Eva nodded slowly. Those patches of darkness likely acted as a network of some sort. What one knew, the rest would learn in short order.
"How do I know you are who you say you are?"
Phillip nodded toward the bodies. "They're not a good enough indicator?"
He had a point.
What was more, embedding a spy in the enemy's ranks was exactly the sort of thing Fallon and Caden would do.
"Fine. Do you have a plan?" Eva asked, resigning herself to the inevitable for the moment.
"We run." Phillip ducked out of the cave entrance.
"Great plan. Why didn't I think of that?"
Eva reluctantly followed, stepping out of the cave onto a small ledge with a path leading down to the valley below. Firs and pines dotted the land.
Phillip's walk was close to a run as he picked his way down the rocky path, careful not to twist his ankle.
Eva started after him.
Although the rain had stopped, the rocks were still slippery. Water pooled in depressions, making the task even more difficult.
"Before you were captured, do you know if Caden had sent scouts out?" Phillip called over his shoulder.
Preoccupied with checking the footing, Eva almost missed the question. "Why do you ask?"
Eva couldn't help but be suspicious. Who was to say this wasn't a ruse designed to find out the Trateri's secrets?
Phillip stopped and looked back at her. "Shea Halloran has a tell when she lies. She gets a pissed off look on her face and she's more likely to make eye contact."
Eva frowned at him as she slowed.
"She also hates being corrected though she pretends she doesn't," Phillip continued.
"Why are you telling me this?"
He gave her a look that told her not to play games with him. "We're only going to survive if you trust me."
Eva considered him. That was easy to say; difficult to do.
Every friend she had was someone who'd gone through countless trials with her. Ollie. Jason.
She didn't just wake up one day and think it was a good idea to put her faith in them. No, they'd proven themselves time and again.
Now here was this man asking her for something he hadn't earned.
He might as well have asked for the stars.
The kicker, however, was that he had a point. It would be difficult for them to survive if she questioned every word out of his mouth.
Moreover, everything he'd said about Shea was correct.
Seeing that his words had made her think, Phillip started down again, but not without one last parting shot.
"Also, Caden has a scar right here." He tapped a place on his shoulder, shooting Eva a perceptive smile. "I should know because I'm the one who gave it to him."
Eva stumbled, eyeing the other man with caution.
Damn it. Caden did have a scar exactly where he indicated.
The observations about Shea were one thing. The Battle Queen was a popular figure who drew attention wherever she went.
It would be difficult but not impossible to gather information on her.
Caden was another thing entirely. He existed in the shadows. The best advantage for a man like that was secrets.
The only way Phillip could have known about that scar was if he knew Caden.
It wasn't enough for Eva to fully trust Phillip, but it did make her relax her guard. Just a little.
"A pathfinder and a few Trateri scouts were watching our back trail," Eva volunteered.
"Which scouts?" Phillip asked.
Eva paused when they reached the bottom of the incline as she tried to decide whether sharing such information could endanger the lives of those involved.
"Roscoe and Ghost," Eva admitted.
Phillip looked back at her in surprise. "Fiona with them?"
Eva eyed him. "I don't know."
Phillip's face grew thoughtful. "My guess is she was. She's the only one who can make them listen to reason."
"You know them?" Eva finally asked.
Phillip's mouth twitched. "You could say that."
The answer made Eva believe his words a little bit more. His knowledge of the Trateri was too detailed for a throwaway.
"Those three are crazy. If we can find them, our situation will be a lot better," Phillip said.
"That's a big if."
Trying to locate a small group in these mountains was the equivalent of throwing a dagger and expecting to kill a red back.
Impossible.
"You got a better plan?" Seeing her expression, Phillip smirked. "I didn't think so."
He set out again, moving toward the copse of firs.
Eva lingered. "You know Caden told me the person who gave him that wound was an idiot who failed to listen to instructions."
Phillip's head whipped toward Eva. "He did not."
This time it was Eva's turn to give him a smug smile as she moved past him into the trees.
"It was his fault," Phillip insisted.
"That's not what he says," Eva sang.
Phillip scowled as he took the lead again, jogging through the trees at a pace just shy of a sprint.
They only made it a few feet when a roar shook the branches, coming from the direction of the cave.
Phillip's expression was grim as they both looked back. "Guess we don't have to wonder when they'll realize you're missing."
No, because they already knew.
"I was hoping we'd be a little further away before this happened," Phillip told her.
Eva too, if she was being honest.
"This way," Phillip said as he raced through the trees, Eva following as best she could.
He didn't look back as he headed for higher ground. Probably hoping to find terrain that wouldn't allow the others to ride them down with their horses.
Unfortunately, the enemy had the same thought as they worked to cut them off from the ridgeline and force them deeper into the valley.
Phillip cursed and changed course.
Eva's lungs burned as she sprinted after Phillip, the crash of underbrush behind them spurring her faster.
Their pursuers weren't far.
Phillip and Eva burst through the tree line, coming to a stop.
A large lake with water so crystal clear that they could see the bottom lay before them.
Eva fought to catch her breath as Phillip turned in a circle.
"We'll have to cut across. They'll catch us if we try to go around," he said, coming back to her. "Can you swim?"
Eva chanced a look at the lake. "Yes."
Even if she couldn't, she would have answered the same. Better to chance the water than risk certain capture.
Phillip grabbed her hand, leading Eva into the water. "Hold on to me."
Eva braced herself against the cold as the water closed around her ankles. The day was already chilly from the storm and the lack of sun made it worse.
Add in the mountain lake, fed primarily from snowmelt and Eva could already feel her lips turning blue.
They waded in; Phillip's hand tight around hers as they moved into the shallows. The lake climbed up her legs until she was hip deep.
Eva fixed her eyes on the treeline on the opposite shore. She just needed to make it there.
Finally, the lake grew too deep to wade. They had to swim.
Eva's movements were awkward as she stroked toward the other side. A flash in the water drew her attention down.