Page 241 of Sword & Shadow
“I didn’t,” Deckard said, the magic fading away into the night.
They reached the stables, Emmaas on their heels. The door was already open, bright light glowing within. Ten horses waited as promised. They mounted up quickly, the horses pounding the ground, ready to run. Deckard did one last sweep to ensure they were all there—Evylin, Thom, Ethenn, Rafferty, Ilain, Auden, Isla, Jarrad, and Emmaas. Then they galloped out of the stable.
The cold night air stung their eyes as they darted down the pebbled path. The gates of Renaul’s estate loomed ahead of them, open and unsecured. Deckard’s heart thudded with relief. These Alliance members had thought of it all. They were going to make it. They would live to return to Ephria and stop Blount, putting an end to the Centurial War.
Tearing through the darkness, Deckard glanced back at Renaul’s mansion. Stone tumbled across the ground, the front of the beautiful edifice now in shambles. A fire raged somewhere at the back of the building. An orange glow reflected off the windows as the diminishing figures of the guards worked to extinguish it. Where was the noblewoman amid this destruction? Did she realize yet that they’d made their escape?
The thought brought a damning realization to Deckard. He’d been blinded by hope and Evylin’s love. This wasn’t a success. This was a consolation. They were leaving behind three Relics. That meant Blount now had four while they had two. After their struggles in the Wind and Time Keeps, Deckard wondered if they could hope to survive the final two in Ephria.
Their escape wasn’t without cost. They might have made it out of Renaul’s clutches with their lives, but Deckard wondered if it would be the death of them yet.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
Under the cover of night, the troop tore through the countryside. They passed the city of Keale, the capital of Lady Renaul’s county, about a mile into their ride. Even during the late hours, lights glittered in windows and from the parapets of the city wall. Under the guidance of the Alliance members, they gave the settlement a wide berth.
An hour after clearing the city, they eased their pace to give the horses a rest. And that was when Thom realized the true cost of their escape. In the heat of the moment, adrenaline had kept him going. Now, his head pounded with fatigue. After three days under Caustin’s cruel conditions and a sleepless night, his aching body was ready to give up.
Thom looked over his friends, realizing they all looked the same as he felt. Ilain and Auden had fared the worst of them all. The siblings both sagged in their saddles, their pale skin ghostly in the moonlight. Ilain’s usually fiery hair looked more like rust, hanging in limp curls around her shoulders. Her head drooped like a wilted flower. He realized that her bravado from before had expended what little energy she retained just before she started to fall.
Cursing under his breath, Thom spurred his horse forward, ready to catch her. Then Ethenn was there, as he always was. Thekid—the young man,Thom mentally corrected—steadied Ilain with his arm around her back.
Thom pulled up short, arriving at their side just as Ilain quipped, “My hero.”
“Yeah, shut up,” Ethenn said with a lighthearted tilt. “I’m too tired to be made fun of.”
Thom raised his brow. “Have you finally figured out how to banter, Loxley?” he asked.
Ethenn gave him a wary glance but didn’t reply.
“Here,” Thom guided his horse to the other side of Ilain’s, “let me help.” Together, they got Ilain onto the saddle with Ethenn. She slumped against the hunter’s chest, her lids heavy and her limbs trembling.
“You all right there, milady?” Thom asked as he tied her horse off to his.
Resting her head back on Ethenn’s shoulder, she closed her eyes and mumbled, “Leave me alone to die in peace.”
Thom smiled and gave Ethenn a nod. Ilain would be just fine.
After checking in with Auden to ensure his security, Thom allowed himself to lapse into solitude. None of their band felt much like talking after all they’d endured. At the front of the line, Emmaas and Isla led, with Deckard and Evylin right behind. The rest of them fanned out as they cantered through the hills away from the main road.
After several hours, the sun finally broke on the horizon, turning the sky golden. A light fog drifted near the mountains to the north. They headed for a thick stand of trees, stopping for a short break to let themselves recover as much as the horses. Isla passed out some small rations of dried meat and fruit. It wasn’t much, but it would sustain them. Thom gave his portion to Ilain to split with Auden, his hunger somewhat abated by the prior night’s feast that Renaul had intended to be their last.
Despite their freedom earned, none of them spoke of it or rejoiced yet. Not only were they too tired, but Thom knew they felt the same way he did. There was no true victory until they were safely away from any hunting party Renaul had undoubtedly sent to find them. Wherever that safety might be found, whether with the Alliance or in Ephria, Thom didn’t know.
In the subdued atmosphere of recovery, Thom watched the band carefully. Isla stayed with the Calders, hovering like a mother—or more appropriately, he supposed, like a sister. Ethenn sat nearby, staring dejectedly at nothing while he chewed on a strip of dried venison. Rafferty sprawled under the low-hanging boughs of a hawthorn, promptly passing out. Jarrad and Emmaas stood to the side, strategizing in hushed tones.
Meanwhile, Deckard and Evylin sat against the trunk of a tree away from the rest of the group. Her head rested on his shoulder, neither of them speaking.
Thom’s heart squeezed. But not out of jealousy. Out of guilt. How had he not seen it? In all their time together, how could he have been so blind, so bitter? Why couldn’t he see what was so plainly before him: They were perfect for one another.
Stepping across the small enclosure of trees, Thom joined Emmaas and Jarrad. They paused their conversation, scanning him curiously. “How long do we intend to break here?” Thom asked.
“Only an hour,” Emmaas said. “I’d like us to be out of Nirraus County before lunch.”
Though Thom had no idea how large the county was, he nodded. “Great, thanks.”
Leaving the men behind, Thom made up his mind. He couldn’t put it off any longer. An hour was more than enough. He set his jaw and made his approach.
“Do you have a second?” he asked.
