Page 91 of Ashes of Betrayal

The bird gave a victorious caw, and her heart lurched.

Shit.

They raced by the tree where he perched, although Bree twisted afterward, looking over her shoulder—only to see the raven take wing, heading southeast.

Toward Caisteal Gealaich.

Shit!

We won’t be able to rest tonight, Bree warned the stag, crouching low over his withers.Something tells me, we’ll have company soon.

Then I shall run faster.

And with that, Tiv flattened into a wild gallop.

They traveled through the night, stopping only briefly so that Tivesheh could catch his breath. All the while, Bree’s sharp senses strained for any sign of pursuit.

And as the first blush of dawn lightened the eastern sky, she heard it.

The shrill call of a hunting horn.

Her pulse lurched. Twisting in the saddle, she looked south. Her belly dropped like a stone when she spied outlines on the horizon.

Elks with riders crouched low over their withers.

Mor had sent her Ravens after Bree. There were around a dozen of them—too many for her to take on alone.

Run, Tiv. Run!

She hated to push her big-hearted stag any further, for Tivesheh had traveled long and fast. He was tiring now, his speed slackening. But he just had to hold on a short while longer.

Just until they reached The Ring of Caith.

And there it was in the distance, the ancient stones reaching up to the heavens like bent fingers atop a grassy knoll.

And the sun was about to touch them.

She had to get there for when it did.

However, the ground thundered now. Tivesheh was slowing, and the elks were gaining on him.

Thud. Thud.

Yew arrows flew past her, embedding into the ground or skidding along the grass. Only Tiv’s evasive gait, in which he zig-zagged wildly, prevented one of them from hitting either Bree or her stag.

Panic bloomed then as they dove through a storm of arrows.

She cut another look over her shoulder.

Gavyn was leading the group, pale hair streaming behind him and face savage.

Like his companions, he’d drawn his longbow, and he was now reaching for a fresh arrow.

Bree’s heart lurched into her throat. Any moment, one of those deadly shafts would find its mark. She couldn’t let her brave stag be injured.

Goodbye, Tiv. Flee fast!

She’d wanted to say farewell to him properly, as he deserved—but suddenly, she’d run out of time.