The carriage rumbled along at an uphill slant. A bellow of agony issued from Harrison in the front, and the cart zagged from side to side. Had he been shot?
“Hold on tight!” Aerity screamed to her sister and cousin. But the cart came to an abrupt stop without tipping over.
“Harrison!” Wyneth fumbled for the door over Vixie’s lap.
“Wyn, wait—” Aerity grabbed her cousin’s skirts, but Wyneth rushed downward out of her grasp and into the night.
“Stay here,” Mrs. Rathbrook said. “He could be hurt. I will try to heal him.”
“Be careful,” Aerity begged. Mrs. Rathbrook climbed down, out of sight. Aerity shared a worried look of silence with Vixie. Several minutes passed, and Aerity felt a foreboding sense of wrongness. She reached for the door handle just as athwumpsounded. Something had hit the side of the carriage, and flames suddenly tore upward along the fabric lining. The sizzle and whoosh were deafening. Vixie screamed, and Aerity grabbed her, pushing her toward the door. They went tumbling out together, the cart engulfed in flames. The horse took off running. Aerity saw now that the driver’s seat was empty.
Two soldiers lay dead with no sign of injury and Aerity realized Mrs. Rathbrook must have killed them with magic.
“Aerity!” Wyneth ran to them, staring at the flaming cart as the horse ran. “Are you both all right?”
“Aye. Where’s Harrison?”
Wyneth pointed. At the bottom of the darkened hill Mrs. Rathbrook was leaning over him, her hands on his side. “He was hit with an arrow.”
At the sounds of movement they turned their eyes up to see troops in bright Kalorian clothing cresting a hill behind them, coming from the town center.
“Run!” Aerity shouted. Harrison and Mrs. Rathbrook were pushing gingerly to their feet when the girls made it to them. With any luck, the Kalorians would focus on the cottages, and Aerity and the others could be to the copse of trees at the top of this hill before the enemy troops noticed them.From there, they could make it down the other side and to the lake on foot. The five of them ran.
“Where is Furball?” Wyneth asked, peering back over her shoulders. And then, “Watch out!”
An arrow flew directly between her and Vixie, lodging in the dead grass. Aerity turned to see a single soldier who had spotted them.
“Keep going!” Harrison ordered them as he unsheathed his sword and charged down at a sprint toward the Kalorian who was nocking another an arrow.
“No!” Wyneth screamed.
Oh, seas.Aerity couldn’t watch; Harrison wasn’t going to get to him in time. From the corner of her eye she saw Vixie’s bow go up. With atwang, the Kalorian soldier was stumbling backward. Harrison skidded to a stop and looked back, confused.
Vixie had frozen to the spot, her bow falling to her side.
“Did I kill him?” she croaked. “I . . . I did good, right?”
“You did brilliantly,” Wyneth assured her in a shaking voice. “He would have shot Harrison.” Vixie stared at the twitching body and began to tremble. Harrison sheathed his sword and took her by the shoulder.
“Well done, princess. You’ve done nothing wrong. I owe you my life.”
Vixie covered her mouth.
Sounds of fighting were getting louder. In the moonlight and flickering fires, Aerity spotted stout gray horses dashingup the path and between houses with broad riders shouting a coldland war chant. Ascomannians were here! And beyond the far hill from the direction of the town square rose great shouts as Lochlan commoners ran up and over, pouring down the hill toward the Kalorians. Vixie gave a peal of laughter. A deep growl split the night as Furball rose up on his hind legs beside Lief on horseback, ready to fight.
“Furball!” Wyneth yelled. The beast, having amazing hearing, cocked his head in their direction and appeared torn between fighting and going to be with his mistress.
A stream of Kalorians poured forth from behind the houses, coming around to meet the Lochlans and Ascomannians head on. And they were directly in the path.
Harrison pointed up the hill and shouted, “Go! He’ll be fine!”
“Harrison!” Wyneth called, but he shook his head regretfully. He was staying to fight too.
Wyneth reluctantly turned with moistened eyes, and the four of them ran up the hill, grasping their skirts.
When they got to the copse of trees at the top of the hill, they stopped to catch their breath in the canopy of darkness.
“Are you all right, Mrs. Rathbrook?” Aerity asked. The woman was bent, hands on her knees, taking in ragged mouthfuls of air.
