The forest was no longer quiet. Shouts echoed behind them, steel clashed with steel, and the haunting call of horns broke through the night air. Rowan was bleeding from a gash at his side, Norra's cloak was half burnt, and Liora's heart thudded with every step she took, half-carrying Scarlet through the trees.
They had barely escaped.
"They'll follow," Rowan said, panting. "Cassien doesn't let things slip through his grip."
"We head east," Norra said, glancing at the stars. "There's a hunter's trail that curves back toward the abandoned chapel."
"It's two days out," Liora reminded, tightening her grip on Scarlet's trembling form. "She might not last that long."
"I'll last," Scarlet murmured weakly, though her lips were cracked. "Just... don't take me to the palace."
They all paused.
Rowan narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
