Page 39

We emerge at the back of the village, not too far from the eponir pens.

A row of small stone huts lines either side of the path ahead.

I half expect to see a group of teal-skinned warriors charge around the corner with their swords drawn, but this part of the village is dark and eerily still.

The Tussoll are all still gathered at their party.

Vrok scans the area, his body tight with tension. He cocks his head toward the nearest hut. “Let’s check there first.”

We move quietly through the shadows, pressing ourselves against the hut’s wall. Vrok lifts a hand, motioning for me to let him go first. Then, he eases the door and slips inside, his sword at the ready.

I follow a second later, my heart thundering in my chest, only to nearly run into him as he stops just inside the doorway.

The hut is empty.

My heart sinks as my eyes adjust to the dim interior. The floor is bare, the fire pit is cold and unused, and dust covers everything. There’s no sign of Lily.

Then I hear it. It sounds like a faint, muffled whimper.

I spin around. “Did you hear that?”

It’s coming from the hut next door.

Vrok is already heading for the next hut where he presses his ear to the door. He’s silent for so long as he listens that I begin to wonder if I imagined the noise, but then finally, he meets my gaze and gives a sharp nod.

He eases the door open and slips inside like a shadow. I follow, and immediately freeze, my heart clenching at the sight before me.

Lily is tied to a thick post in the center of the hut with her hands and feet tightly bound to the rough wood. She’s crouched on the dirt with her head slumped against the post. Her black hair hangs in a tangled curtain over her face, hiding it from me.

“Lily!” I rush to her. My hands are shaking as I yank out one of the knives. It feels huge in my grip as I begin sawing through the ropes as fast as I can. “It’s okay. We’re going to get you out of here.”

She stirs at the sound of my voice, lifting her head. Her eyes are red and swollen, and dirt streaks her face. Her gaze darts over my shoulder to Vrok, still standing guard at the door with his sword in his hand.

Her eyes go wide with fear, and she twists against the ropes, panic tightening her movements. “Emily! He’s one of them,” she hisses.

“No, he’s not. He’s with me,” I say quickly, sawing faster at the ropes. “He helped me find you.”

But my words don’t seem to reach her. Her eyes are locked on Vrok, her body trembling as fear holds her frozen.

For a second, I let the knife fall and gently take her face in my hands. “Lily, look at me . He’s not like them. He’s on our side, I swear it. I trust him.”

Her startled gaze finally flicks to mine, and for a second, I’m not sure she believes me. Then her shoulders slump as the fight drains out of her.

I’m nearly through with the ropes when Vrok suddenly stiffens. His ears swivel and he leans toward the door, listening intently. My heart almost stops when his gaze locks with mine, his eyes sharp with urgency.

He whispers, “Hurry.”

I grit my teeth and slice through the last rope. It snaps, and Lily collapses into my arms, limp and shaking. She’s weak and clearly exhausted, but she’s alive. I pull her upright and loop an arm around her waist, steadying her.

Vrok moves to Lily’s other side, offering his arm for support, but she jerks back, eyeing him warily.

“I’ve got her,” I say quietly.

His gaze lingers on us a beat longer before he nods. “Stay close. We’re leaving the same way we came in.”

We slip out of the hut and move quickly through the shadows. Lily leans heavily on me, her arm slung around my shoulders. Every step feels too loud, like it echoes around us, but no one comes.

At the gate, Vrok pulls it open just wide enough for us to pass through. He turns to me, his expression unreadable. “Get her outside and stay hidden.”

I blink at him, startled. “What? You’re not coming?”

“There’s something I need to do.”

Before I can stop him, he’s already gone, vanishing back into the village.

I tighten my grip on Lily, adjusting my stance to better support her. “Come on,” I whisper, guiding her through the gate. She stumbles with every step, her legs barely holding her up, but she doesn’t say a word.

We duck behind a dense patch of fern-like plants just beyond the wall. I ease her down slowly, and she sinks to the ground with a soft gasp. Her body trembles as she leans against me, resting her head against my shoulder.

I keep my eyes fixed on the gate, watching it like it might disappear if I so much as blink. My heart is still pounding against my ribs, harder now because he stayed behind. Because I don’t know if I’ll see him again.

What is he doing?

Lily stirs beside me, murmuring something I can’t catch, and I pull her closer, trying to steady my breath. Every second that passes feels like an eternity. Come on, Vrok. Don’t make me come in there after you.

Then, it happens.

A sharp crack shatters the night followed by a low, rumbling groan, like some ancient beast waking from its sleep.

A second later, flames shoot up into the sky, leaping higher than the village walls.

The night explodes in vivid streaks of orange and red, lighting the sky like a second sunset, and thick, black smoke pours upward, curling toward the moons.

The heat reaches us even from here.

Shouts erupt from inside the village along with the clang of metal and the unmistakable chaos of warriors running toward a disaster they didn’t see coming.

My stomach twists with anxiety. Oh, God, Vrok. Please be okay.

Then I see him.

He strides through the back gate like he’s out for a casual stroll in the park. Firelight frames him in a halo of smoke and flames. His sword is still in his hand and there’s a wild gleam in his eyes that sends a rush of adrenaline through my veins.

He looks like he just stepped out of an action movie.

I scramble out of our hiding spot as he approaches. “What the hell did you do?”

His gaze locks with mine, and one corner of his mouth lifts in the closest thing to a smile I’ve ever seen from him.

“I set the armory on fire.” His tone is so calm and casual, he might as well be telling me what he had for supper.

But behind him, the flames soar higher. More shouts rise over the village wall, and the chaos is only growing.

I stare at him, stunned. “You set it on fire?”

He just nods, looking way too pleased with himself for a male who just committed arson in the middle of enemy territory.

Lily’s eyes are wide as she stares up at him, the firelight dancing across her tear-streaked face. She doesn’t say a word.

I shake my head, the corner of my mouth turning up in a grin, despite everything. “Remind me never to piss you off.”