Page 168 of Keeper of the Word

Gus didn’t wait for Hux, who struggled to reach them through the battle. He gathered Elanna in his arms, yelled to Kyrie to follow, and darted through the diminishing skirmish to the edge of the camp.

Tolvar pierced his sword through another man, one eye on their escape. His objective was Greenwood. The earl stood to the side observing the conflict while, behind him, Turas swore and twisted in rage that so many men had been lost.

Cowards.

Gus was almost to the edge of camp. No one pursued him.

Then the first arrow hit Gus’s back. He kept jogging.

A second arrow.

He tripped and dropped Elanna’s unconscious body on the ground. Kyrie and Casta, who carried Maristel, halted. The third arrow hit.

“Gus!” Tolvar bellowed.

Casta released Maristel and shouted for her to run as she and Kyrie lifted Elanna between them. The child toddled away, peering behind her distractedly more than pumping her legs.

Tolvar changed his course and raced toward them, hacking his sword through men as he did. He was almost to them.

Kyrie and Casta had taken three steps when Maristel’s scream brought everything to a standstill.

Crevan stood a few paces away from the other StarSeers. He held Maristel in one arm. The other arm held a knife at her throat.

Tolvar halted.

His brother was a stranger. His greasy, red hair flopped over his ears, neck, and forehead. His skin looked…grey. The last time Tolvar had seen him, half of Crevan’s face had been streaked with darkness. Now, his neck, too, was oiled black. As was his hand that held the knife.

Maristel whimpered.

Tolvar met her eyes. “’Tis all right, Maristel. ’Tis all right.”

Her lip trembled, and she attempted a brave nod.

Tolvar took a cautious step forward. “Crevan, do not do this. You cannot return from this. Not only is she a StarSeer, she is a child.”

Crevan callously regarded Tolvar. “Think you that there is anything I can return from, Tolvar? I told you that day in the dirt, bringing down the light is the only way now.”

Near him, Casta and Kyrie shivered. A half-dozen men joined Crevan. As did another witch, patches of baldness on her scalp.

Crevan said, “I thought you said all Five would come.”

The witch’s voice was like a scrape of slate against steel. “I says you would have a fate with all Five. I ne’er said that ’twasthisfortuity.”

Crevan swore and tightened his grip on the knife. “I need them. I need them together.”

Tolvar pinched his brows together. “Crevan, release her,” he pleaded.“Your quarrel is with me. Let the child go.”

“I would certainly recommend it,” Hux said, from behind Tolvar.

Tolvar dared a glance behind him and found Hux pinning Turas with a knife to his throat and Barrett holding Greenwood.

“You know you cannot carry out your grand plan without your conspirators,” Hux said. Turas tried to speak, but Hux embedded his knife further, and only rasps came out before Turas cowered into silence. “Now, you release the StarSeers, and I shall give you back your fellow traitors.”

Crevan’s face screwed up into a smirk. “Go ahead. I need no collaborators.”

“Why you—” Greenwood shouted, but his words died. An arrow shot by one of Crevan’s men sunk into his neck. Barrett released Greenwood, who tore at his neck, blood scouring down. Gurgling sounds chilled over Tolvar. ’Twas a terrible way to die. No one moved. Another arrow plunged into Greenwood’s chest, and he fell.

Crevan nodded to his archer to nock another arrow, but Hux put up a hand. “Cease, you melty fool. What do you think shall happen when you have not the clout of the earldoms at your disposal? Think you that you shall still have their wealth to fund your scheme? Think you their armies will simply follow you? A known lunatic?”