Page 119 of The Faceless Queen

My heart thundered, my chest tightening the way it had when I’d passed through it with the Hermit. But I kept going, running faster, harder, searching in the dark and thinking only of Brennan, knowing I had to save him, had to reach him.

Within minutes, I lost all signs of the soldiers. I wasn’t sure if they were running in the wrong direction, or if I was. But something told me to head to the spot, to go to where my mother and I had been attacked. The chimera had hunted there before, and it was likely they’d hunt there again. I knew roughly the distance that the men would have crossed, based on the earlier reports of the boar’s movement.

The river was nearby. I just had to find a way to cross it without expending too much energy.

But then what? I wasn’t at full strength. Not even close. How was I going to find enough power to fight two chimera, and save him? My heart thundered furiously, but the sound of the river’s current was suddenly layered with the sound of water splashing. Boots sloshed onto the ground, and I could hear the distinct sound of men stomping onto the bank.

Someone yelled out. “Come on, this way!”

Jaron.

Rowan had said that both Jaron and Brennan had stayed back to fight with their men.

Had they been successful? Were they on their way back? Was it possible that between all of them, the chimera was slain?

But any hope of that retreated as I got a glimpse of Jaron and felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Quickly, I dodged behind a tree trunk, pulling my cloak tight.

Jaron stomped through the trees, a torch in his hand. “Where the fuck did my moonstag get to?” He stopped, flaring his torch overhead, as he stared up into the night sky. “Fuck! Damn beast. I need to find Barron.”

I wanted to scream at him. The Godsdamned stag. Of course, he’d be more worried about his prized moonstag than his own cousin. I just prayed that Barron wasn’t nearby, or if he was, that he didn’t notice me. One sniff in my direction, and he’d give me away.

Careful to remain in my hiding spot, I searched the faces of every man with Jaron and counted six. Brennan wasn’t among them. My gut knew. I’d have felt his presence by now. But I still had to confirm it. Which meant only one thing: Brennan had been left behind. Either he was injured somewhere and needed help, needed to be found, or he was once again trying to protect his people, bravely fighting the chimera with the men who survived, who hadn’t run away in fear. He was fighting a monster that went far beyond his strength and skill.

And if he wasn’t that, then he might be … no. No. I wouldn’t even entertain the third possibility. He was alive. He had to be. And I was going to find him.

“Are you sure this will work?” one man asked in the dark. He looked anxiously behind him, rubbing a blood- and dirt-soaked face with his hand.

“Yes,” Jaron hissed. “There are two still. And he’s lost his guard. He won’t survive it.”

Another man laughed. “And you’ll be king.”

“Crown prince,” Jaron corrected. “But close enough.”

“Undefeated, unburied, we fucking burn!” yelled another soldier.

“Shhh,” said another knight.

“Celebrate when he’s dead,” Jaron said. “Now shut the fuck up. We’re almost there.”

By the fucking Gods. My stomach twisted painfully, fear and anger both battling within. Jaron and his men hadn’t just escaped the chimera. They’d left Brennan behind with it, on purpose. They were trying to get him killed.

I had to find him immediately. And I was out of time. Running through the woods and blindly searching was no longer an option. I needed to cover as much space as I could as quickly as possible. I was going to have to fly. But I didn’t have anywhere near the energy stores for that kind of thing.

Not yet, at least.

I closed my eyes, taking myself back two years. Remembering meeting Jaron, remembering the way I used to brush my hair in the morning, the way the sunlight would hit the red locks with each stroke. I remembered the picture Jaron had made, the one being circulated through Eskalon to find me. To box me.

If the bastard wanted to find Alyra, and had been hunting her for two years, then maybe it was time to give him what he wanted.

I pulled back my hood and stepped out from my hiding spot, swishing my hips for the first time in days. “Jaron?” I called out.

He froze, and his men, all walking behind him, stumbled forward, crashing into him. His brows furrowed, his mouth twisting as he pushed them off and turned his head, frantically looking around. But he couldn’t see me in the dark. And he wouldn’t. Not until I wanted him to.

“Jaron?” I called again. “Jarooonnn,” I sang, turning his name into a song. A taunt. A threat.

“What the fuck,” said another knight. They were growing uneasy, scared. The Azete stirred. It was almost enough for me to feed off of them. Several had unsheathed blades from their hips, while Jaron had pulled out his sword.

“Show yourself,” Jaron said. He swung his torch back and forth, the sound whipping through the air. “Where the fuck are you?” He was trying to sound brave. But I could hear his voice shaking.