It wasn’t difficult—ours was a pulsing, shimmering beacon that seemed to shine despite the darkness. Drawing it towards me, I skimmed it until I Saw what was to come. The moment I registered the glowing eyes, my stomach twisted in on itself. That feeling only grew worse as I Looked further ahead.
We’d known that we would run into trouble on this journey. I just hadn’t expected it to begin so early. Neither Maiela nor I had Seen this earlier today, but the future was finicky. Events changed quickly, especially lately.
Throwing myself out of the silver planes so fast that my head spun, I took a deep breath as my magic settled me back into my body.
“They’re coming,” I said hurriedly, dropping my pack and rolling my shoulders.
“How many?” the dragon shifter asked, following suit.
“At least a dozen,” was my reply.
Four other bags ended up on the snow in a haphazard pile.
Kysha swore. “Shit.”
Aileana chuckled, drawing her dagger. “I don’t know. I always enjoy a fight.”
Xander snorted. “I know you do, Sunshine.”
Ryllae was silent, and alarm bells went off in my mind. I turned, looking at the Death Elf. “Princess?”
“Hmm?” Ryllae’s eyes were wide as they flicked back and forth between us and the forest. She was unnaturally still, and her breaths came in short bursts.
“It’s going to be okay,” I told her.
She opened her palms. Red sparked at her fingertips, but she looked at me like she’d seen a ghost. “Will it? Because I’m not sure that my magic is strong enough for this.”
“It is,” I said. “I have faith in you.”
She was so much stronger than she thought.
Ryllae drew in a deep breath, but before she could speak, a chorus of howls came from the forest. The wolves surrounded our group, their cry a symphony of death and destruction. No longer were they warning us about their presence.
Now, the howls were a war cry.
Drawing my sword, I met Ryllae’s eye. “You can do this,” I said reassuringly. “You are strong.”
She inhaled. “I hope you’re right.”
Then there were no more words as we six moved like a unit, standing shoulder to shoulder in a circle. The snow here was light and packed down by our feet, barely enough to cover the tips of our boots. Dusk had set in, the last traces of sunlight painting the sky as the atmosphere shifted once again.
The forest’s eerie silence gave way to a low, constant rumble. Leaves rustled and branches cracked as they drew nearer. The threat of violence filled the air, and I couldn’t help but remember my mother’s bloody, lifeless body lying on the floor after the wolves tore her apart. My knees shook, and yet I held my weapon firmly.
I had failed my mother, but I would not—I could not—fail Ryllae. That was my only goal. Everything else was secondary to keeping my dark princess safe.
Red caught my eye, and I glanced to the side. Ryllae wove crimson ribbons in the air, spooling the Death Elf magic in her palm. “I can do this,” she whispered. “I have to do this.”
“Yes.” There was no question in my mind. “You’ve got this, Princess.”
“I can do it. I will,” she said, drawing threads of power from herself.
A snarl came from within the forest, and I straightened. Xander turned in a slow circle, his movements so smooth they were barely noticeable at all. The dragon shifter’s eyes glowed amber, and his stance was wide. Violence radiated off him, and I knew he was probably itching to shift, but there wasn’t enough room.
Besides, I had Seen this. There was only one way we all survived, and there was no dragon in my vision. The path we were on was not overly large, and the tainted trees loomed above us. Even though Aileana’s magic had cleared some brambles, the area was still overgrown and the terrain uneven.
This was certainly not an ideal fighting ground. Unfortunately, it was all we had.
“How much time, Daegal?” Kysha asked.