Page 62 of A Shard of Ice

I hear the fae in the dark behind us giving chase. They’re close…far too close.

“The plan!” Damon rasps.

“Mines. The old mines,” I squeak out.

Damon throws out a curse. Then he sits forward in the saddle and urges our horse to go faster. It’s terrifying. I can’t see anything. Trees and dead branches whip past us. I crouch low, feeling shielded by Damon’s big body. He’s warm at my back. He brings me comfort even in the midst of all of this.

Although many things have changed, that hasn’t. Although I am feeling less and less like I know him as well as I thought, Damon still feels like my rock.

We’re pulling ahead of the pursuing fae but not quickly enough to be able to lose them completely. Our horse is already starting to blow since it is carrying extra weight. We can’t go on like this for too much longer.

Instead of stopping, we continue to pull away, riding on for a while before skidding to an abrupt halt. Xander and Thesha are already there.

“Grab supplies and send the horses on their way,” Thesha says in an urgent voice. “We need to hurry.”

I am lifted from the saddle. I can’t see much of anything.

“Done. Let’s go,” Damon says.

There is a slap followed by a whinny, and the first horse gallops away, with the second horse close on its heels.

“They’ll run home,” Thesha whispers. “Gods be willing.”

“We need to make haste,” Xander says under his breath.

Damon grabs my hand and pulls me into the cave. The ground below is rocky and uneven, so he picks me up and carries me in his arms. Then we’re going into the cave. This is it. It’s this or recapture since the fae are not far behind us. They’ll be here any second.

My heart thuds.

“I won’t let anything happen to you,” Damon reassures me in a soft whisper. He must have felt me tense or something. He keeps walking, and as he does, the temperature drops a little and the air turns musty. From the entrance, there are sounds of horse hooves and shouts from the fae soldiers.

The fae are right outside, so we pick up our pace. The sound of the assembled fae quickly fades. I don’t think they are following us. My mouth turns dry. They know better. From the sounds of things, these mines are extremely dangerous.

I wish there was another choice.

The only way for us is forward. The darkness is stifling; the only sound now is our ragged breathing echoing off the walls.I hold on to Damon, his heartbeat reverberating through me, a steady rhythm that helps settle me. We move deeper into the cave, my fingers curling into his tunic.

We’re moving fast one second and stopping the next. There is a buzz and a crackle, which is followed by light. I have to close my eyes for a second before blinking them a few times while they adjust. Xander is holding up a lantern.

He smiles. “Good thing we came prepared. We might just get out of this, after all.”

“Famous last words,” Damon says; he is smiling, too.

“Exactly. So let’s not waste time,” Thesha says in a curt voice.

“This is Thesha, Thesha meet Damon,” Xander says.

“Good to meet you. We need to keep going.”

Damon nods. “Agreed. This is no time for pleasantries.”

Xander and Damon are carrying saddlebags and waterskins. They exchange a look I can’t decipher.

Damon nods, setting me down since the lantern does such a good job of illuminating our immediate space. “You good?” he asks.

“I’m fine.” I hate feeling so useless.

Damon takes my hand. It’s to help steady me over the rough path, I’m sure. I note that Xander has Thesha’s hand, as well. We start walking. The tunnel is big enough for two people to walk side by side. No one follows us.

---