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Kaylee nodded and something in his mother’s gaze softened. His back hurt like hell from where the High Lady of Brónach had planted her knee in his spine. It would likely ache even more tomorrow, as would the rest of him. But for tonight, they needed to move and find shelter away from the creatures of the dark.

He eyed the blackened trunks once more, then they were off. Rion held Kaylee’s small hand and Eimear followed behind, a large gap still between them. He could feel his mother’s gaze boring a hole through his back as she surveyed the new male in her presence. He’d tried like hell to avoid eye contact with her, if only to keep her from recognizing the color.

He’d never seen the warrior side of his mother, but now he wondered if the skills he’d developed came from her lineage instead of his father’s. Stories of the pair were legendary. They’d met on the battlefield, fighting side by side against an army. It should have been an easy win for their enemies, but they hadn’t realized who they were up against. Though they’d been bloody and scarred, the pair had emerged victorious. Rion wondered if they’d known they were mates before or after that battle.

History claimed they were married soon after and had ruled Brónach as equals.

Rion continued without looking behind and trudged through the ash, leaving a clear trail for anyone to follow. Hopefully they’d run into a river soon. With any luck, it would be calm enough that they could follow it down stream to hide their scents from any pursuers.

Or maybe they should just head straight for civilization. Everyone knew the High Lady of Brónach and the way she’d vanished. Perhaps her name would invoke enough protection against Niall and earn them a ride back to Ruadhán. Of course, that would mean his mother would discover who he was too. But they wouldn’t call him a Lord of Brónach. They’d refer to him as The Demon. Perhaps she’d tried to kill him again right there, help the residents of that town destroy another walking monster.

Rion swallowed hard.

How would she look at him upon discovering her son was The Demon of Alastríona? That he, too, had committed vial atrocities just as Niall had?

He wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

They crept forward, their footsteps silent in the ash. The wind shifted, a branch snapped, and Rion recoiled at the foul stench in the air.

He cursed. He hadn’t been paying attention. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he twisted, searching for the beasts he knew would be upon them in moments. Kaylee had mentioned hounds and there were paw prints just a few feet ahead.

Rion frantically surveyed his options and hauled Kaylee toward the tallest tree. He hated the way she flinched when he grabbed her and lifted her onto the lowest branch.

“Climb.” She obeyed without question and Rion wondered if she could smell them, too. Perhaps her bloodline favored her Fae heritage. He turned to his mother. “You, too.”

She bristled at the command and held her ground. “I’m more than capable of fighting off a few dogs.”

“You’re exhausted,” he tried to reason.

“So are you.”

“Please.” Something in his tone made her turn. Consider. Rion inclined his head toward the girl. “One of us needs to look after her.”

His mother studied Kaylee and the way her body shook. She could definitely smell the hounds. “Fine.” She grabbed the lowest branch, hoisted herself up, then urged the child to climb higher.

Rion wished the tree were taller or possessed more branches. He hated how exposed the pair of them were as they perched on the highest point they dared, barely eight feet off the ground.

At least it was something.

Rion noted the long claw marks in the tree’s burnt bark. They stretched from the height of his shoulders all the way to the ground in four long marks that dug deep.

A low growl echoed from the shadows and thunder clouds answered overhead. He suppressed a shiver and turned to face the five beasts prowling toward him on all fours.

Rion let the chain unravel from his right wrist and it hit the ground, the sound muffled slightly from the ash.

The hounds circled him, planning the best way to strike their injured prey. He smelled too much like blood and Rion knew it drove the animals mad. He’d be an easy target for them. A good meal in their stomachs that would cost little effort.

Matted fur and a host of scars along their bodies spoke of previous victories with difficult prey. Which meant they worked well together. None seemed young or submissive.

Sharp fangs dripped with saliva and Rion could count their ribs, telling him they hadn’t had a decent meal in a long while. He knew the feeling, but he wasn’t about to die here.

Rion tightened his grip on the chain, suddenly glad he’d left one intact. The ax had broken when he’d hacked down the door where they’d found their clothes. He’d tossed the weapon aside. But chains. He could work with that.

Rion might not possess his magic, but he hadn’t worked his way through Brónach’s ranks with magic alone. There were countless times his enemies had tried to take advantage of his magic’s weakness by making it too heavy or impossible to move.

They’d quickly learned he was just as deadly without it.

The hounds prowled closer, their lips curling to reveal jagged canines. Rion circled, leading them away from his mother and Kaylee. He could feel his mother’s pensive gaze, but he doubted she’d intervene if his body caved. He would just have to ensure it didn’t.