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Tears streamed down my face.

Laughter in my ears. A horse’s warm breath against my neck.

Suddenly, light blinded me. I tripped and fell to my hands and knees, my chest heaving. The light spread everywhere, as if someone had turned on the sun. Behind me, the laughter became deep growls and pained screams that climbed so high in pitch I threw my hands over my ears.

The light dimmed slightly. A horse crashed toward me, its form haloed by light. I tried to move, but I was too exhausted to stand. I braced myself for death.

But as the horse drew near, I saw that it carried a rider. A man sat in the saddle, his tall form blotting out the light behind him. He was human, his broad chest covered by an armored breastplate embossed with a mountain inside a laurel wreath. In some dim corner of my mind, I noted that he was handsome. Dark eyes met mine as he leaned down and extended a gloved hand.

“Quickly. I can’t hold them for long.”

My heart pounded like a drum. “I’m with someone,” I gasped. “I can’t leave him behind.”

The dark-eyed man shook his head. “If he was behind you, he’s already dead.”

My gut clenched. Tears clogged my throat. “Who are you?”

“My name is Rhys,” he said, his dark eyes burning with intensity. “Rhys the Fair. Now, come with me if you want to live.”

The growls at my back swelled. The light around me flickered.

With my last burst of strength, I took Rhys the Fair’s hand and let him pull me onto his horse.

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