Page 142 of Fires of the Forsaken
“Is that—?” Cheriour tilted his head back, staring at the Púca. But more hoofbeats rumbled toward us and we were suddenly surrounded by riders.
Humanriders.
“Addie! Cheriour!” Braxton stopped his horse and leapt from the saddle.
Relief hit me like a battering ram. My knees turned to goop and I would’ve fallen on my ass if Braxton hadn’t rushed over and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug.
“You have no idea how fucking happy I am to see you,” I muttered, gripping his shoulders for dear life.
“And I ye.” Braxton pulled away with a shaky smile. “We’ve found too many bodies today. It’s nice to see ye both still alive.” But his grin faded when he looked at Cheriour.
“Yeah,” I said, following his gaze. “He’s hurt pretty bad. I did what I could, but…”
Cheriour tapped his fingers against my ankle. It was a soothing gesture. Almost like he was saying,it’s okay.
“Aye, I see that.” Braxton knelt at Cheriour’s side, touching a hand to his shoulder. “How bad is it?”
Cheriour didn’t answer.
Braxton turned to me. And the unsure expression on his face…
My stomach plummeted to the soles of my feet.
I knew Cheriour was in rough shape. But I figured if help arrived, he’d suddenly be a-okay. A silly notion, but it’d been my only hope. And now it was blown to smithereens.
Braxton sighed. “We’ll need to get ye two on a horse. Navigator has the smoothest canter. And he’s no’ a complicated fellow, Addie, ye should manage—”
The roar cut him off.
I spun around.
Three armed soldiers had launched an assault against the Púca. But they’d fucked around and found out. Because my Púca waspissed.
“Shoot it, Tiernan!” A man shouted.
“That’s no good. You’re too close!” A woman called.
With another bellow, the Púca lunged. Its teeth snapped with an audibleclinkaround the woman’s sleeve.
“Bastard!” She flew backward. “Tiernan!Killthe wretched thing!”
“Don’t youdare!” I didn’t even realize I was running until I’d body-slammed into a man with a piddly little bow.
The Púca flung its head into the air, emitting loud cackling sounds.
“Don’t!” I yelled when the woman pulled a knife.
“Bloody thing tried to kill us,” she snarled.
“Ummm, it looked like you were trying to kill it first. That was all self-defense.” I stepped forward, placing myself in front of the Púca. “Did you get bit?” I asked the woman.
She ran a hand over her torn sleeve. “Almost.”
“Almost doesn’t count. If it didn’t break skin, you’re fine. And maybe that close call will teach yanotto harass innocent animals.”
“Innocent?” Tiernan said with an angryharrumph. “The bloody Púca chased us, scared the horses half into their graves, and—”
“Led you here,” I said.
