His heavy footsteps started toward me but not fast enough as something crashed into the door at the other end, sending fragments of broken timber across the floor. His jaw was set in a sharp, hungry snarl as he screamed at me and ran with everything he had. With a second’s hesitation I turned toward the study and sprinted back to the safety of my parents. Mother was screaming. I knew from the creature’s eyes that it was a Berserker and it ran with one purpose – to kill. The grounds were filled as hundreds of them emerged in every direction from the forest surrounding us. We were trapped.
The Berserker’s hands were almost on me but he was thrown back from the force of a dagger burying itself into his eye. He howled and screamed like Gabriel had the night I’d let my knife find its way home, as Mother drew her blade back and scooped me into her arms. When she reached the threshold of the study Father was yelling out at a dozen of the creatures while they swarmed towards us, and the fallen Berserker lay convulsing on the floor. The sense of betrayal I saw in my parents’ eyes was mutual as they looked at each other. They knew who he was and so did I.
“Ava.” Somebody shook me. “Wake up.”
I gasped as my eyes shot open, almost choking on the blood gathering at the back of my throat.
The information sunk in and I counted the faces in front of me; one was missing. Oh Daeus. I gritted my teeth; terror and betrayal washed over me again and without a word of warning I leapt to my feet, ignoring the protest from my scabbing ankles, and twisted out of somebody’s grasp. I burst out of the sitting room and pushed forward. The front doors crashed open and the first thing I smelled was smoke.
“She’s making a break for it,” Alistair called.
His footsteps thundered behind but he wouldn’t catch me. He couldn’t catch me this time. I pushed the doors closed and barricaded them with anything I could find. Then I ran faster than I ever had before.
“Stop!” Ethan called as they broke through, and his voice leeched the power into me to run faster and faster, barefoot in the grounds. My feet cut open on the sharp rocks and thistles that coated the floor but I thought little of it.
The stable was alight and the horses inside still whinnied fearfully and kicked at the doors. I cried out in effort and ran for the bar that locked them in, releasing the animals into the night. None seemed worse for wear, except—
There was a faint whimper coming from one of the end boxes. Most of the stable was engulfed in flames. I looked behind me and watched them advance with every passing second. Alistair had turned his attention to the spooked horses and Ethan was running at me with such a beautiful determination that I could barely stand to look away. I tied my hair back and covered my mouth with a cloth before diving into the fire. Ethan cried out but I couldn’t hear him.
“Theron,” I called. He whimpered again and I came across him broken and bloodied. “Can you stand?” I coughed.
“If I could stand would I not have already escaped?” he whined.
His sarcasm was commendable but the flames were growing hotter and higher. “Don’t struggle, okay?” I said to him before scooping the great, black dog into my arms with difficulty.
Pieces of burning hay scalded my bloodied feet until at last I fled the structure, moments before it came crashing down. Ignoring Ethan, I carried Theron to Lavender, who cried when she saw his legs. They were fractured, but not entirely broken. Ethan fought to kill the flames as they spread to the forest surrounding us and I searched the treeline, looking for one red eye shining from the darkness.
“Daniel!” I called into the woods. “You traitor!”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
A FEW DAYS had passed since Daniel fled the manor. Theron was on the mend and that was the good news. Everyone else was on edge and who could blame them? Betrayal was a difficult thing to forgive, not that they ever would. Though my name had been cleared in terms of the informer, the others were still coming to terms with my past, and new – or rather, old – identity. Lavender and Ric spoke to me as normal, Willow was reserved, whereas Alistair and Ethan hadn’t spoken to me at all.
We needed supplies for the new stables – nails, bolts, hinges, new riding gear at that. Everything but the trailer kit had gone up in the fire. No doubt I was blamed for that as well, and when Ric extended the offer to ride with him and Lavender into town I couldn’t accept fast enough.
It was surprising how similar Carrandell was to Wetherdon. The first part we’d come to was the outside traders’ layby; a stopping point for non-residents to be searched and questioned. They weren’t sure of Ric but one look at Lavender and there was nothing but smiles and well-wishes. Of course, she was the healer’s daughter so why wouldn’t they be pleasant to her? She smiled back at the men who watched her with interest and Ric scowled at them jealously. I wondered if the two of them had yet realised their feelings toward each other were mirrored. The careful distance they kept between them said otherwise. I nodded my head to the men as we passed and I was surprised that they didn’t turn their noses up; they actually nodded and smiled back.
I could get used to that.
Inside the main district the buildings were at the same height as the trees surrounding them. The central area seemed to be the wealthiest as we stepped off the cart and co-ordinated ourselves. Ric handled anything heavy, Lavender had the herbs, tonics and food for Willow, and I was to guard the cart. What fun. My curiosity was burning; I had to be strong and resist and I…I…couldn’t.
While the others were busy I took a walk through the middle of town. There were bakers and general supply shops run by neat-looking owners. I counted at least three trinket sellers, trading everything from heavily-gemmed jewellery boxes to simple, carved ornaments. A packed-out store held the word ‘Sweets’ above the doorway and I’d never seen anything quite like it, at least not in Wetherdon. Jars of every colour lined the shelves in rows of four and there were darker coloured objects in cases in the front. I just managed to make out the word ‘truffles’. Odd, they belonged in the ground and were certainly not sweet. Further down the street I spotted a seamstress and then another and had to contain myself at the sight of their wares.
First impressions, and the small number of humourless enforcers, told me there’d be no trouble around this area but outside itI disappeared up a side street and climbed a set of narrow stairs to the next street level. The middle district expanded a good distance but where there was wealth there was always poverty, and as I climbed another set of stairs up the side of a tavern I saw the ramshackle paving and clustered rooftops of the outside boroughs. The setting of them suddenly made me homesick. I missed the steam of Wetherdon’s factories and the smell of meat and manure that hung around the Trading Post. I missed my simple life as Cedar.