Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 153795 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 769(@200wpm)___ 615(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
“This better not be a trap,” Thane grouses as Dulan ducks under a few nests clinging to the trees. Irritated, Thane jerks on Pearl’s reins, but she clearly doesn’t like that because she snorts and then whinnies, stomping her front hooves.
“Easy,” Thane whispers, holding a hand up to her. “Easy, girl. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“Thane!” Algar whispers. “Keep her quiet!”
I notice him peering past Thane. A few yards behind is a gap revealing the center of the city. And in the middle is a group of Ruvain guards.
Pearl whinnies again and jerks forward, dragging Thane with her.
My stomach hollows, then drops. Oh no. She’s running toward the city.
Thane grips hard, digging his heels into the ground to try and stop her, but he’s no match for a horse that solid. She gallops loudly, drawing attention to herself. I gasp as the guards whip their heads to find us.
“Hey!” one of them barks.
“Intruders!” another one roars as they storm in our direction. “Sound the alarm!”
When bright lights flash and bells ring, my heart thunders in my chest. The ringing bells are so loud, my ears ache.
When Thane has finally gotten a hold of Pearl, he hops on her back. Algar’s whole face drops with shock. And it’s his words that spark the fire in me. “Run, Zaira.”
I look for Thane again.
He nods. “Go!”
“Quick! Follow me!” Dulan shouts, waving a hand as he stands behind the trunk of a tree.
He speeds away in a flurry. I chase after him, zipping past Algar and running through thorny bushes. Algar is right behind me, limping quickly and teleporting in between to catch up. Zephra flies near the treetops, safe from attack. Thane gains on us as the Ruvain guards storm behind him with swords, spears, and bows at the ready.
Dulan looks back after jumping over a root. “When we make it into the tunnels, I can show you a hiding place where they’ll never find—”
An arrow penetrates the center of Dulan’s back.
I suck in a sharp breath and come to a screeching halt as he staggers a step or two, then turns around to face me. Blood drenches his tunic, and he points at the arrow protruding from his chest, as if he’s trying to make sure it’s real.
“No!” I cry as he falls to his knees. His glossy eyes pin on mine, desperate and afraid, before he tips over and hits the ground.
I start to run to him, but Algar yanks on my arm, dragging me away and shouting, “We have to keep moving, Zaira!”
Clearly, the adrenaline is fueling me because I grow steady on my feet and reality becomes clear again as I run with him. I have no chance to check on Dulan or come to his aid, even. He’s dead because he tried to help us, and we’ll be next if those Ruvainers catch up. That fear is enough to push me. I can be devastated later, once I reach safety.
Algar remains hot on my trail, pretty damn fast for someone who has what I assume is a permanent limp. Thane is right behind us, mask up and eyes sparking gold as he rides Pearl.
As he nears me, he scoops me up with one muscled arm and cranes it with just enough force to swing me up so I’m seated sideways in front of him on the horse.
Damn. That was smooth.
“What about Algar?” I call, looking behind his shoulder to see if the guards are gaining on us.
Algar shows up a millisecond later, now several feet ahead.
I lean over to peek around Thane again, and a lick of heat sears my arm, followed by flurries of fire zipping past us. I yelp as an arrow wrapped in flames flies by, stabbing into a tree trunk.
“Thane!” I yell as more dart in our direction.
“Take over the reins!” he commands.
I swing my leg over to straddle Pearl and keep her as steady as I can. Thane twists in the saddle, lifts a hand, and sends a fiery gold cannonball toward the men who are launching the arrows. Several of them are beastials in uniform running on all fours, dodging logs or skittering up tree trunks to leap to the next. Thane’s fire blazes bright enough to light up the gloomy forest, singeing tree leaves, branches, and everything in its wake.
More arrows whiz by, and Thane blocks them with a glimmering shield. So many fires are growing, spreading through the forest like blazing rivers. Glancing over my shoulder, I witness Thane throw his hands up and grunt as he rips a large tree from its roots. He slams it to the ground to block the guards, then thrusts a hand forward, setting the tree ablaze, too.
Shadows.
The spread of flames is exactly what he wants.
The fire engulfs the forest behind us, swallowing it whole. The arrows stop, and the beastials come to a halt as some of them shout to retreat. I give my thighs a squeeze, urging Pearl to go faster as Thane twists around and faces forward.