Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

Altus, I cannot afford the distraction. For now, I shall have to assume that anything Luisa knows, the Souls may know as well. And that means keeping as much as possible from her.
    We stop only once to feed and water the horses. The distrust in the air is a palpable thing, a living, breathing entity. I pace the ground while Edmund sees to the horses and Sonia and Luisa rest against two trees near the stream. There is no conversation as we wait for the horses to cool down enough to continue. There are no questions about our plans for the day or our proximity to the ocean that will mean we are close to Altus.
    My nerves are pulled taut with a building anxiety I began tofeel sometime during the morning’s ride. It is an anxiety that has little to do with Luisa and everything to do with the thing chasing us through the wood. I have learned not to discount such feelings, on the Plane or in our world. They are usually informed by my newly heightened gifts and senses. I know the nagging, incessant plucking at my nerves for what it is — a warning of the swiftly approaching Hounds. In some dark corner of my mind I am certain I can hear their breathing as they approach.
    When Edmund finally strides toward his horse and bids us to do the same, I cannot mount quickly enough. I pull up next to him and lower my voice so that the others, busy situating themselves, cannot hear.
    “They are going to catch us, aren’t they?”
    He takes a deep breath and nods. “Today, if we don’t find a river.”
    “And will we?” I ask the question quickly, aware that we only have so much time before the others are ready to ride.
    He looks around, making certain of our privacy before lowering his voice to continue. “I have a map of sorts. It is an old one, but I don’t believe this forest has changed in the past hundred years.”
    I am surprised. Edmund has not made mention of a map before now. “Is that how you have been guiding us?”
    He nods. “My memory is not what it used to be, you see. I didn’t want to tell anyone…” He looks around again in the direction of Sonia and Luisa. “I didn’t want someone else to get ahold of it. The location of Altus has always been held inthe highest confidence. Very few know of its existence at all, and fewer still know how to reach it. Your father left me the map before his death to ensure that I could get you there if you ever needed safe haven. There are other… safeguards in place to keep out unwanted visitors, but nonetheless, I would hate to lead an enemy to its door.”
    I am hardly in a position to pass judgment on Edmund and his secret. I have more than a few of my own.
    I nod. “All right, then. What of this map?”
    “At first, I was leading you to Altus by the quickest way possible, but when I realized the Hounds were following, I started taking a more circuitous route.”
    “But… if the Hounds are following shouldn’t we try to get to Altus
faster
rather than slower?”
    He nods. “That is one way of looking at it, but even if we make good time, there is always the possibility that they will catch up to us. But the map… the map shows a large body of water, a river very wide, that may just help us lose them entirely. It is only slightly off our original course and is not far from the ocean where we are to meet the boat to Altus. If we can lose the Hounds at the river and make straight for the sea, we may be out of danger entirely. At least where the Hounds are concerned.”
    “Is it deep enough?”
    He sighs and begins turning his horse, looking at me over his shoulder. “That’s just the thing. We won’t know until we get there, but it appears large on the map.”
    He shouts instructions to the rest of the group as I make formy usual position in the line. I try not to think too hard about Edmund’s revelation. It is impossible to know if we can outrun the Hounds, just as it is impossible to know if the river will be deep enough to leave them behind and just as it is