Page 104 of Blood Feast

“Or any Chargers,” Mak added. “I hope we’re not serving ourselves up on a platter by seeking out the evacuees.”

“I doubt the knights will still have Hesperines with them,” Lyros replied. “The Chargers probably returned to the front lines once they were able to leave the villagers in safe territory.”

They followed the tracks the large group of mortals had left. As they rode, Lyros and Mak drilled Cassia and Lio on combat tactics. The warriors described scenarios, then asked how their party should respond in that situation. When Lio and Cassia made the wrong call, their Trial brothers patiently explained alternatives. Cassia’s head was soon swimming with creative ways to use the few, basic fighting moves she had mastered.

Some time after twilight gave way to night, Lio’s thelemancy swept out around them again, a shadow stretching far across the countryside. He sucked in a breath.

“What is it?” Cassia asked.

“I can sense them ahead of us,” he answered. “They’re moving faster than I expected.”

Cassia pulled Freckles alongside him. “If they go much farther, they’ll be at the ferry. Surely they wouldn’t try to cross the river with exhausted villagers in the middle of winter.”

“They would if they’re running from something,” Lio said.

What danger could have found Solia’s forces here in the heart of a powerful ally’s domain? Without further debate, theyrode toward the disturbance. Their veil spells swallowed the pounding of the Warmbloods’ hooves.

As they neared the vee of the rivers, a bright flash lit the night. Suddenly the air smelled like a storm. But it felt like magic.

Duck,Lio shouted in her mind.

Cassia flattened herself against Freckles’ outstretched neck. The revelatory spell struck her like a hot breath, and she shuddered. The next instant, a jagged streak of lightning followed it. A crash tortured her ears, and the hairs on her arms stood on end.

The spell shot over her head. The enemy had expected a taller rider.

The next fork of lightning broke against a shadow ward in front of Lyros. “Weapons out!”

Another ward swept up from Mak. “Focus on keeping the enemy away from you, and let the Warmbloods help.”

Cassia drew Rosethorn and tried to spot the mage in the chaos of men and horses ahead. Knights in the white surcoats of the Order of Andragathos clashed with soldiers in Lucis’s sky blue. Behind the knights’ line of defense, the population of an entire village cowered on the riverbank.

Scorched planks spun away on white-capped water. What was left of the ferry. The coward of a weather mage who was throwing lightning bolts lurked at the back of Lucis’s warriors.

“Leave the robe to Mak and me,” Lyros called out. “Help the knights.”

Lio’s magic washed over their enemies, and a shudder seemed to move through Lucis’s forces. But they kept fighting.

Kallikrates is here,Cassia guessed.In whom? All of them?

He’s toying with us,Lio answered.Darting in and out of their minds. Stay close to me.

Freckles slipped past the larger mounts and pranced into the fray. Lio cried out a protest in Cassia’s mind. She grabbed forFreckles’ mane, squeezing with her knees. But the mare merely smacked Cassia’s leg with her tail and plunged onward.

Lio charged after them. Over her shoulder, Cassia saw one soldier turn his horse to face the oncoming mass of white that was Moonflower. The mortal lifted his longsword and aimed at Lio’s heart.

Lowering his staff like a lance, Lio drove the end at the man and flung him out the saddle before he ever saw the veiled weapon.

Instead of a scream of pain, the soldier let out a smooth, deep laugh that Cassia recognized. Through her Union with Lio, she felt the presence his thelemancy revealed.

Concentrate on the Collector,she urged him.

Stay. Close. To. Me.

But her mount danced deeper into the battle with confidence twice her size. She was the descendant of Celeris, the steed who had carried the Guardian of Orthros through the Last War. Lyta had trained Freckles herself. This horse was better prepared for battle than Cassia.

She relaxed her knees and eased her grip.Trust Freckles to protect me.

The little mare dodged blades and, with a vicious kick, left one macer clutching his head in the dirt. Cassia called out commands to Knight in tandem, and his lunges and bites widened the swath her horse carved through the skirmish.

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