But when those humans were murdering innocent children simply because they had been born with magic, no one could stand aside and do nothing. Especially the Dragon Kings.
Tamlyn had risked her life to save the children, and Cullen had helped her. It was how they’d met and fallen in love. Shaw met and fell for Nia when he and Merrill went to Stonemore to learn more about the city. And, somewhere along the way, Merrill vanished. Everything revolved around the mountain city, which made it difficult for Alasdair not to despise it.
Could he blame all the residents, though? The one making the decisions was the Divine. Shaw had tried to find the leader to put a face to the name since no one at Stonemore ever saw him. Unfortunately, he hadn’t succeeded. The Divine sent out soldiers and eradicated every town and village near the city. Most of those inhabitants now lived in Stonemore, making it overcrowded with many starving and homeless.
Too much going on in the city couldn’t be overlooked, and it had drawn the Kings’ attention, including Eurwen and Brandr. The next step was anyone’s guess at this point.
Alasdair turned his head to the side and spotted Lotti behind him. She’d said she didn’t have a village. Had hers been one that Stonemore wiped out? She was as forthcoming with her past as he was with his. He noticed how careful she was when she answered him, but usually, like now, she remained quiet. Almost as if she would rather do anything but talk. Which suddenly caused dozens of questions to fill his mind.
“After we drop the bairn with Cullen and Tamlyn, we can travel back together,” he offered.
“What makes you think I’m going back to where we were?”
He shrugged and glanced at her over his shoulder. “I assumed you lived nearby.”
“Used to.”
That gave him pause. She had nothing with her. No food, no waterskin. Nothing. “You said yourself, this land is dangerous. Should you be traveling on your own?”
“I’ve made it this long. I’ll be fine.”
Alasdair halted and turned to her. He watched as she backed up a step when he came too close. “No one should be alone.”
“You were.”
She had a point. Alasdair gently bounced the bairn when he began to fuss. “I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
“Why?” she asked with a frown. “You don’t know me. You’re not beholden to me.”
“I doona like the idea of you being out here alone.”
Lotti shrugged, and a lock of blond hair fell over her eye. She shoved it aside. “It’s how I like it.”
Alasdair continued walking since there was no use arguing. Yet he wouldn’t let it go. If Lotti really was on her own, she was in jeopardy. He could follow her to make sure she reached her destination. It would allow him to determine if she was conspiring with those at Stonemore. Yet it would push back his search for Merrill.
Movement out of the corner of his eye caught Alasdair’s attention. He didn’t glance in that direction, though. He tried to focus on it, but he didn’t really see anything. Immediately, their unseen foe came to mind. It was stealthy. The only way the Kings saw it was by the subtle movement of air out of the corner of their eyes.
When he saw something again, he didn’t give anything away. He glanced down at the bairn. There was no way Alasdair could face off against the enemy while holding a baby. His instincts were on high alert, telling him that an attack was imminent. Which meant he had to think quickly.
“Lotti?”
“Hm?” she replied.
“I need you to take the lad.”
“I…I can’t.”
He clenched his teeth as he struggled to find more movement out of the corner of his eye. He needed to figure out where it was. There. To the left. Now the right. It was getting closer. Alasdair didn’t have time to argue with her. He spun around so fast that Lotti didn’t have time to stop and put the babe in her arms. “This isna up for debate.”
“But,” she began.
Alasdair wasn’t listening anymore. He moved away from her and the bairn, his eyes scanning the area. Then he opened his mental link and shouted Cullen’s name. “The foe is here!”
“On my way,” Cullen replied.
He and Lotti were still about an hour from the canyon, but Alasdair hoped Cullen would make it in time if there was a battle. Then his gaze landed on Lotti as she stood still as a statue, her eyes wide as she stared at him while holding the baby as far away from her as her arms would allow.
“Keep heading west. You’ll come to a river. The shallowest crossing is to the north. Doona cross anywhere else.” More movement to his left. “Once you do, keep heading west until you reach the canyon.”
Lotti shook her head quickly. “What are you doing?”
“There’s danger coming for me. Take the bairn and run. Now!”
The words were barely out of his mouth when he caught the movement of air out of the corner of his eye. Alasdair whirled to face it. He wanted to shift to his true form, but this enemy’s magic would return him to human anyway. If this adversary believed that Dragon Kings were weaker in their human forms, it was wrong.
Alasdair had been waiting to face this opponent. His special power of absorbing another’s energy would come in handy. He smiled and flexed his hands as he lowered his gaze. This enemy camouflaged itself somehow, so there was no need for Alasdair to use his sight. He would have to use his other, highly sensitive senses.
Something brushed past him. Alasdair held still, even though he wanted to strike out. The enemy made another pass, this one right in front of him and so close it stirred his hair. Still, Alasdair remained motionless. The more the foe goaded him, the more Alasdair learned about it. It wasn’t just the air that moved. He also detected a subtle smell. Something familiar that he couldn’t put a word to.
“Alasdair?”
His heart dropped to his feet when he heard Lotti’s voice. He’d assumed she had left when he told her to. Everything around him stilled. The enemy was no longer there. Alasdair whirled around to face Lotti. She had the baby against her now, but her brow was puckered, and she looked around as if searching for something.
“There’s—” she began.
He started toward her. “I know.”
“What is it?”
He wished he knew. He stood before her in less than five strides, then grasped her arms until she met his gaze. “It wants me.”
“I don’t see anything,” she whispered.
Alasdair felt it slam into his lower leg. The bastard was goading him, showing Alasdair that it could attack at any time. “When I say, run and doona look back,” he urged.
Lotti nodded woodenly. He closed his eyes and opened his senses. The grass rustled to his left as if something rushed past it. Then he picked up the subtle scent again. He gave Lotti a gentle shove to his right and held his stance until he knew the foe was upon him.
Alasdair opened his eyes and spun while reaching out. His hands closed on nothing, yet something solid slammed into his chest. It shoved him backward, his feet sliding on the grass. Alasdair dove to the side and then rolled to his feet. He waited for the next attack, but none came.
His head whipped to the side where Lotti had gone. He saw her running as the bairn cried. Alasdair rushed after them, using all his preternatural speed until he caught up with them. She screamed when he touched her.