Page 160 of Blood Feast

“A quarter of an hour,” Lio answered.

“We’d better find Miranda’s trail fast, then,” Lyros said.

Cassia scanned the surrounding hills. “Any ideas where she was standing when she shot Kalos? We need to get Knight as close as possible to her scent.”

“We can easily narrow it down,” Mak replied. “An apple wood arrow shot from one of the standard issue bows Lucis’s soldiers use, possibly enhanced with malign enchantments…”

“You’ve been researching archery, too.” Lio sounded impressed. “Did you have in mind to craft bows next?”

Mak shrugged. “Not at the forge. The archery research was in case Rudhira or other woodworkers wanted to try crafting bows for the Charge.”

“We’ll follow you.” Lyros gave Mak a look like he was holding back more he wanted to say.

Mak turned Bear and set off across the dry winter grass, guiding them to a slope some distance from the portal. They had just reached the crest of the hill when an impression came to Cassia through the Lustra. The hint of a Hesperine aura.

She drew Freckles to an abrupt halt and looked back the way they had come.

“What is it?” Lio pulled Moonflower near to her.

“The Lustra is warning me,” she replied quietly. “I think there’s a veiled Hesperine near the portal where we were standing a moment ago.”

“How did the patrol get here so fast?” Lyros demanded.

Lio shook his head. “I can still sense the patrol a quarter of an hour away. This is someone else.”

“Can you tell who it is?” she asked.

“I can’t feel their mind at all. Without your magic, we would never have known they’re here.”

“Whose veils can hold against your thelemancy?” she asked desperately, knowing it was a short list.

“The Queens’ most powerful scion,” was Lio’s first guess.

“You have to step us away, now!”

Lio set his jaw. “No. See if Knight can catch Miranda’s scent.”

“If that’s really Rudhira, will your veils hold?” Lyros pressed.

“Nike taught me her experimental veils, remember? She evaded him for nearly a hundred years with those spells, and so will we, if that’s what it takes.”

Cassia wasted no time leaping down from Freckles. She called Knight to attention.“Ckuundat!”

For once, it was an advantage that Miranda had painted her breastplate with Cassia’s blood. They could only hope the difference between the human blood on the armor and her Hesperine blood didn’t confuse Knight.

Cassia bit her hand and held it out to her hound, ready to snatch it back if he tried to do more than smell it. She longed to know what would happen if he licked it, and yet she was afraid to find out. She couldn’t risk harming him.

He breathed sharply and took a step back.

Her heart sank. Clearly, she needn’t have worried about him being too eager to taste it.

The Lustra hummed another warning. Cassia’s pulse pounded. “He’s coming closer.”

Lyros vibrated with frustration while Mak cursed vocally.

Lio’s eyes fell shut, and shadows gathered around him and his mount. “Keep trying.”

“Soor,” Cassia soothed her hound. “It’s all right, darling. I know it seems like I’m hurt and my blood smells different now. But I’m safe, and I’m still yourkaetlii.”

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