Page 88 of Echoes of the Raven
“Hurry!” Rífíor growls. “They’re close.”
Jago gives me a tight squeeze. “Go get them. Fix this mess. Go, go!” He pushes me toward Kadewyn, whose hand is still stretched out in my direction. “Wait!” He jumps into the wagon and tosses out our rucksacks. “Take this.” We both catch them.
“Thank you,” I mouth.
Brimming with fear and guilt, I take Kadewyn’s hand. With one swift pull, he yanks me onto the horse. I throw my leg over the animal’s hindquarters, take the mount, and wrap my arms around his waist.
“Ya!” He spurs the gelding forward.
The horse bucks, then takes off at full gallop. He steers us back the way they came. We leap over the bushes and dash through the forest, weaving in and out through the trees. I glance to the side and see Rífíor. He’s running, arms and legs pumping fast. It’s a sight to behold. I had no idea he could produce this kind of speed. Looking over my shoulder,I see nothing but the trees we’ve left behind—no sign of my cousin or the troop.
Gods, please let them be all right. Protect them from Amira’s anger.
I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to them, to Jago.
The gelding huffs and jumps over a dead log. I hold on to Kadewyn for dear life. Rífíor still follows, but he’s falling behind the further we go. It seems he can only maintain top speed for a short while. We keep heading west, the woods thickening, making the terrain harder to navigate. Soon, Kadewyn urges the horse back toward the road.
“Faster,” Rífíor shouts. “They’re coming.” He releases another burst of energy and catches up with us. His lips are peeled back as he exerts himself to the fullest.
Looking back, I catch a glimpse of our pursuers. I see at least five of them. One of them, the one in the lead, lifts a hand, holding a cloud of red magic.
“Shit! Where’s Calierin?” I shout.
“She’ll find us. She won’t miss this racket,” Kadewyn shouts back.
I guess she won’t, but she’d better hurry.
An orb of lethal espiritu hits the tree to our left. It burst into flames, causing the horse to shriek. The animal careens as Kadewyn steers it into the road. For a precarious moment, I fear we’ll topple over, but the gelding rights itself. Without stopping, we keep galloping, the open road stretching in front of us.
I glance back, waiting for Rífíor to break out of the woods, but he doesn’t.Where is he?A part of me is worried, but I know he’s all right. It’s safer for him to keep running through the woods. He can avoid the trees more easily than the horse can. He’s not lying dead on the ground, reduced to an espiritu-burnt piece of charcoal.
He’s fine. He’s fine.
He’ll be there to help me figure out how to reopen the veil. That’s the only reason I’m worried about him. If Amira’s sorcerer-for-hire did hurt him, I couldn’t care less if it weren’t for our mission.
“Calierin, where in the hells are you?” Kadewyn shouts to the winds.
As if summoned, she comes around the bend, her horse skidding and nearly falling into a ditch. She takes a moment to assess the situation, violet eyes homing in on our pursuers. She must spot danger because she braces her legs against the saddle, rears up, and shoots a veritable fountain of espiritu. It flies over our heads.
Instinctively, we both lean forward, making ourselves smaller. After it passes, I look back and watch the shimmering force collide against a vicious attack that was spiraling directly toward us. There’s a loudboomand sparks fly out in a circular pattern.
Saints and feathers!They’re willing to kill us, willing to killme. Are these Amira’s orders? I can’t believe they are. The guards must be taking liberties. If I die, they’ll tell her it was an accident and call their mission to stop us accomplished.
Our horse reaches Calierin’s and throws its head back, letting out a loud whinny.
Expertly, she pulls on the reins and maneuvers her mount back the way she came. “Follow me,” she orders, then guides us around the bend. Quickly and taking advantage that we’re hidden from view, she veers into the forest. “This way.”
The animals break through the bushes, leaving obvious signs of our passage. However, a stream of Calierin’s espiritu smooths the vegetation over, erasing any trace of the disturbance.
“Where’s Rífíor?” I demand.
“I’m right here.” He appears as if out of thin air from behind. “Worried about me, Princess?”
“Of course, I was worried,” I spit. “Your expiration date isn’t until we open the veil.”
“Shh.” Kadewyn puts a finger to his lips.
Is this the plan, to hide so close to the road? I glare at Calierin, is she not going to use her espiritu to hide us? Panic mounting, I reach for The Eldrystone once more, but its power eludes me still.
