Thom sprinted straight for the watchtower, scrambling up the ladder and joining Rory aloft. Thordin was only a few steps slower, a few steps behind. Rory glanced toward me momentarily, then squinted off into the darkness.
“What do you think it was?” I asked, heart thundering at twice normal speed.
“Magic,” Rory said flatly. “It was an explosion, out toward the lakeshore and further south. There’s a fight starting out there.”
Thom tried to follow his gaze. “How far?”
Another howl split the night, followed by the faint and echoing sound of a hunting horn. Thordin shook his head slowly. “Whoever it is, they’re close.”
“Bloody hell,” Thom muttered, squinting out into the darkness, trying to will his eyes into seeing—
“The Hunt rides again,” she whispered, pressed against his chest in their small tent. One of the horses nickered softly, pawing the ground. Thom shuddered, holding Marin tighter.
“How do you know?”
“I can feel it.” Her gaze flicked upward to meet his, a faint gleam of evergreen in her eyes. “Can’t you?”
“I try not to.” Thom pressed a kiss to her forehead. “It was a bargain that—”
“It was necessary,” she said. “It was necessary and it was not the wrong choice to make.”
“Maybe,” Thom murmured. “Maybe.”
“Thom!”
He jerked, stumbling back. His heel caught on the edge of the opening in the floor where they climbed into and out of the tower. Panic surged, his heart leaping into his throat.
Thordin’s hand shot out and grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, hauling him forward and tossing him to one side. Thom grunted as he hit the plank floor, breathing hard and trying to calm his racing heart.
“What the hell was that?” Rory asked.
“I know what’s coming,” Thom whispered, choking on the words. Tremors gripped him, shakes he couldn’t stop. “I know what’s coming and I’m not sure what it means.”
“What are you talking about?” Thordin asked. “Christos, Thom, you’re as white as death.”
The dead ride. They hunt.
“It’s the Wild Hunt,” Thom said. “The Wild Hunt is coming.”
whoa…. I don’t like the sound of this “hunt.” If it is this drastic, I’m sure Marin will wake shortly too.
No place to run. No place to hide.
Thanks for this latest addition. Good stuff!