I woke with a start, gasping as I lay on my stomach in the snow. I was cold and wet now and it was hard to know how long I\u2019d been out, or how many visions I\u2019d had but couldn\u2019t remember. Shivering, I dragged myself to my knees and crawled forward. My fingers curled around the hilt of Thom\u2019s sword, breath rasping in my throat.<\/p>\n
\u201cMarin?\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked up to see Leinth standing over me, frowning in the light of a lantern she clutched too tightly. I sucked in another breath and got my feet back under me. \u201cLeinth. What are you doing out here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWatching the gates. I thought you were asleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have the watch tonight,\u201d I said. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour husband didn\u2019t say anything, then.\u201d<\/p>\n
I just stared at her for a long moment until she sighed and looked away. \u201cOf course not. Bloody men.\u201d She glared toward the gate for a moment before she looked back to me. \u201cThey\u2019ve gone back to camp once to get some alcohol\u2014Phelan probably told them to do as much, lest our guests<\/em> get unruly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGuests,\u201d I echoed, peering past her. I couldn\u2019t see anything thanks to the glare of the lantern. \u201cWho\u2019s here, Leinth? What\u2019s<\/em> here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe bloody Wild Hunt,\u201d she growled. She nodded to the blade in my hand. \u201cWith any luck, you\u2019ll not need that. If we do, then all hope\u2019s gone. They\u2019d wipe us off the map as soon as they\u2019d look at us.\u201d<\/p>\n My heart began to beat a little faster. The Wild Hunt.<\/em> The legendary band…<\/p>\n Oh, shit.<\/em><\/p>\n I swallowed hard, throat burning and sour. \u201cHow long ago did they get here?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHalf an hour, maybe three quarters of an hour.\u201d Leinth shrugged. \u201cThey told me to stay at the gate, didn\u2019t invite me to join them. I wanted to when they came.\u201d<\/p>\n I could just barely see Rory now that my eyes had started to adjust again. He held a flickering tongue of fire above his palm, light dancing across his face and casting shadows in strange places.\u00a0 He glanced toward us and gave me a tight smile that I could just barely see in the light of his tiny flame.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s out there with them?\u201d I asked softly.<\/p>\n \u201cYour husband, Thordin, Phelan, Jameson, and Sif.\u201d<\/p>\n I nodded firmly. \u201cRight. Let\u2019s go see what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n I took her by the hand and marched toward the gate.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I woke with a start, gasping as I lay on my stomach in the snow. I was cold and wet now and it was hard to know how long I\u2019d been out, or how many visions I\u2019d had but couldn\u2019t … Continue reading