focus, his face twisted into a feral snarl.
I raised my hands, wreathed in blue fire, and the entire hill collapsed in a shuddering roar of snow, dirt and stone. The prince turned, bringing his hands up, but that was all he had time to do before he was completely buried.
I stood still, utterly stunned at what had just happened. “Rover’s luck,” I breathed.
“Not luck, little sand cat,” a familiar voice spoke, and I turned to see Fyrsil step out of the forest’s shadow a few yards away, his midnight hair tied back in a tail.
I tried to make my face stern, folding my arms across my chest, but my legs felt weak with relief. “What are you doing here?”
“Saving your unladylike rear, it seems.” He tilted his head, a roguish smile on his lips. “Again.”
I sniffed dismissively, unable to come up with a retort.
“Adaryn.” His expression grew serious. “I swear I didn’t do anything to harm Aaric. Zero didn’t either. I promise. And I’m really sorry.”
I nodded, looking away from him. Now that the haze of anger had passed, I knew he hadn’t. If Fyrsil had wanted to kill Aaric, he could have done so plenty of times before now. My throat constricted and I couldn’t speak.
The brigand glanced at the mound of fallen snow and dirt. “We’d better leave.”
“Isn’t he dead?” I asked, but I hurriedly mounted Horse, Dahlia sitting front of me.
“With magic like that?” Fyrsil snorted. “Not likely. He’s probably stunned, and will be furious when he digs himself out. We’d better make tracks.” Fyrsil untethered his horse deeper in the woods and swung into the saddle. “The only reason I was able to get the upper hand is because he had no idea I was there.”
Zero joined us shortly thereafter, following Fyrsil like a shadow.
“What’s your plan, Adaryn?” Fyrsil asked. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to travel back west,” I replied, one hand around the toddler’s waist, the other hand holding the reins. “Back over the mountains.”
“Why?”
“To warn the others.” I studied him out the corner of my eye, but I couldn’t read his expression. “You must have heard the prince. He has an army. The Twyli are going to attack Ruis, Fyrsil. Maybe Sen Altare, too. None of the non-magic users are safe. I hope that I’ll give them much needed time to prepare for war. Or to at least escape.” A thought came to me. “I’m going to stop and warn Bleaksdale, too. I don’t suppose they will stand much of a chance, but they are in danger also.”
“I’ll send Zero to warn them.” Fyrsil replied. “He’s not a magic user, so they’ll be more likely to trust him. It’ll buy them some time to evacuate.”
“Thank you.” It felt awkward, thanking the brigand king, and he merely shrugged in response.
We rode in silence for a long time after that. My longing for Aaric was like a knife through my heart. I tried to focus on my surroundings rather than think of him. It was too painful. It was then that I noticed Zero watching me, his pale eyes unreadable.
“What?” I asked him. The brigand shook his head and looked away.
I fingered the charm around my neck. How had it come to me? What did it mean?
Zero was looking at me again. “What?” I said again, irritated.
The man shrugged and mumbled something under his breath.
“Come again?” Fyrsil asked, eyes squinted as he peered at his servant.
Zero coughed nervously and mumbled a little louder. I tilted my head, turning so I could hear him better.
“Speak up, man!” Fyrsil barked, and Zero jumped.
“Your necklace,” he said to me, voice barely audible above the jingle of harnesses and muffled thump of horse hooves. His face reddened. “I s-saw it. Around A-Aaric’s neck. When he fell.”
“All right,” Fyrsil eyed his servant askance. “So you noticed Adaryn has a matching necklace. Good job.”
Zero’s face was flushed with embarrassment and he looked away from Fyrsil. I shook my head. “It’s the
I raised my hands, wreathed in blue fire, and the entire hill collapsed in a shuddering roar of snow, dirt and stone. The prince turned, bringing his hands up, but that was all he had time to do before he was completely buried.
I stood still, utterly stunned at what had just happened. “Rover’s luck,” I breathed.
“Not luck, little sand cat,” a familiar voice spoke, and I turned to see Fyrsil step out of the forest’s shadow a few yards away, his midnight hair tied back in a tail.
I tried to make my face stern, folding my arms across my chest, but my legs felt weak with relief. “What are you doing here?”
“Saving your unladylike rear, it seems.” He tilted his head, a roguish smile on his lips. “Again.”
I sniffed dismissively, unable to come up with a retort.
“Adaryn.” His expression grew serious. “I swear I didn’t do anything to harm Aaric. Zero didn’t either. I promise. And I’m really sorry.”
I nodded, looking away from him. Now that the haze of anger had passed, I knew he hadn’t. If Fyrsil had wanted to kill Aaric, he could have done so plenty of times before now. My throat constricted and I couldn’t speak.
The brigand glanced at the mound of fallen snow and dirt. “We’d better leave.”
“Isn’t he dead?” I asked, but I hurriedly mounted Horse, Dahlia sitting front of me.
“With magic like that?” Fyrsil snorted. “Not likely. He’s probably stunned, and will be furious when he digs himself out. We’d better make tracks.” Fyrsil untethered his horse deeper in the woods and swung into the saddle. “The only reason I was able to get the upper hand is because he had no idea I was there.”
Zero joined us shortly thereafter, following Fyrsil like a shadow.
“What’s your plan, Adaryn?” Fyrsil asked. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to travel back west,” I replied, one hand around the toddler’s waist, the other hand holding the reins. “Back over the mountains.”
“Why?”
“To warn the others.” I studied him out the corner of my eye, but I couldn’t read his expression. “You must have heard the prince. He has an army. The Twyli are going to attack Ruis, Fyrsil. Maybe Sen Altare, too. None of the non-magic users are safe. I hope that I’ll give them much needed time to prepare for war. Or to at least escape.” A thought came to me. “I’m going to stop and warn Bleaksdale, too. I don’t suppose they will stand much of a chance, but they are in danger also.”
“I’ll send Zero to warn them.” Fyrsil replied. “He’s not a magic user, so they’ll be more likely to trust him. It’ll buy them some time to evacuate.”
“Thank you.” It felt awkward, thanking the brigand king, and he merely shrugged in response.
We rode in silence for a long time after that. My longing for Aaric was like a knife through my heart. I tried to focus on my surroundings rather than think of him. It was too painful. It was then that I noticed Zero watching me, his pale eyes unreadable.
“What?” I asked him. The brigand shook his head and looked away.
I fingered the charm around my neck. How had it come to me? What did it mean?
Zero was looking at me again. “What?” I said again, irritated.
The man shrugged and mumbled something under his breath.
“Come again?” Fyrsil asked, eyes squinted as he peered at his servant.
Zero coughed nervously and mumbled a little louder. I tilted my head, turning so I could hear him better.
“Speak up, man!” Fyrsil barked, and Zero jumped.
“Your necklace,” he said to me, voice barely audible above the jingle of harnesses and muffled thump of horse hooves. His face reddened. “I s-saw it. Around A-Aaric’s neck. When he fell.”
“All right,” Fyrsil eyed his servant askance. “So you noticed Adaryn has a matching necklace. Good job.”
Zero’s face was flushed with embarrassment and he looked away from Fyrsil. I shook my head. “It’s the
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