For the longest time, Caden had only had one person he put above his own wellbeing. With Eva, he now had two.
It was why this newest surprise the Highlands had sprung was so concerning. Caden didn't like surprises or uncertainty and these cicadas represented both.
He watched the strange insects march along the tree's trunk in neat, uniform lines that a commanding officer would be jealous of. Even the best trained Trateri warriors wouldn't be capable of such precision.
As he watched, one line reached the end of the trunk and made a tight turn before marching in the opposite direction. Over and over again until their numbers covered every surface, even spilling onto the ground.
"What do you think they're doing?" Roscoe asked.
"Nothing good." Caden's face was grim as he glanced at Eva, knowing she wasn't going to want to hear this next part. "We can't stay in the valley any longer."
The swarm was a danger to everyone and everything here. There were too many unknowns for Caden to feel comfortable being in such close proximity.
They'd consumed an entire red back in a night and then laid waste to half the grove.
Caden didn't want that happening to their mounts. Or worse, their people.
Then there was the problem of the prisoners. If Covath was to be believed, the army the prisoners served already knew their location. It was just a matter of time before they attacked.
With the Trateri as outnumbered as they were, Caden couldn't guarantee their safety. Worst case—they'd lose a significant number of their people.
The Kyren or the Tenrin could overturn that if they were to fight at the Trateri's side, but Caden couldn't rely on that. Not with tensions riding high and the alliance still so new.
Eva's expression was torn, knowing Caden was right but also aware of how the Kyren would react.
"Let me talk to them before we do anything. They might be more receptive if we ask first. I'll find a way to clear it with them. Somehow."
One problem down. Though he didn't envy Eva the conversation she'd have to have with the Kyren.
"Do we destroy the swarm?" Caden asked Reece, knowing the risk involved in such an undertaking.
Right now, the swarm was preoccupied with the trees. Disturbing them could result in them switching focus to the camp or the herd.
Of his choices, Caden would prefer to act. Better to eliminate a potential threat rather than wait for danger to sucker punch them when their guard was down.
Surprisingly, there was an atypical uncertainty in Reece's expression as he studied the swarm. The other man hated not having the right answer to the problem, seeing it as an assault on his pride as a pathfinder.
His hesitation was understandable. He feared making the wrong choice and the consequences that would result from that decision.
It was a fact of life that all leaders had to accept at some point. Something Reece, as a loner who preferred existing outside the hierarchy of power, was only coming to terms with now.
This situation was a test for him. He could defer to Caden's opinion or step up as his cousin would have and use the facts at hand to form a working plan.
If it looked like he was paralyzed with indecision, Caden would step in. Self-doubt would only get other people killed. He didn't plan to risk his people for Reece's ego.
"I say we follow your suggestion to evacuate the valley. Any attempt on the swarm should wait until then."
Good. Caden had the same thoughts.
Roscoe let out a sigh. "Life was so much easier when our enemies were all human."
"Ain't that the truth." Fiona agreed as she and Roscoe shared a commiserating look.
Ghost slapped his neck.
"Ghost," Roscoe said as Ghost's hand remained on his neck, his face slowly turning white.
Fiona pried his hand off his neck. "Were you bitten?"
Ghost remained calm as Fiona revealed the bright red mark on his skin. "I'd like to say no, but I'd be lying."
"Don't joke about this," Fiona snapped.
Anger and fear twisted her expression.
Roscoe's jaw flexed as he cast a considering gaze at the swarm, already fingering the sword at his waist.
Eva's face was agonized, memories of the last friend who was bitten by a mysterious insect rendering her silent.
The lost expression on Eva's face as she met Caden's gaze was a knife in his gut. A reminder that as much as he hated it, there were some things he couldn't protect her from.
"I'd really prefer not turning into a killer plant." There was a faint smile on Ghost's face that didn't hide the terror in his eyes.
"You're not going to turn into a plant," Fiona assured him as Roscoe leaned in for a closer look at the insect's remains.
The crushed legs and transparent wings were all that were left along with a smear of green-brown.
"We need to get out of here," Reece said, his focus on the swarm. "Now."
"I've got him," Fiona told Roscoe, taking Ghost's arm to support him.
Roscoe dropped back a step, guarding their backs.
"I'm not an invalid. I can walk on my own," Ghost protested.
"Shut up, warrior," Fiona barked, hurrying him forward.
"Caden." Eva's weak voice came from beside him.
Caden felt something inside him go still at her tone. The skin on the back of his neck crawled, instinct screaming at him that something was wrong.
On first glance, Eva looked normal. Nothing much was different. Those were her features. A little blank, her personality muted.
Her eyes were unfocused in the same way they sometimes were when she was listening to something the rest of them couldn't hear. It was the same look she got when the Kyren were speaking to her.
"Eva."
The emotion in Caden's voice made Jane step forward, alert to the fact something was wrong.
Fiona glanced back as she and Ghost paused.
Eva didn't answer, her eyes unseeing.
"What's wrong with her?" Reece asked.
Caden didn't get the chance to answer as Eva's limbs started shaking uncontrollably. Her chest heaved as she convulsed.
"Run," Caden roared.
Fiona partially carried, partially supported a weak Ghost, trusting Caden to handle the situation. Roscoe hesitated for a split second before following.
Reece raced after them.
Jane moved closer to Eva and Caden, her expression cautious. "What do we do? Can we move her, or will that hurt her?"
Caden shook his head. "I don't know."
The admission scraped at Caden's insides, leaving them raw and exposed. It was an acid in his throat. Corrosive and poisonous as he hovered at Eva's side, his muscles strung tight with the urge for action.
Violence coiled inside of him.
"We wait," Caden said a second later.
"They won't hurt her, will they? She's supposed to be special, right?" Jane asked.
"Not everyone appreciates special."
Sometimes they hated it. They saw that specialness as a threat and went to great lengths to stamp it out.
It was Caden's fear. One of many keeping him up at night. As long as Eva was the only person with her abilities, she was a target.
Eventually, there might be an enemy Caden couldn't protect her from. Some mythological or beast who decided humans shouldn't have such power and who'd try to eliminate her.