Chapter 11 - Golden Kingdom

In the end, I did not lead the way. Taio growled something at me about falling back, and he and Leed went ahead of the rest of us. This made sense as they knew the terrain better than I. It also made sense because I huffed and puffed all the way up the hillside. My fight with the Hollow yesterday had taken more out of me than I wanted to admit, even to myself. Kintle must have been given the thankless task of ensuring I made it to the top as no matter how many times I told him to go ahead without me, he shook his head and kept pace with me.

At the top of the hill, I didn’t even care about taking in the view. I doubled over to catch my breath then groped for my canteen and took a long drink. Belatedly, I realized I should probably ration the water, but I was too thirsty to care. The day had not warmed up, either. The sun remained hidden behind gray clouds, and now that we had climbed higher, the air felt even colder. When I finally caught my breath, I glanced around and noted that we were on a sort of elevated plain that went on for miles. About a half mile away, the land began to ascend steeply again to form a mountain whose peak was invisible in the low-lying clouds. I sincerely hoped we were not headed for that mountain.

“We call this the highlands,” Kintle said. We’d developed a pattern whereby he spoke in Zulenii, and I answered in Earslehen as neither of us spoke the other’s language very well.

“I can see why,” I panted. “Please tell me we’re not hiking up that mountain.”

“No. We’ll set our trap in the highlands.” His light eyes stayed fixed on the mountain, though.

“Does it have a name?” I asked.

“Mount Pashenko,” he said. “My people are from the city in the valley on the other side.”

“There’s a city on the other side?”

“Pashenko,” he said then shook his head. “All gone. My grandparents were visiting Zleyval when the red vein virus infected Pashenko. That saved them. One day I hope to see the place where I come from.”

“I hope you can one day,” I said.

“We all hope for that day, yes?” He smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. The first time I’d seen Kintle and his carrot-colored hair, I’d thought he looked strange. I’d never seen anyone with skin so light or hair that color. I’d never seen anyone with markings on his face, like Yung. But now the men just looked like Kintle and Yung to me.

I realized they looked like friends.

“Do you need more time to rest or are you ready to continue?” Kintle asked.

I glared at him then followed his gaze and realized everyone was milling about, probably waiting for me to catch my breath. “I don’t need to rest,” I told all of them. Taio rolled his eyes.

“Good,” Leed said. “Let’s go set the trap. I know just the place.”

“Let’s go.” I set off at Leed’s side, forcing my legs to keep up with his. Keeping pace with him should have been easy since he was a half foot shorter than I. If I’d been hoping we might only need to walk a short distance before setting the trap, I was very wrong. I gradually fell back to walking with Kintle again as the day wore on. The wind was fierce up here and seemed to cut straight through all my warm layers. Annoyance gripped me as I noted location after location that would have made a good spot for a trap, except I saw no sign of Hollows. Usually that was a blessing. But today we wanted to find signs of them. Instead, we continued walking. My feet were numb from cold. I couldn’t feel my face. My head ached. I didn’t think this trip could be any worse.

I was wrong. In late afternoon, it started to snow.

No one but me seemed at all concerned about the snow. Even Leed just pulled the hood of his coat around his face and continued walking. I did the same, but inwardly, I was cursing the Zulenii landscape. Finally, when I had given up hope of ever feeling my frozen body again, Leed held up a hand. He’d stopped on a rise with several windblown trees dusted white with fresh snowflakes.

I realized it must be late afternoon as the sky was darkening. We gathered around Leed, and he spoke in a softer voice. “In about a half a mile, there’s a wooded area, and to the south, the land slopes gradually downward. We’ll find Twilight Men in those lower elevations. With some luck, we won’t be overwhelmed by them, and they will have stayed in those low-lying areas. We camp here and set up the trap near those woods tomorrow. Be extra vigilant on watches tonight.”

I nodded and again surveyed the place he’d chosen for camp. It was high enough to give us a view of the surrounding area. The trees would provide some cover from the wind and snow.

“Taio and Omira, you two take the first watch while we set up camp. Kintle and Mara, you take the second watch. Yung and I will take the third.”

Taio and Omira dropped their packs and took their weapons to the edge of the rise. They took a good look and then began to walk the perimeter of the camp. In the meantime, Yung and Kintle pulled dark fabric from their packs. Leed unearthed the same fabric from Taio’s pack.

“We’ll eat after we set up the tents. We have three, and we’ll each share with our watch partner.”

I moved toward Leed and took the fabric from him. It was thick but surprisingly light. “I’ll set this one up,” I said. “I’ve set up hundreds of tents.”

“Thank you, my lady. I’ll bring Taio and Omira food and set some out for us.”

We all got to work, and by the time we’d erected the tents, the night was dark, even the stars had been obscured by the clouds. I’d draped the unfamiliar tent material over a low branch of one of the trees and used other fallen and low-hanging branches to shore it up. I was relatively pleased with my efforts considering this type of tent was new to me.

Then Kintle showed me our tent, which even though it was supported similarly to mine, was sturdier and more solid. My tent looked narrow and flimsy in comparison. Kintle laughed when he saw me looking from my tent to the one he’d erected. “I will adjust yours,” he said.

“Thank you.”

I put my bedroll and pack inside our tent. There was no room for anything else. Kintle and I would be sleeping practically on top of each other. Not that I cared. I was ready to lie down and go to sleep that exact moment. I forced myself to go to where Leed had set out food and drink. I ate my portion then excused myself to lie down. I was asleep in moments, and only when Omira shook Kintle and me awake did I realize he’d come to sleep beside me.

Wordlessly, we rose and crept through the quiet camp to take Taio and Omira’s places. Taio stopped Kintle and spoke to him, and when Kintle joined me, I whispered, “Everything clear?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “They saw nothing.”

I pulled my hood over my ears and started walking the perimeter. Kintle and I paused to speak every half hour. The snowfall finally stopped, and the clouds uncovered the moon at times. In the moonlight, I had a clear view of the surrounding area. Nothing moved. Zleyval really had been fortunate in its location. If the Hollows to its north hadn’t started congregating and coordinating at the river, the city could have existed as though the red vein virus was a problem for the rest of the world. I supposed that for decades they’d done just that. Then Leed had come and warned them they should be prepared in case their luck ran out. And when their good fortune showed signs of breaking, Taio had come for me.

I still didn’t know what to make of Taio’s behavior last night. He’d barely paid any attention to me today—at least no more than any team leader had to pay to their weakest member. His duty was to protect the team. If anyone else had been pulled into the river by a Hollow, he would have rescued them too. He would have kept them warm all night...

I couldn’t quite convince myself he would have held Omira or Leed or Kintle or Yung in his naked arms and shared body heat. But just because he’d done that for me didn’t mean he wanted me back.

I stifled a yawn and shook my head to clear it. I should be keeping alert and focused, not thinking about Taio’s naked body pressed against mine. I pushed him out of my mind and continued my walk around the perimeter. Another few hours of sleep, and I would be fully recovered. No one would have to slow down or help me tomorrow. That was for the best since Taio and I would presumably be leading Hollows to the trap.

Kintle signaled to me, and when I was close to him, he whispered, “Our time is up.”

I nodded. “I’ll wake Yung and Leed.”

“I’ll give them the report. You go to bed after you wake them.”

“I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Kintle opened his mouth as though to say something else, but then he waved me away. I shrugged and went to Leed and Yung’s tent. I scratched on the side then opened the flap. “Your turn for watch,” I said quietly. Yung made a soft groan, but Leed was already sitting and pulling his coat on. I let the tent flap drop back into place then trudged to my tent. I opened the flap and started at the sight of Taio reclining on my bedroll. I looked over my shoulder, afraid I’d gone to the wrong tent, but before I could move away, Taio put his hand over mine and drew me inside.

“You’re in the wrong tent,” I whispered in the darkness.

“I requested Kintle trade with me,” he said. I remembered the brief conversation he’d had with Kintle earlier. He must have told Kintle to sleep in the tent with Omira.

“Why?” I asked before it occurred to me how foolish this question sounded. I was glad of the darkness because I felt my cheeks heat.

“I wanted to talk to you. Alone. Let me help you.”

I’d been tugging on the sleeve of my coat, trying to pull it off, and Taio took hold and eased both shoulders off.

“This is your bedroll,” he said and brushed past me as he moved to the other bedroll. I shivered at the brief touch of our arms. On my own bedroll, still warm from Taio’s body heat, I drew my knees up to my chest and fidgeted with the laces of my boots. I wished I could remove them, but I knew I needed to be ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

“I don’t think I thanked you for last night,” I said, keeping my head down. I wasn’t sure where we stood, and I was half-afraid he had been waiting here to deliver some dire news to me. Mayhap he wanted to send me back to Zleyval or he’d thought of some other way to be as far away from me as possible.

He waved a hand. “It was nothing.”

“Oh,” I said, my cheeks heating further. Apparently, I’d been putting way too much significance on him stripping naked and holding me all night.

“I want to apologize as well,” Taio said.

I looked up at him in surprise. What did he have to apologize for? I couldn’t see his face in the dark, only the outline of his features. I knew he was looking at me, though.

“I—” He cleared his throat. “I reacted badly when you told me about your father’s army.”

I looked down again, my cheeks now burning with remembered shame. “I can hardly blame you,” I said to my knees. Now is where he would say I should go back, and he never wanted to see me again. “I should have told you right away,” I added.

“Yes, you should have,” he said. Well, this was going splendidly. “But”—Taio took a breath—“when my anger abated, I realized I was judging you by my standards. By the standards I would use to judge a Zulenii. I expected your loyalty to switch like that.” He snapped his fingers. “But there was more than loyalty involved in your decision to keep the truth to yourself. After thinking about it, I realized you want to protect the people you love.”

“That was part of it,” I admitted, glancing up at him. He was being so open with me right now. I took a chance and told him another secret. “But mostly I was scared.”

Taio stiffened. “Of me?”

“No. No.” I put a hand on his arm then hastily withdrew it. Why had I mentioned my fear? I hated admitting to ever feeling fear. But I’d held back from him before, and look where that had gotten me. It couldn’t be worse than telling him something I usually kept hidden inside. “I think I was scared that what I had always known was an illusion—my view of my perfect kingdom—would be shattered. And then after it was shattered, and I learned about my father’s treachery, I knew that once you found out about the army, I’d have to go back there.”

“No.” Taio’s hand closed around my wrist. He was warm, and I felt the heat of his skin through my tunic. “You will not go back.”

“I must. It’s the only way to stop—”

“We will find another way. Unless...” His fingers loosened their hold on me until just the tips of his fingers grazed me.

“Unless?”

“Unless you want to go back. I have killed the love you held for me, but I hope you know I would never ask you to leave. I swore I would give my body for yours—”

“Why do you think you killed my love for you?” I blurted out. Taio was quiet for a moment, and I half-wished I hadn’t said anything. The other half of me just wanted to jump into his arms.

“You will not look at me,” Taio said finally. “You will not talk to me. You will not even sleep under the same roof as I.”

“That’s because I killed the love you had for me.”

“You could never do that. I will always love you,” he said, and the words were so heartfelt that I almost recoiled from them. No one had ever been so vulnerable with me.

“No, you don’t. You said I wouldn’t look at you or speak to you, but you behaved the same toward me.”

“I was angry at you, yes. I was angry at myself for my behavior. But I went to you the next night to talk, and you were not in your chamber. You were not in Gold House. I saw you next on the practice field—”

“Don’t,” I said. I didn’t want to hear his remembrance of that day because now I saw it through his eyes. I’d pulled my protective shell over myself and shut him out. The more distant I behaved, the more he thought he’d lost my affection. Even when we’d been fighting, he’d pressed himself against me and murmured that he wished he didn’t want me anymore. Because he had still wanted me, and he thought I didn’t want him! I was such a dusthead.

“This is my fault,” I said.

“No. I was too quick to—”

I climbed to my knees and put my hands on either side of his face. “Taio, listen. I appreciate you taking responsibility for your mistakes, but this was mine. I don’t...” My throat closed up, and I couldn’t make myself speak for a long moment. I was thankful for the darkness. Then Taio covered my hands with his, and the reassurance relaxed me. I sighed. “I don’t have much experience with this sort of thing.” I hoped he knew I meant with relationships between men and women because I was already embarrassed enough and didn’t want to have to explain how no man had even really looked at me before him. “I find it hard to be open.” I swallowed. “To be vulnerable. I apologized that night we argued, which is so hard for me, and when you didn’t accept it, I thought you didn’t love me any longer. I see now that was childish. I lashed out at you because I was hurt, and that seemed the best way to protect myself.”

Taio lowered my hands and kissed one of them. “I know you, Mara. I know you do not like to discuss emotions.”

That was an understatement. I didn’t even acknowledge I had emotions until meeting him.

“I will strive to be the kind of partner you never need to protect your vulnerable side from. And know this—when I told you I loved you, I meant I will always love you. I want you to be my wife.”

“Even though I didn’t tell you about the army coming for Zleyval?” I didn’t know why I’d brought that up again. Probably to test him. To give him a reason to reject me because being loved by him so unconditionally was almost more terrifying than admitting my own feelings for him.

“Yes, I want to marry you even though you did not tell me that most important piece of information.” Taio paused. “Is there anything else I should know?” he asked, his voice wary.

“No. I told you about the army. I told you I’m the Earslehen heir. I told you I love you. That’s everything.”

“Good.” He kissed my hand again then released it. “Now I have interrupted your sleep for too long. You need to rest.”

I no longer felt very tired, though. Inside me, it was as though bubbles were bursting with the news that Taio still loved me. Why had I doubted him? Well, because he’d never behaved the way he did the night I’d told him. But now I’d seen that side of him—the angry, hurt, betrayed side—I never wanted to cause him to feel like that again.

I lay down and pulled my bedroll over me. Taio did the same with his roll, then, just like he used to, he put his coat over us both. I sighed and turned to face him. “What happens now?” I asked.

He lay on his back, his strong profile tempting me to trace his nose and lips. “We are like builders. Brick by brick, we build trust again,” he said. “We are honest with each other. And when we return to Zleyval, we find a way to deal with this army.”

I already knew how we would have to deal with the army, but we didn’t need to discuss that tonight. That hard truth would come later.

“Now sleep or I will do something that will mean neither of us are rested in the morning.”

“I’m not tired,” I said.

“Mara.” His voice was a growl.

“Fine.” I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes. The sound of Taio’s slow, steady breathing made me feel warm and happy inside. He was beside me, and he still loved me. I’d never known I would have a love like his or even know someone like him. I hadn’t ever thought I could be this happy just because he was near me. Gradually, the long day caught up with me and I drifted into sleep. But my eyes snapped open when I heard a grunt outside. I stiffened, and Taio’s hand shot out and covered my belly. I could feel the tension in his touch. He wanted me to lie still and quiet. I held my breath, listening. For a long moment, I heard nothing. I reached out of my bedroll, feeling for my skullcrusher.

“Sorry,” Kintle muttered, following the sound of fabric moving. I glanced at Taio, who still hadn’t moved.

“Clear,” came Yung’s voice in the distance.

“Clear,” Leed answered quietly. I blew out a breath, imagining what had happened. Kintle had gone to relieve himself and tripped over a log or a rock. He was apologizing to Omira for waking her when he returned to the tent. She was probably sitting up, weapon at the ready.

Taio’s hand relaxed, and I took a breath. I think he must have realized the tips of his fingers brushed the underside of my breast because he flexed his hand as though trying to maintain control over his desires. But I didn’t want him to control those desires. I’d missed him so much. I wanted him so much.

I put my hand over his before he could draw away and squeezed him lightly. Then I took hold of his hand and slid it upward until his palm covered my breast. His hand flexed again, but he didn’t move it away. Instead, he brushed his palm over my tunic until my nipple peaked. “Taio,” I murmured, my breath hitching.

“Shh.” He rolled onto his side and covered my mouth with his. How I had missed the feel of his lips on mine, the taste of his tongue as he teased me. I was practically panting from just one kiss when he pulled away and looked down at me. “I have been wanting to do that for days,” he murmured, brushing his lips over my cheek and kissing down to my jaw. I lifted an arm and pulled him closer, threading my fingers through his thick hair, feeling his rough stubble scrape at the skin of my neck as he pressed soft kisses there. I moaned softly, and he kissed me again. “I have missed that sound,” he whispered.

“Come closer,” I said, wanting to feel his body pressed to mine. He moved closer, and the hand kneading my breast slid downward. He kissed me again as his hand skated over my belly and into the waistband of my leggings. “Taio,” I whispered.

“Tell me you want me,” he said against my lips.

“I want you,” I said. His hand dipped lower, his fingers sliding between my legs. I gasped. “I want you so badly,” I whispered.

“If it was not freezing outside,” he murmured, “I’d strip off these clothes and put my mouth on you, feel you pulse against my tongue.”

My heart pounded, and I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. “Taio—"

His fingers found my wet center, and he slipped one inside. “I have missed being inside you.” He’d switched to Zulenii without realizing it. I struggled to translate in my head as he slipped another finger inside me then dragged both out only to thrust in deeper this time. I stifled a groan, and my hips arched as pleasure began to build. “Do you like when I touch you?”

“Yes,” I said on a cry as his thumb circled that place that gave me the most pleasure. “Yes, please.”

He lifted his lips from mine and looked down at my face. The tent was dark, but he could see something of my features because I could see the intensity of his eyes and the way his lips parted as he watched me. He stroked me, watching to see my reaction to each touch and adjusting until I was arching for him and biting my lip to keep from crying out. Every time I thought I was about to crest, he brought me higher, until my entire body was shaking with need and waves of pleasure. And then he did something with a knuckle or his thumb, and everything came into sharp focus. His mouth covered mine to quiet my scream, but he couldn’t stop the way my hips bucked as my body sucked every last ounce of sensation from his touch.

Finally, I collapsed. A faint sheen of perspiration dotted my forehead, and my chest rose and fell as though I’d run full speed from Highcastle to the practice fields. My entire body was warm and heavy, and when I pressed my legs together, I groaned at the pleasure still coursing through me. But as good as he’d made me feel, I wanted his body joined with mine. I wanted his weight pressing down on me as he filled me to the hilt. I reached for him, but he caught my hand. “If we try that, the tent will fall down.”

“But you didn’t—”

“I liked giving you pleasure. And, if you will allow me, I plan to take all I gave you and more when we return.”

“Then I’m ready to go back now,” I said, beginning to feel sleepy.

“So am I,” he said, pulling me close. “This will all be over soon.” He said the last almost to himself, and I realized he didn’t want to be hunting Hollows any more than I. We were all doing what we had to for the people of Zulen and the people of the world.

“I love you, Taio,” I said into his shoulder, still feeling a bit shy about saying it.

He kissed my temple. “I love you, mi guerrira.” He was calling me his warrior again. I fell asleep with a smile on my lips.

* * *

I WOKE UP SCOWLING. Taio was up before me, and I shivered in the cold that seeped in from his absence. Not wanting to be the last one awake, I forced myself to leave the warmth of my bedroll, and teeth chattering, grabbed my skullcrusher and headed for the cover of trees to relieve myself. When I returned everyone was stirring, and I dismantled the tent and packed the two bedrolls. I handed Taio his pack, and he gave me a smile that made my belly flip before handing me a cup of water and a crust of bread.

“I take it we are no longer angry at Mara,” Omira said, looking between Taio and me.

“We realized we were too quick to judge,” Taio said.

Leed nodded. “Good. We need to act as a team today. If we are very fortunate, we can start home tonight.”

We finished eating then followed Leed as he led us over the ground blotchy with snow and intermittent patches of ice. Without the frozen flakes hitting me in the face, I could admire the beauty of the highlands. The land rolled gently, ascending into craggy peaks and descending into wide valleys. I imagined those valleys were filled with Hollows, but we didn’t venture down to see.

Yet.

Trees dotted the landscape here and there as well as large boulders that must have rolled down from the higher elevations. We were still some distance from the snow-capped mountains, but I figured if we’d walked all day, we could have camped in the shadow of one tonight.

We didn’t need to walk for long to reach the spot Leed had told us about. He spread his arms out, indicating a small clearing with open space on one side, a thicker grouping of trees on the other two, and gently sloping ground I realized would lead to the Hollows. Speaking quietly, Leed gave directions for setting up the traps. We’d rig nets under several trees in the wooded clearing. Omira, Yung, and Kintle would be in the trees, ready to spring the traps when Taio and I led the Hollows into the clearing. Leed would keep watch for us so the others could be ready. Taio and Yung, Omira and Leed, and Kintle and I each set up a net.

Kintle and I chose a tree with a thick trunk and a large rock beside it he could use to easily climb into the upper branches. We laid the netting flat, covered it with a few leaves, and then arranged the rope against the branches so that as soon as the Hollow stepped onto the net, Kintle could yank a lead that would close the net around the Hollow and hoist it off the ground. As we worked, Kintle wiped sweat from his brow. The weather was still cold, but at least it hadn’t started snowing again. “Are you afraid to act as bait for the Twilight Men?” Kintle asked me.

“No,” I said without even thinking because of course I would never admit I had any fear. But that was the old Mara. I swallowed, looked at him, and said, “I’d be a dusthead not to be a little afraid.”

“Leed chose well. You are the most capable.”

“I’m sure you could do just as well as I.”

“I’ll stay in my tree,” he said with a lopsided smile. “Ngaro said he wants me back in one piece.”

I waggled my eyebrows. “Oh, really? What does he want to do with you when you return?”

Kintle arched his brows. “Probably the same thing Taio was doing to you last night.”

“Kintle!” My cheeks burst into small fires.

He shrugged. “On such a quiet night, sound travels.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “And I think we were all just happy you two were no longer angry at each other.”

“I’m happy about that too,” I said then made a show of being very busy checking all was right with the trap. By the time Taio came for me, my cheeks were cool again.

“Leed says we should head out,” he said, handing me a canteen. The one benefit of the snow was we could melt it into drinking water. I took a sip then ate the fruit Taio handed me. The others would eat when we left.

“I’m ready,” I said, hefting my skullcrusher into my hands. Leed walked with us to the edge of the clearing.

“Do not take any chances,” he said. “If you are in any real danger, kill the things and we try again tomorrow. We need two, three at most. Avoid large groups.”

Taio put a hand on Leed’s shoulder. “Stop worrying. We will return in a couple of hours. Be ready.”

“Until that tomorrow,” I said.

Leed smiled at the Earslehen goodbye. “Until that tomorrow, Lady Mara.”

I turned and waved to the others and saw they were standing at attention. As soon as I looked back, they put their hands to their hearts and knocked. My eyes stung at the show of their loyalty to me—well, it was probably for Taio, but I appreciated it anyway. Taio put a hand on my back, and we started walking. I wiped my eyes and focused on the path before us. The gentle descent was easy, but we moved slowly, needing to reserve our strength because running back up with Hollows behind us would be much more difficult.

After we’d walked for about a half hour, the landscape grew steeper. Taio and I cut sideways instead of trying to descend directly and risking twisting an ankle. We walked north then cut south then north again until the land began to level out. Over an hour had passed by the time we finally reached the wide valley. The snow was thicker on the ground here and the trees were more plentiful. That meant we couldn’t see what lay ahead of us. We’d just have to hope we didn’t stumble into a large pack. Taio and I hadn’t spoken much as we walked other than to debate one path over another. “We go that way,” he said now, voice low.

I looked in the direction he pointed. The trees were thinner in that direction. We’d have a better view of what we were walking into. On the other hand, the Hollows would also see us more easily. If we headed into the thicker trees, we might be able to surprise them, but we risked also being surprised.

“You disagree?” he asked when I hesitated.

“For this mission, we want more cover,” I said. “We move slowly and quietly, and if we see more than we can handle, we backtrack.”

Taio looked from his preferred path to mine then nodded. “We go your way.”

I took a deep breath and started for the thicker grouping of trees. Taio walked just behind me, turning to watch our back every couple of minutes. “Do you think this will work?” I asked him as we stepped into the shadow of the trees.

“It must,” he said.

I glanced back at him. “That wasn’t my question.”

He raised a brow. “Leed has done this before.”

“With different bait,” I added.

“We are pressed for time. If you and I lead the Twilight Men to the trap, we can return faster and use the cure.”

And then we’d find out if the cure worked. But one step at a time. Careful of where I placed my feet, we entered the wooded area. After a few steps, the canopy of evergreens and oaks blocked out the sun and a foreboding chill settled over us.

“Do you smell that?” Taio whispered.

I nodded. The stench of sickly-sweet rot clung to this place—the scent of death that lingered wherever Hollows congregated. Taio lifted his head, seeming to try to locate the source then he gestured to the north. He took the lead, moving silently through the underbrush. I followed, watching our backs and trying not to jump at every little sound. In the distance, a bird chittered then went silent; up ahead, the wind rustled dead leaves; behind us, a branch snapped. I put a hand on Taio’s shoulder, and he paused. We turned and studied the shadows behind us, watching for movement and listening for the telltale hiss of a monster. It felt as though we stood frozen for hours, but it was only a few moments. Then Taio moved forward again, and I followed.

My heart pounded and a lump formed in my throat, but I forced myself to push the fear away. I couldn’t think clearly if I was afraid, and I needed to be clear headed. As we moved forward, I spotted an area in the ground covering that had been matted down. I touched Taio’s arm and motioned toward it. He stood in place, watching for danger, while I trudged over to the spot and crouched down to examine it. The pine needles here were brown and broken. Instead of a light layer of needles, they were packed together and flattened. The back of my nose stung from the lingering odor. I rose and went back to Taio, rising on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. “One or more of them stood there.”

He jerked his head in that direction, and we moved past the matted spot and into the trees beyond. I think we heard the sounds at the same time because we both stilled and ducked behind tree trunks. Taio’s back was pressed to the tree just an arm’s length from mine. Our eyes met, and he tapped his chest with one finger then pointed ahead. I nodded and raised my skullcrusher, ready to defend him. Silently, he moved out of the cover of the tree and to the next tree just ahead. The sounds the Hollows made didn’t grow, and I took that as a good sign. Taio moved ahead again, ducking behind another tree. Now I followed in his steps, stepping behind the tree he’d just vacated. We moved ahead in this manner for several more minutes before Taio peeked out from his hiding place, and I saw his back stiffen.

Very slowly, he pressed back against the trunk and met my eyes. I could see in his determined expression that he’d spotted Hollows. I knew by the sound it was more than one. Taio held up a hand with four fingers extended. I frowned. Four was more than we needed, but we could always lure them back to the trap and kill one after the other three were caught. Was it foolish to think we could manage to trap three at a time? Probably. The other alternative was to sneak back the way we’d come and try a different path. Of course, we might encounter a pack of twelve the next time. It could be late afternoon by the time we found another group.

My gaze hadn’t left Taio’s face, and I could see him thinking things through, just as I was. I didn’t know his thought process, but he seemed to come to the same conclusion as I. He inclined his head in the direction of the quartet and raised a brow. I nodded my assent. Taio pointed to me and waved in the direction of the way we’d come. He wanted me to move away from the Hollows, while he lured them out. I gave him an affirmative hand signal. My plan was to snag the attention of a couple of the Hollows so Taio wouldn’t have all of them following him. We could both lead our Hollows to the traps. If we ran, we could create some distance between us and the monsters because Hollows would have trouble navigating this terrain. I’d seen fresh Hollows manage a stumbling jog, even a run, but these would be older and plodding.

At least I hoped they would only be capable of a plod. When Hollows were motivated by food, they were capable of great feats of strength. We had to hope that motivation would see them climb up to the highlands and into the clearing with the traps.

Picking my way across the ground littered with dead leaves and branches, I withdrew a few yards. When I was in position, I raised a hand. Taio signaled back and moved out from behind his tree, edging closer to the Hollows. With his hammer-like weapon in hand, he moved out from another tree and said, “Ho! Look over here.”

The volume of sound spiked as the Hollows groaned in unison. Taio backed up, slowly at first, and then turned and sprinted. I tensed but held my ground, waiting to see the monsters so I could call out to them and lead them in my direction. The woods seemed to move as though alive. Hisses and groans grew into a cacophony that I could barely hear over my racing heart. And then the first one came into view.

It had once been a man of perhaps five and twenty. He wore the remains of a sleeveless coat and trousers, just like Taio and the other Zulenii tended to wear. Right behind him was a younger man with hair the color of Kintle’s. I was so struck by that hair, I forgot to act.

“Mara!” Taio called. I shook my head and waved my hands.

“This way!” I yelled. The Hollows’ heads seemed to swivel from Taio to me. I beckoned them and began to back away, just as the other two monsters, another man and a woman, came into view. Followed by another woman.

Five?

“Taio, there’s five,” I called as I started a slow jog. He said something I presumed was a Zulenii curse. He was running ahead of me, but I angled for him, and we met in the middle.

“Nothing for it now,” he said, looking over his shoulder. He pushed me ahead of him, and I heard his breath right behind me. “Faster, Mara,” he said.

I glanced over my shoulder and balked at how close the Hollows were now. I would have been happy for a plod. These old monsters were faster than I’d expected. I picked up speed, skullcrusher outstretched to sweep low-hanging branches out of the way. Something caught my hair, and I winced as a small section was torn out. Ahead I could see more light, which meant we’d emerge into the open. We could run faster there. We’d have to because we couldn’t allow the hill we’d climbed down to slow us on the way up.

I put on a burst of speed, ignoring the slap of twigs and leaves against my arms and legs. But just as I neared the last few yards before the clearing, a figure stumbled into my path.