How could she face Herrick again if Fenella was dead? He would blame her, the person he’d trained to be a protector.
No. She shook her head, refusing to accept Fenella’s death. Not without indisputable evidence. She swiped a runaway tear from her cheek. No stopping until she found Fenella and had her in a safe place.
Dragging in a raspy breath, Casidhe embraced the surge of determination to push harder.
Weaving her way through the tangled forest snagging her clothes and hair, she searched for the next opportunity she could hide her tracks. She’d wiggled through a tapered opening in a rock wall, which had been a small cave with two entrances years back. Erosion since then had worn the outcropping down until little more than a narrow passage had been left.
If she hadn’t known this spot existed, she wouldn’t have found it so easily.
After snaking her way through that hollowed-out path, she ran ahead twenty feet and stepped into a drizzling stream of water snaking through the woods. Not enough water to qualify as a creek in her estimation, but she continued downstream for five minutes then stepped out.
If anyone following her had the ability to track like an animal, that trick would do little to slow them down.
But it made her feel better to hide her footsteps.
She had another ten miles to cover by foot before she would reach someone who could help her travel by vehicle. More important than that, the people she headed for would hopefully be able to find out if Fenella had been in contact with any of the other squire families.
If not, she'd have them get word to Herrick.
She would do all in her power to locate Fenella. To find out if Cavan had captured her. Casidhe wouldn’t bring Herrick in to rescue Fenella unless she had no other choice. He would come if called, but doing so would expose him to supernatural threats like that murdering red dragon.
Casidhe had to protect Herrick and their people at the castle just as much as Fenella.
She would do as much as she could with the resources available to her. If Cavan had Fenella, then Casidhe would focus the full force of her energy on finding that book.
What majikal formulas in that grimoire could be so important?
Would Cavan, or the stranger, use it to harm others?
Even if she found the grimoire, there was no guarantee Cavan would leave her and Fenella alone once he got it. That created a whole new set of worries. She kicked a clump of dirt out of her way and stomped on.
Who was this Cavan to upend her life this way?
She’d find that book, but no one was getting it until she knew why they wanted the grimoire. She’d threaten to use it against Cavan if he harmed one hair on Fenella’s head.
Little wind threaded through this forest, but it felt as if all movement had died. She took three more steps. Her skin tingled with that creepy sensation of someone watching her again.
Don’t panic, she silently told herself.
Pausing to take a breath, she let her gaze roam the area around her.
Her stomach growled. She dug out a meal-replacement bar and ate it quickly. She couldn’t run for long on crackers and snack bars. Shoving the wrapper into her pocket, she convinced herself she had energy again.
If only that were true. She watched for glowing yellow monsters.
And demons.
Her fingers itched to pull out Lann an Cheartais.
She’d like to think the sword had bonded with her after last night, but she had no idea where she stood with Shannon’s sword. The air smelled of damp moss and rich woodland.
No sulfuric stench.
She climbed up on a thick log left from a tree that had fallen long enough ago the upper limbs had dead leaves. With a look around, she jumped down on the other side.
Her knees suffered a jarring hit from the weight on her back.
Every tiny sound snatched her attention. Her heart pounded more from sensing eyes on her than from the exertion. Keep moving. The sooner she made it through this forest and over the next mountain, the better.
Wading through knee-deep undergrowth speckled with white flowers, she plowed ahead.
Her thoughts kept returning to her late-night intruder who battled demons and crazy yellow beings without a second thought.
Who was he and what did he really want with her?
Had he been stalking her for the grimoire?
Or was he trying to find Herrick? If so, she could be walking into a trap by asking Herrick to do anything. Yet another reason she had to keep all this to herself.
But none of it made sense.
Like when hunting for a book or tiny piece of historical detail, she needed more information.
A twig snapped. That wouldn’t have seemed significant, but the woods had gone quiet again.
Too quiet.
Adrenaline shoved her fight or flight impulse into gear. Bad idea to give into flight if a predator stalked her. She took a couple calm steps, kept watch of her surroundings, and tried to breathe quietly.
That did nothing to slow her erratic heartbeat.
Sounds picked up and gained strength.
Something large and noisy ran through the woods making too much racket to be a natural predator.
Branches cracked and the ground shuddered.
Casidhe reached over her shoulder and gripped the hilt of her sword. She yanked. The sword did not move. “Damn. Come on, brat!”
She yanked again and dragged the sword out this time.
With a double-handed grip, she moved forward, turning the blade back and forth to warm up her wrists. She continued slowly toward the noise, which continued to grow louder. Better to face the enemy than have it come at her from behind.
Now it sounded like two coming.
But two of what?
Ah shit. She sorted out the sounds of two threats on her left and one off to her right.
That meant getting caught with one threat at her back.
Palms damp and breath coming in sharp inhales, she clamped her jaw tight and prepared for attack. The only way she'd survived last night had been with
