind us. “We have to get to the road now.”

At that, we sprinted, all of us tripping and stumbling and hissing frustrated curses. There would be no time to strategize. No time to carefully weigh up potential plans.The thought of what that could mean made me nauseous with terror.

The moment we made it to the road, Demos crouched behind a thick, leafy bush. Several others melted away, while still more crossed the road.

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