Page 38

Sav

W e reached the Winterwood at midday, and even with full sunlight and no hint of snow flurries in the air; the chill had sunk into my bones.

I glanced back and snorted. A thin line of frost clung to the five o’clock shadow coming in on Jack’s chin and he was huddled so deeply into his coat and furs, only his nose and mouth were visible.

“We may need to break and set a fire for a few hours. Jack doesn’t look like he’s going to make it.”

Hazel rolled her massive spotted shoulder, shaking her head. In this form, we couldn’t communicate, but her intent was clear enough. She wasn’t stopping.

“Jack!” I called to him. A shudder rolled through him, but his gaze shot to me. “Can you make it a few more hours?”

He wrapped his coat tightly around himself and nodded. His lips were pale, and he looked as though he might topple off his bear at any moment, but he leaned down and hugged Axallar as the bear lumbered on.

“Maybe we should go faster,” I suggested.

Hazel made a hissing sound, but she picked up her pace, and Axallar trudged after us.

Several hours later, the sun had begun its slow descent and snow dripped off branches, flaking down as we ran.

The chill was leaching into my very marrow and Jack hadn’t said a word in more than an hour.

This close to the edge of Winter, there was nothing left to do but run and hope we weren’t carting a dead human behind us.

A shadow swept overhead, and I glanced up, my throat going dry. “Shit.”

Hazel twisted her large, furry head to stare up at the sky and ran faster.

Axallar bellowed loudly, and I looked back at the pair. “Run Axallar! Don’t wait for us!”

The massive bear didn’t have to be told twice. He barreled past us, breaking into a true run, and Hazel chased him as the shadow passed overhead, and circled around.

“He’s coming back!” I shouted.

Hazel loped through the snow at full speed and I wrapped my hands in her fur as wind whipped my face.

Ahead, Jack was still atop Axallar and the pair were disappearing into the distance at a rapid pace. If they crossed over the border, they would be safe. I said a mental prayer to Mab that they made it moments before a screech sounded overhead and clumps of snow toppled down around us.

The tree line broke, leaving us fully exposed to the creature above.

Unlike Axallar, and Jack’s white coat, Hazel’s spotted fur and my dark cloak would stand out against the snow.

From the break in the tree line to Spring’s border, it was less than two hundred yards, but that was plenty of time for the bird to make his move.

The bird’s dark shadow disappeared, and I exhaled in a moment of relief as Hazel gave it her all, running flat out. Her huge paws struck snow, sinking in with the force of her speed and every beat against the ground struck in time with my racing heart.

A field of pink flowers stretched out ahead, and I could almost smell their floral scent.

Darkness swept overhead, and I screamed as massive talons wrapped around me, wrenching me off Hazel’s back.

The sound of wings flapping drowned out my scream and I twisted in the creature’s claw, thanking Mab only my bag had been punctured by razor sharp talons. Slipping out of the straps, my stomach flew into my throat as I had a second of relief before I was in freefall.

I rotated around, prepared to smack earth, but bile rose in my throat when I saw how much farther I had to fall.

Stretching my arms wide, I grabbed the edges of my cloak, catching some of the wind screaming against my face. I had thought I was cold before but with my cloak spread—icy wind pelting against me—needles stung my chest and stomach, sucking the frigid air from my lungs and blackening my vision.

Every muscle went taught as I braced for impact, but nothing could have prepared me for the pain that erupted through my body as I slammed into snow.

Air was shoved from my lungs and the loud crack that sounded upon my landing said at least one of my ribs was broken.

I lay for a moment, breathless and disoriented, before groaning and pressing my tingling arms under my chest to push up.

When the buzzing in my head subsided and sound returned, my name—screamed in Jack’s desperate voice—filled my ears. Pushing to sit up, I stared dazedly around at the blanket of snow I’d landed in.

A line of crimson dotted the snow, leading to an ocean of pink.

My vision solidified, making sense of the shapes around me and Jack—waving his arms overhead, mouth wide as he shouted—came into view.

Axallar had boxed him in, stopping him from stepping into the winter court.

Beside them, my gaze fell on a naked, broken body.

“Hazel,” I breathed.

Climbing unsteadily to my feet, I stumbled on shaky legs toward them.

Jack was shouting and pointing. I glanced up and some distant voice in my mind registered the danger.

Run, it said. Run! My legs moved, buckling once before they stretched out in the snow, and soon I was running at speed for the safety of the spring court.