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He drops his own roll beside mine. I’m surrounded by fae, with zero chance of escape – unless I can find a way to use my magic, that is. I’m not too hopeful about that.

I don’t say anything; instead, I open my bedroll, which isn’t easy since my hands are still tied. I get inside, pulling the blanket tightly around me. It’s getting colder by the second. It would be worse if not for our shelter and the fire. At least I’m warm under the blanket. The scrap of bread was enough to stop the worst of the ache in my belly. It could be worse, but not by much.

I need sleep. I need to replenish the meager access to the magic that I have. I may very well need it. In fact, I’m sure I will.

Kian

The second group of fae arrived some hours back.

They have her!

How?

Why didn’t she use her magic to hide? To fight? To escape? What is she playing at? McColl is powerful. Was she lying to me when she said she wasn’t? I can still picture her falling off that horse. I can still see her broken body in my mind’s eye. I somehow doubt it. It doesn’t matter at this point because they have her, and she can’t seem to escape.

Dark has long since fallen. All is quiet.

A single fae sits outside the cave mouth. I’m quite certain that at least one more will be on guard inside. The rest will sleep and take turns to stand vigil.

I have two choices: I can forget the witch and stay right where I am until it’s safe to leave. Then run as fast as my legs can carry me, getting as far as possible from here.

Or I can risk life and limb and attempt to rescue McColl, possibly getting captured in the process. That would be stupid. It would put everything at risk.

The witch made her decision. It was one that didn’t include me. She made that very clear. Abundantly so.

The better option would be to leave her to her fate. I should leave her be…but I damned well can’t. I sigh softly as I ease out from my hiding place, taking a few moments to stretch, for the blood to go back into my limbs. Then I spend another minute or two coming up with a plan.

It’s terrible, but it’s all I have.

I look in the direction of the cave and then down at my outstretched hands. Funny, I don’t feel the magic like I did before. It was stronger the second time I used it. I’m sure it’s there, but I need to forget about it. I can’t use it, not without Snow tracking me.

It can’t happen.

I’ve done without magic my whole life; I don’t need it now. Placing one foot in front of the other, I slowly creep toward the cave, my eyes on the lone guard.

I approach in a wide arc, sure to be silent. He’s sitting in front of the horses. His main task is to keep them safe and to sound the alarm if he spots anything untoward.

He should have had his back to the rock. He’s left himself exposed. The horses don’t take any notice of me. I pet one of the ponies I earmarked for us to escape on, noting that they are both there, together with all of our gear and fully tacked up. Handy. The guard is directly in front of me at this point, with his back to me. Stupid. He’ll regret that soon enough. He turns his head to the right, peering into the dark, but soon relaxes, which is a mistake. I pick up a rock, testing its weight in my hand. It will do nicely.

When he yawns and stretches, his attention momentarily diverted, I take my opportunity and clamp my hand over his mouth, pulling him back against me with one arm. With a swift, silent motion, I bring the rock down on his bald head, knocking him out cold. I carefully drag his unconscious body behind the horses, where he won’t be discovered. Then I nudge him a few times with my boot to ensure that he is out.

Once satisfied, I enter the cave, keeping to the shadows and avoiding the line of sight of the guard I’m sure will be waiting inside.

I am met with the sounds of soft snoring. Someone turns over, muttering in their sleep. I push myself firmly against the cave wall, keeping perfectly still. He settles, his snores sounding once again.

I creep a little closer. At this point, the fire has been reduced to embers. The guard is sitting on the other side of the fire and deep in the shadows. Lucky for me, he’s asleep, even though he is sitting upright. His mouth hangs open, and his eyes are closed.

I look for the smallest form and find McColl easily among the big males. She’s right under the guard’s nose and between two sleeping fae.

This will be no easy task.

For a moment, I weigh up the risks once again, considering leaving her to her fate. In the end, I can’t. I pick my way through the sleeping guards.

As I reach her, I kneel down, placing a gentle hand over her mouth to prevent any noises of surprise she might make. Her eyes fly open, widening in shock as she sees me. I press a finger to my lips, signaling for her to stay quiet. She nods, understanding the gravity of the situation. She carefully slips from under the covers, sitting up.

Next, I untie the rope that binds her wrists. She rubs them, wincing. I help her to her feet, gesturing for her to follow.

As she steps forward, a stone is dislodged. It clatters as it rolls away. The guard’s eyes open, and he jumps to his feet, a shout of outrage on his lips. He reaches for his sword.