“Oh seas, oh seas, oh seas.” She was going to be sick. “Tiern . . .” She struggled to say his name. “We have to go!” She fumbled to pull the reins from his hands.
“Sh, sh. You’re panicking, Vixie. I’ve got it.”
Dry sobs rose up as she fought for air. Her mum. Her papa. What had their captors done to them? “We have to find Aer,” she said fiercely.
“Seas . . . if your parents are gone and Aerity is gone, there is no one on the throne.”
“Aye. Go!” Vixie said, never more certain in her life. “Find her!”
“Yah!” Tiern called out, urging the horse with his heels, and the two of them leaned forward as they shot down the path.
Chapter
17
Traveling south for days, Aerity was taken by surprise at the climate shift. She began the journey cold, and now she couldn’t stand the thought of putting that cloak around her. She was glad for the thinness of her shift and dress, even though they clung to her. She rode, swatting all manner of biting flies from her face. It wasn’t hot, exactly, just warm, but the air held moisture and gave the atmosphere a stifling consistency.
She rode behind Harrison through the thick forest. It wasn’t the dry-barked, straight-up-and-down sort of trees she was accustomed to. No pine needles littered the ground. No full canopies of soft greenery. These trees had large, thick leaves and seemed to bend in all directions as they rose highabove, weighed down by vines. And not the leafy vines of Lochlanach, but wide, veiny creepers like snakes that wound around trunks and branches.
When they came to a fork in the path, Harrison stopped and opened his map. He pointed to the southeast path.
“This will take us south and we’ll turn east just before a lake. We’ll cut through this patch of woods eastward until we hit the path to Zorfina. It’s not much farther, Aer. Two days, perhaps. The Zandalee tribe is said to be just inside the border in the south, over the hills.”
She nodded, happy. Not much longer. Aerity pulled the damp hair from her neck. She still felt a moment of surprise and confusion whenever she caught sight of her dark locks. Harrison gave her a small smile.
“You look so unlike yourself. Each day I have to stare a moment to find you inside that disguise. Mostly because you’re so filthy.”
Aerity returned his rueful smile. “Very funny. At least I don’t have a furry critter growing on my face.”
He rubbed his cheek. “Speaking of growing, though.” He pointed to her hairline. “There’s a tiny bit of light hair showing. Just a sliver. Not sure anyone would notice but—”
Oh, no! Aerity’s hand shot upward. She absolutely could not allow any of her natural color to show. “I have a small jar of the dye. I can patch it up.”
“Now?”
“I really must,” she said. “And I’ll need your help.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” His face froze, making her laugh.
“I don’t have a looking glass! I’m likely to stain my entire forehead.”
He gave her a you-owe-me glare. They pulled their horses off the path and Aerity made quick work of stirring the liquid with a stick. Harrison sighed loudly and took the stick, heeding her directions. He was very careful to dab the stick in the dye and comb upward along her hairline, only touching the new growth and not her skin. His tongue protruded from the corner of his mouth as he concentrated. He worked from one of her ears, up and around her hairline to the other ear.
“There. Do you need to wash it?”
“I suppose I can’t,” she said. “It’ll have to do for now. Thank you.”
Seas alive, she’d give anything for a long, proper bath. She swatted a bug from her arm and shuddered. Flying beetles had taken to falling on her from trees, and she was only glad they weren’t the hairy spiders she’d heard of. As they remounted and turned to head down the south path, Aerity glimpsed something white sticking out from under the brush. “What’s that?”
Harrison stopped, climbed down, and plucked it out. He smoothed it against his leg and shook his head. “It’s in Kalorian.”
Aerity held out her hand and took the parchment, which appeared to have once been posted on a tree. She read, and her heart began to race.
“‘Lashed Ones. A haven can be found at Lake Rainiard in return for your services.’” Her eyes went wide. “Harrison! Do you suppose Paxton saw this? Is that the lake up ahead on the map?”
Worry filled Harrison’s eyes. “It’s the only lake in the south, so I assume it is, but I don’t have a good feeling about this. What services are they asking of the Lashed?”
“Aye,” she agreed. “And who posted this? Obviously Kalorians, but is it perhaps a group of ill or injured people who need magical help?”
