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The two of them walked out to the heart of the bridge. Theo ferried a number of stones from the embankment to surround the candle, hoping to keep it upright even if movement jostled the bridge. Ren could tell the structure was old, but it was sturdy enough not to cause concern. Once the candle was firmly fixed in its makeshift keep, both of them summoned flame. With matching motions, they lit the waiting wick. The fire caught and Ren started her mental countdown.
“Now we set the wards,” she said.
It was a bit strange to cycle through Theo’s inventory. Not quite as expansive as her own, and arranged in a different order. It was like performing research in someone else’s library and hoping the same books were all there. She’d have to get used to the feeling.
“Antiprojectile. Three layers. Let’s put a fire resistance on the wood,” she said. “Do you happen to have the momentum reduction charm?”
Theo shook his head.
“Maybe just a searing barrier, then? I don’t want someone charging through and getting to us before we have a chance to hit them with a few spells. But let’s make sure we avoid oversaturating the air with them. Staggering the layers a few paces should be enough.”
It took time to cast spell after spell along the entryway of the bridge. Theo cast a movement charm farther down the path, promising that he’d adjusted the tolling to be quieter this time around. After they’d rehearsed the rest of the plan, there was nothing to do but set their pack out and lie down. The bridge’s half-rotted wood wasn’t the most comfortable bedding, but Ren was pretty sure she could have slept dangling from a wyvern’s claws. Theo agreed to take the first watch.
“May it be boring and without consequence,” she whispered, turning onto her side.
Sleep had been gently tugging at her tired limbs for two days now. She was swept into a dreamless state as soon as her head touched the satchel. It felt like she was awoken mere moments later, but when she looked up, dawn’s quiet fingers were threading through the sky.
Theo was asleep beside her. Ren sat up in alarm. Her entire body protested. Her calves ached and her back was stiff. She shoved up to her feet. A glance into the valley showed no signs of their pursuers. Her mouth had gone dry. She realized she hadn’t been drinking nearly enough water. Ren backtracked to Theo’s side and did her best to slip out the canteen without waking him. He looked far more innocent in sleep. It was the eyes that made him a Brood. Cold and calculating. Eyes that had likely witnessed all his family’s secrets. The details that the rest of the world might never know.
She was taking another swig when Theo’s bell tolled. It was barely a whisper, not even loud enough to stir him from sleep. She tapped the toe of his boot before striding forward to get a look at what was coming. A glance showed the waxway candle had a little less than an hour left. Ren knew they could always extinguish the flame early—before it burned all the way down—but that risked exposing them in the waxways. They needed to buy as much time as possible.
“Wake up, Theo. Someone’s here.”
There was movement down on the path. The sides of the bridge were raised and slatted. Enough to catch glimpses of something but not enough to make out what. About a minute later the figure came around the corner: Della’s hound.
“That’s not good.”
Ren had been hoping for Clyde. This complicated matters. They both watched as the dog’s eyes caught up with his nose. He stared across the bridge, head tilting briefly, and then started to howl. Theo stood. He eyed the candle before looking at Ren.
“It’s too soon. We need more time.”
“I know.”
The creature kept on like that, baying loud enough to wake up the entire mountain. It reminded Ren of the old hellhound myths. Dogs that could follow the scent of their prey even if their quarry traveled through the waxways. All the hairs on her arms stood on end when the hound fell silent. Ren’s fingers tightened around her wand. Someone else was coming up the rise, led there by the noise.
The Mackie brothers.
Ren’s real memories only featured them in jest. Both men had been mentioned a few times by Della and Holt. But the set of faded memories rattling around the back of her mind showed both of them scarfing down food at the table. She could also see the passive expressions on their faces as they dragged Ren to a shed to be tortured. They weren’t nearly as muscled as Avy, but both of them were wide as doors, and there was a certain violence written in the way they walked. She and Theo took up their stances as the brothers strode to the very edge of their bridge.
One leaned down and picked up a rock. He threw it with a casual flick of his wrist, like a boy skipping a stone in a creek. They all watched as it caught in midair, spinning around, before falling harmlessly to the ground. The two of them exchanged a glance.
“Clever little spells.”
The other one craned his neck. Ren tried to adjust, positioning herself so that she was blocking the way candle, but she moved a second too late. Their intentions were obvious.
“Looks like you’ve got half an hour left. Really think you can hold us off for that long?”
Ren’s jaw tightened. “Why don’t you try us?”
He reached his hand out, probing their defenses. There was a sharp sizzle and he pulled it back. He set the two fingers in his mouth like a child sucking a thumb, then smiled at her.
“Don’t worry. We will put the two of you to the test. Hunt, go get Della.”
The dog bolted back down the hillside. Ren and Theo could only watch as the creature went searching for his master. They’d return before long. It was one thing to hold off a pair of charging brutes like the Mackies. Quite another thing to hold them off while they were supported by the spellwork of other wizards. Besides, Ren had no idea how many people Della and Holt had recruited to their cause. It could just be their hired hands—or it could be neighbors from the surrounding region.
“What do we do?” Theo whispered. His eyes darted back to the candle. “We have to hold them off. For at least half an hour.”
Ren watched the Mackie brothers settle in, leaning against the natural stone formations, every promise of violence in their eyes. It all depended on how soon Della arrived. If worst came to worst, they could destroy the bridge and keep running. That would mean leaving behind their way candle, though. Losing the one advantage they had in their possession.
