Jared reached for the top of my tunic, and I swung my free arm as hard as it could reach. The man caught it, and I threw my weight into his hold, hoping to catch him off balance.
My act failed, and he sent me sprawling back, slapping me much harder than the last. I prepared for familiar darkness and was shocked instead when golden hues flooded my vision.
I barely registered my shock before the screaming started. I thought it was mine, but it was coming from the wrong direction.
I wondered if my hearing had been damaged.
The stifling pressure and golden glow released its hold. Nothing was keeping me down.
Scrambling in the aftershock, I attempted to pull myself from the ground, squinting uncertainly at the blinding light, trying to make sense of what had just taken place.
An immense pounding filled my head as I continued to stand and stare. The screams were like birdcalls, high and sharp. They kept going and going, and they hurt my ears. I clasped my hands to my mouth in an effort to end the noise. But my lips were shut. The cries were coming from the shimmering thing in front of me.
All at once my vision cleared, and I saw it was Jared. He was enshrouded in flame, fire eating away at flesh and cloth in a frantic inferno. Somehow, someway he had been put entirely ablaze. And the screaming… it was his.
Without bothering to witness the outcome, I hobbled past the shrieking figure and undid my mare’s lead. Her eyes were wide and afraid. I prayed she wouldn’t try to bolt. She was still saddled, and all of the supplies were still in their bags.
I made swift thanks to whatever luck had led me to this moment and did my best to ignore the pain as I used my bad hand to steady my grip at the back of the saddle while my good one gripped the front. Swinging my leg up and over, I was unable to mask the groan that escaped my lips. Every inch of me smarted.
Giving the mare a reassuring pat that I hoped was more calming to her than it was to me, I nudged her forward with my knees.
“What is— Get back here, boy!”
Erwan had returned. He still sounded far enough away, however, and so I leaned down, painstakingly, and undid the other two horses’ leads.
Try to catch me now.
As soon as my work was finished, I forced myself into a crouching posture. I dug my heels in and whooped, letting my charge take off as the other two started and scattered.
Twenty minutes later I came across another galloping party. It was too dark to see clearly, but there were only three who could possibly be roaming this road at night. And I could not wait to find out which.
Pulling at the reins sharply, I steered my horse into a hard turn, taking off in a different direction.
“Ryiah, is that you?” the other rider shouted.
This time I turned the mare with much more ease, answering my brother’s call with one of my own. “Alex!” Then: “Where are the others?”
“I lost them a couple miles back by the river. They think I am following the stream south. Where are your two?”
“They don’t have their horses.”
It was too dark to see Alex’s face, but I guessed he was grinning. “I’d like to hear that tale.”
I swallowed, uncomfortably aware of my pain and the searing heat of my hand. My brother would faint when he saw me in the light. “Alex,” I said quietly, “we have to keep going through the night. We won’t be safe until we are through this pass.”
“I know.” He paused, “But let’s take the rest of the trail at a walk. If either of us hears something, we can take off, but these horses need a break. I can barely see in this awful darkness…” He chuckled. “I don’t know about you, but I have almost fallen off twice tonight and am not willing to test my luck.”
I knew better than to comment. “Let’s head out” was all I said.
My brother let me lead -I had a better head for directions-and the two of us quietly found our way back to the main path without further delay.
After another hour of hushed passage, we finally left the shadows of the forest behind and continued the remainder of our journey underneath the moon’s soft glow and the occasional glitter of starlight.
Fortunately, we were both too exhausted for Alex to notice any abnormality in my appearance. Instead, the two of us remained silently alert, using the remainder of our energy to listen for any sounds of others approaching.
But we did not have to worry. Not once did we cross paths with the outlaws. And several hours later, just as the sun had risen, we came to a very welcome sight. Just beyond the way, a large, homely looking inn stood out among the hills like a god among men.
Alex took off with a hoot, and I launched into chase close behind, eyes glued to the vision ahead.
CHAPTER TWO
All I wanted to do was sleep.
But that was clearly the last thing from my twin’s agenda.
“How could you not tell me the moment you saw me?” Alex cried.