The Fortune Elf shook his head, taking a step towards me. “The path ahead is filled with shadows. Everything is cloudy, hard to see.”
I sighed. “There’s nothing? Still?”
Daegal extended a hand, touching my shoulder. “Trouble follows you, doesn’t it?”
Xander snorted. “Aileanaistrouble.”
“Hush,” Daegal commanded. He took a deep breath, clenching his fists at his side. “This is not the time for humor. Darkness is stirring behind your wife, Xander, leaving death in its wake.”
I shivered. This wasnotwhat I was hoping to hear.
Beside me, Xander moved closer to me, brushing his shoulder against mine. “It’s going to be okay,” he whispered.
“No, Xander,” I replied, shaking my head as I stared at Daegal. “I really don’t think it is.”
The silver gleam took over the Fortune Elf’s eyes once more, his voice deepening as he began to speak once more. “Listen carefully. The shadow is still coming for you. The way ahead is as black as the night and filled with evil.”
One of the horses whinnied at Daegal’s words, a foreboding air settling over us all.
Xander tilted his head, placing his hand on my shoulder and squeezing. “Is there any chance you could be less ambiguous, Daegal? Give us something more than sinister words? Something concrete would be very helpful.”
Jo shook off her skirts, dust flying in the air as she huffed. “Daegal’s been like this ever since we split up. Ominous seems to be the theme of the day.”
Xander straightened, shooting her a look. “Is it worse than normal?”
She nodded, lowering her voice as though she was imparting a secret. “Daegal has taken cryptic to an entirely new place in the past few days. I think—”
Whatever the barmaid was going to say was cut off as something whizzed through the air behind me.
Time itself seemed to slow as Xander yelled, “No! Get down!”
His warm hands landed on my back, shoving me hard. Gasping, I tumbled towards the ground. I slammed into the dirt, my cheek stinging as something ripped into my skin.
At the exact same moment, a strangled cry came from above me. My heart seized.
I knew cries that sounded like that. They had come from my mouth far too often in the past, mingled with the scent of sandalwood and iron.
The only thing that caused people to make sounds like that was pain. Horrible, terrible, excruciating pain. The cry ripped through the silence of the evening, and instinctively, I clenched my fists.
Take a deep breath. It didn’t hit you. You’re not hurt.He’snot here.
A pulse of relief rushed through me, but it was quickly followed by a wave of guilt and worry. Someone was hurt. Who?
Blinking, I pushed myself onto my elbows and looked around. I saw trees and grass, and…
“No,” I whispered. “Oh, no.”
I looked up, meeting Jo’s wide eyes, as her hands trembled at her sides. Her face was pale, her lips opening and closing as her breath came in ragged bursts.
“What?” she whispered.
I took in a deep, shuddering breath, pushing myself to my knees.
My gaze lowered from Jo’s face, my hands shaking as I stared at the feathered shaft of wood that protruded from between her breasts. Deep crimson blood was pouring out of the wound, staining her gown.
Standing next to Jo, Xander and Daegal were staring at the arrow with equal looks of horror and shock on their faces. They seemed frozen in time as I stared at the wound.
Jo raised a trembling hand, touching the arrow. The moment her finger connected with the shaft of wood, she gasped.