“What the hell is she doing?” Thom blurted.
J.T. swallowed bile, watching Leinth cross the snow to the gates. He stood, frozen by indecision for a few long moments before he swore under his breath and started after her.
“Jay!”
He waved off Thom’s warning and fell into step with Leinth a few seconds later. She glanced at him sidelong, a brow arching delicately.
J.T. shook his head. “What are you doing, Leinth?”
“Heading out to face the enemy,” she said simply, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to open the gates and step out into the killing fields beyond the walls. “What are you doing?”
“Stopping you from throwing open the gates,” J.T. said, taking her by the arm and pulling her back toward the tower. “We need a plan before we do something like that, trust me.”
“Because plans have done you such good in the past.”
J.T. snorted, steering her toward the ladder. “You’d be surprised.”
She canted her head to one side. “Perhaps.”
He snorted again and pointed to the ladder. She gave him a chilly look before she started to slowly scale the ladder upwards. He gave her a moment before he followed her up, climbing quickly despite the awkward weight and shape of the claymore strapped to his back.
“You know,” Thordin said blandly to Leinth as he helped her off the ladder, “The last time one of us went out there to face an enemy alone, he almost died.”
“I’m not the Wanderer,” Leinth reminded him, a trace of acid in her tone. J.T. winced and shook his head.
“That doesn’t matter,” he said. “Against this enemy, we need to stick together. No one’s going out there alone.”
Thom glanced at him, pale in the light from the lantern. “You say that like you know what’s coming.”
J.T. smiled grimly. “Are you looking for confirmation?”
“Maybe.”
“The Wild Hunt.”
“Shit,” Thom breathed. “That’s what I was afraid you were going to say.”
J.T. shrugged helplessly. It was only the truth.
“We’re in trouble,” Thordin said quietly.
“Hell yes,” J.T. said, peering out into the distance. “But we’ll win. Always do.”
We always do because we’ve got to. This time can’t be any different.
It just can’t be.
No idea what the “Wild Hunt” is but, I sure do not like the sound of it OR their reaction to it.
Thanks for another suspense inducing chapter!