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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Ellery

“Keep moving,” Ryker commanded.

I turned my attention forward as we sprinted through the trees, leapt over fallen logs, and darted around thorn bushes meant to trap and kill. One of the guards chased after us, but when his horse tripped over a log, it launched him from his saddle. A tree stopped his flight.

The other guards had either fallen from their saddles or been thrown; their frantic mounts continued to crash through the trees and underbrush. Sometimes a man or horse would scream.

Instead of continuous shrieks, these were often short screams that cut off abruptly. I’d been in these woods often enough to know the women and guards were something’s dinner.

The only reason nothing had pounced on us yet was because there were far more of us. The creatures stalking these woods were looking for the easy kill; if they didn’t have to fight to stuff their bellies, they wouldn’t.

There were, of course, animals who would kill for the fun of it and enjoyed the hunt, but with our larger numbers, they risked destruction. And while I was sure we were a temptation, they didn’t pounce.

And for that, I was glad, as my legs burned and fire radiated through my lungs. I was close to dropping, and I wasn’t even chained. I couldn’t imagine how the others felt with that added weight catching on trees and snagging underbrush.

Their determination to live kept many women with us, but we lost others who couldn’t keep up.

We ran at least another half a mile before Ryker stopped. He pulled me up beside him and used his thumb to wipe some blood from my cheek before he surveyed the woods.

Panting, I bent over and rested my hands on my knees. A twinge ran up my broken arm, but it was nearly healed, and the odd bow in the middle had flattened out.

The clink and rattle of the chains set my teeth on edge. We were more vulnerable now that we’d stopped, but it was best to be silent in this forest. However, there was nothing these women could do about the manacles shackling them.

I took a deep breath and straightened; every part of me was still on fire from running and sweat soaked my clothes, but none of us had time to wallow. I ignored the curious stares of the women as they watched me.

“She’s a lightning bearer,” someone whispered.

Being the center of attention was the last thing I wanted, but I couldn’t avoid it. My secret was out, and I would have to get used to the stares and curiosity.

“How?” another asked.

“I don’t know how,” I said in a loud, clear voice. “I just know that I am, and I’ll do what I can to protect you and Tempest.”

A murmur ran through the women as they edged closer, so I continued. “I’m sorry they put you there because of me. I didn’t know…. I didn’t think….”

My words trailed off when Ryker placed his hand on my arm.

“What the aristocrats did was not your fault.” His eyes burned into mine before they shifted to the women surrounding us as he spoke in a tone that brooked no arguments.

“She revealed what she could do to save the rebels from endless torture. In doing so, she gave up the safety she’d experienced by keeping her ability hidden.

She never could have known the nobles would retaliate like this, and when they did, she exposed who she was to them to save countless lives. ”

The woman stared at us, blinking from the shadows of the trees. Some of them smiled, and murmurs started again, but their attention remained riveted on us… well, mostly me .

Feeling uncomfortable with all the scrutiny, I turned to Ruby. “We need the keys.”

When Ruby pulled them from her pocket, some of the women edged closer. “Please,” one of the women pleaded as she held out her hands.

Ruby went to work on opening the locks. A tall woman, free of her chains, dug into her pockets before pulling out another set of keys.

“I can help too,” she offered.

“You have to open a portal to the encampment,” Ryker told me. “I only have one, maybe two left in me right now, but I can’t risk not being able to open another. I have somewhere else to go.”

A chill ran up my spine. “Where?”

We were away from the battlefield, but his eyes remained black while lightning fired through them. “We need weapons, and I know where to get them.”

My mouth parted a little as the hair rose on my nape. That could not be good.