"You can go," Caden said, seeing Jane eye the swarm only a few feet away.
Jane snorted. "You know better."
Caden allowed himself a tiny smile. He did. That was why he offered.
Jane and Caden stilled as the small sounds coming from the swarm stopped. The sudden hush was a bell toll, telling them something was coming. Something bad.
"Shit," Jane whispered.
The swarm went still, all movement ceasing. One by one they arranged themselves so they were facing Eva.
A buzzing started. At first low pitched, growing in volume until the drone drowned out the sound of the wind.
A disturbance started at the base of the tree, rippling in every direction as if someone had thrown a rock into their midst.
"GO!" Caden scooped up Eva, setting off at a dead run, the buzzing a deafening roar that kept growing.
Jane protected his back as they fled through the trees.
Even knowing their actions wouldn't be enough to save them, Caden didn't stop. It wasn't in his nature to give up. The woman in his arms demanded he figure a way for her to survive at least.
She was his. The only thing he'd ever truly considered his own. He wouldn't let her end this way. Even if he had to sacrifice his body to protect hers.
Caden poured more strength into his legs. He'd fight until the very last breath if that was what it took.
The tree line loomed before him, beckoning them with a false promise of safety. Even if they escaped the forest, the swarm would simply follow them.
Caden didn't bother with stealth, crashing through the underbrush as he held tight to the last vestiges of hope in the form of Caia. The mare would run herself ragged to carry Eva to safety.
Reece stepped into view, a lit torch in his hand. The determination on his face inspired a surge of speed.
The pathfinder had the look of a man with a plan. Caden pounded toward the other man, Jane on his heels.
Reece waited until Caden and Jane were mere feet away before lowering the torch to the hastily erected barrier of tinder made of dead sticks and fallen pine needles. It caught with a whoosh.
A distinct sickly-sweet smell rose from the smoke. A sign of the accelerant they'd use to assist the burn.
Smoke bloomed as Caden, carrying Eva, Jane right behind him crossed over the flames.
Only when he was on the other side did he pause long enough to see the dark mass of cicadas shying away. They reversed direction to avoid the path of the smoke.
"I knew it. They're afraid of smoke, just like most insects." Reece's tone was satisfied.
"Not bad," Caden told Reece.
The pathfinder had come through when they needed him the most. Maybe he had something of his cousin in him after all.
Reece shrugged. "I'd be happier if I'd seen it sooner. We could have destroyed the swarm before it woke up."
Caden shook his head. "If you'd been wrong, we could have gotten ourselves killed."
The lost opportunity stung, but Reece's actions had been a method of last resort. A desperate gamble when there was no other choice.
Caden would prefer a pathfinder who was cautious rather than overly confident.
They'd all live longer that way.
With one last glance at the swarm coiling in on itself, Caden strode toward the tree line.
"I'm going to remain behind for a little while. I have a few things to check here," Reece said to Caden's back.
Caden inclined his chin. Reece wasn't one of his people. If he chose to risk his safety to study the swarm, it wasn't Caden's place to stop him.
"Be careful." Caden started for the forest line.
"Wait." Reece's voice brought Caden up short.
He turned to find the pathfinder staring at Eva with a guarded expression.
"You should know I discovered something about her kind while I was at the Keep."
Caden's impatience told Reece he had moments to get to the point.
Reece did.
"Our records indicate Callers were far more powerful than Ajari and the Kyren led us to believe." Reece's expression was flat. "They also come with some major drawbacks. Their greatest strength can also be a weapon used against them."
"What does that mean?" Jane asked.
Reece didn't answer, meeting Caden's stare with eyes that saw far too much.
Caden jerked his chin in a nod. "Understood."
He strode away, holding onto his calm by the thinnest of margins. His woman was vulnerable.
How did he protect her when their enemies could strike at her very mind?
The answer was that he couldn't, and that fact threatened to destroy him.
Caden suppressed the rising surge of emotions, separating himself from them in the same way he'd learned to do during battle.
It left the world with a crystal-clear edge as Caden strode out of the forest. Every needle of pine registering, every sound, every movement. Caden's senses hyper-alert as he put emotion to the side to concentrate on the only thing that was important right this second. Eva.
Caden stepped out of the trees to find Fiona glaring at the forest edges. As if by doing so she could mentally urge them to appear.
Behind her, Roscoe paced back and forth while Ghost leaned tiredly against the ground. Red lines had spread from his neck, snaking their way up his jaw and onto his cheeks.
He wouldn't survive without a healer's intervention.
Seeing them, Jason hurried over, a concerned gaze darting to Eva. "What happened?"
A golden gaze met Caden's as the fire fox trotted toward him.
Somehow Caden wasn't surprised at the mythological's presence. The fire fox always seemed to know when he was needed most.
He leapt into the air, landing gently on Caden's shoulder. He set his front paws on Eva's chest, nudging the woman in Caden's arm.
A heartbroken sound came from the fire fox's throat.
A crack appeared in Caden's barricade. His heart gave a painful thump before he reinforced it again.
Eva didn't only matter to Caden. She was more than just his love. Her fate had the power to decide the future trajectory of the Highlands.
He could only hope he was strong enough to protect her on her journey.
"She will be fine." Caden's words were a promise to the fire fox as much as himself.
The fire fox stared at him for a short span of time, faith and understanding in his golden eyes. His tails wagged once in agreement before he hopped down.
Caden didn't get a chance to move forward before Caia was there, blocking his way with her head.
He shoved past. "Move."
The mare didn't listen, angling to obstruct his path. She glowered at Caden.
"I don't hold the same regard for you that she does," Caden warned. "Interfere and I'll end you and take my chances with her."
Eva probably wouldn't forgive him, but she'd be alive. And safe.
Some things were worth the sacrifice. He'd take her alive and angry any day.
The mare didn't move for another moment. Her ears pinned against her head. Grudgingly, she backed down.
Caden won, and he hadn't even needed to resort to violence. How rare.
Jason's face was frantic as he intruded. "Are you going to explain? Why is Eva not moving?"
Caden handed Eva to Drake so he could mount Nell before reaching for her again. His Anateri was careful as he lifted her for Caden to take.