"Dying?"
Adrian's voice cracked.
Lucien shot them both a fierce glare, then immediately vaulted up the hill to mount his stallion. Adrian followed in an instant, while Gaya was already thundering down the slope.
Lucien and Adrian raced behind her, the hooves of their Horned Stallions pounding the earth with raw power and lightning speed.
The Horned Stallions plunged down the slope, wind slashing past them as the treeline loomed closer. And there he was—a boy crumpled against the roots of an ancient oak, his chest rising in shallow, ragged breaths. His skin was ghostly pale, lips cracked, and his body bore the vicious marks of dark sorcery.
Gaya leaped from her stallion first, landing with cat-like grace and rushing to the boy's side. Her hand pressed against his chest, a faint silver glow spilling from her palm as she whispered an incantation. The light spread through his body like quicksilver veins, steadying his pulse, yet she hissed in frustration.
