“I believe we’re decided,” Henry said, his deep voice bridled with obvious restraint.
Lightning streaked to the east. Long seconds passed before the resulting boom of thunder vibrated through the ground into my legs and chest. Marin crossed herself, and I hurried to do the same.
“May God protect us,” James murmured.
Justine laughed and flashed him a wicked grin. “I’m afraid we’re on our own tonight, Mr. Roth, or haven’t you heard? ‘For fools rush in where angels fear to tread.’” Lantern light reflected in her eyes, showing a devil-may-care attitude to accompany the famous words.
Cate sighed. “Very well. Let’s get on with it then.” With one last look at me, she reined her horse toward the heart of the forest.
We fell into single file this time to accommodate the narrowing trail. High overhead, the treetops thrashed wildly. Rain pinged a chorus on the branches and undergrowth. Dampness seeped through my cape to the underlying layers, further irritating the prickling sensation that had yet to leave my skin.
Descending the crest, we entered the valley and followed the stream deeper into the woods. At the charred stump, Tom stopped just long enough to see Henry nod before continuing on. More lightning flashed, closer than before, illuminating the path that led to Deidre’s cottage. Wind moaned through the branches, sounding eerily like a woman’s scream in the distance.
Thunder crashed several heartbeats later, and another bout of frosty prickles raced over my skin, all the way to my crown. Shivering, I pulled my cape closer to help ward against the uncomfortable sensation.
By Deidre’s estimation, the oak grove was still an hour’s ride away. The minutes ticked by at a snail’s pace while I watched the gentle sway of Cate’s cloak directly in front of me. Fog floated over the trail, undisturbed by the storm that raged above. Our party remained fairly untouched in the wood’s shelter, except for a strong sense of foreboding that had seeped into the hollow of my rib cage.
It seemed an eternity passed when Tom reined again. Extending one arm, he held the lantern at shoulder level. The other lanterns followed suit, and I was soon staring at the rough trunks of several ancient oak trees.
Tom glanced at Cate. “This must be it.”
She nodded. “Lead on and we shall soon see.”
Spurring his horse from the pathway, Tom started on a northward course. When my turn came to enter the grove, anxiety stroked my heart. After days of searching, we were close to saving Nora, and I could only pray that the madness had not broken her spirit as I’d seen happen to another man. From experience, I knew Cate could repair any physical damage in Nora’s mind. Anything else, we would get through together.
But what if we failed? What if Nora was already dead? What if Carmen escaped? And where was Ailish in all of this? It surprised me how much I missed her presence, a girl born to be my mortal enemy. What if she was in danger, or if Cailleach demanded too much of her? As Justine had pointed out, it was no secret the goddess wanted me dead, but Ailish could have no part of it due to the curse that bound us. Unless of course, Cailleach was willing to sacrifice one of her own. Would she do that? I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment to help quiet the wild rush of questions.
Nora is safe. The witch will be stopped. Ailish has not been commanded to die—
My thoughts slammed to a halt when a startled shout came from behind me. I reined hard and jerked my head toward the rear of our line. James and Justine rode nearest my flank, followed by Sean and Marin. Julian was the last rider in sight.
“What’s wrong?” Sean called to him.
“They’re gone.” Distress weighed in his voice.
Sean turned his mount, putting his back to me. “Who’s gone?” he asked Julian.
“Your men. There’s no sign of their lights.”
My brother rode the short distance back. Holding his lantern high, he emitted a sharp whistle that stung my ears.
No sound returned.
Hurried words passed between the two men. Coming to some agreement, they spurred their horses to retrace our previous route. In a matter of seconds, the light from their lanterns shrank to the size of a pinhead, then disappeared altogether.
Henry moved beside me. “What’s the matter?”
“Some of our party have fallen behind. Lord Stroud and Sean have gone to investigate.”
Minutes later their lanterns reappeared. The others joined them as they rode toward us.
“What did you find?” Henry asked.
Sean pressed his mouth to a thin line. “Nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing?”
“I mean that we went back to the trail and there’s no sign of them anywhere.” He raised a gloved hand and ticked off the names one by one. “Brian, Aron, Marcus, Gowan, Niall, Conri. They were at our flank when we entered the grove and now they’ve vanished.”
Marin’s face grew pinched with worry. “Do you think they’re lost?”