A strangled scream came from beside him and Talarion bolted upright, his hand already closed around the dagger he'd placed beneath his pillow. A choking sense of dread clutched his chest with icy talons. His gaze darted about the room, but he found nothing amiss. Then, he glanced at Kaius.

    At once, he dropped the dagger and doubled over his mate. "Shit. Shit! Kaius, wake up!"

    The male's eyes and marking spilled blinding light across his pillow like an ivory puddle of blood. His hands were fisted, arms locked against his chest while his jaw clenched against another scream. Talarion shook him, then again, harder, but Kaius gave no sign of hearing him.

    "Fuck!" He spat, and slapped his mate. Kaius's jaw unclamped and he cried out once more, but the light didn't fade.

    Talarion's thoughts raged with every scream Kaius gave. Why hadn't he stayed awake? Why had he been so foolish as to fall asleep first? Why hadn't he made sure Kaius drank his tea? What was Drenusha showing him? What was Astaroth going to be able to rip from his mind?

    Talarion shook Kaius once more, then darted off the bed and ran to the door that joined their room to Tissaia and Azael's. He gripped the knob, and Kaius let out a heaving cough. He looked back at his mate in time to see him lurch upright, gulping down ragged breaths.

    "Gods," Talarion rasped, and returned to his side. "Fucking Hel, Kai. Are you all right?"

    He didn't respond. Talarion stiffened as Kaius looked up at him through wide hazel eyes and silent tears dripped down his face. His entire body was shaking hard enough to rattle his teeth. Talarion dropped down beside him and pulled him into his arms, but Kaius didn't return the embrace.

    "They're coming," the male panted. "They're coming. He's coming! We have to leave." Talarion could barely understand him amidst his shudders. "We have to go! Please," Kaius begged, his tears falling harder. "Please! We need to leave, now!"

    "Who is coming? What did you see? What's going on, Kai?" Talarion urged. But he couldn't persuade any more coherent sentences from him, and the male's growing desperation was enough to convince him that now wasn't the time.

    "All right," he agreed, smoothing his palm across Kaius's cheek. "All right. I'll go wake Azael and Tissaia. Grab what you can and we'll leave." Kaius nodded, though his tears continued to fall and his shaking hadn't eased. Talarion touched his mouth to his temple and returned to the conjoining door.

    He pushed it open, not bothering to give a warning before his intrusion. He let his footsteps fall heavy and Tissaia was on her feet before he'd moved an inch into the door. He offered her an apologetic look, spying the fleeting terror on her face before she subdued it. Azael rose too, already taking stock of his visible tension.

    "What is it?" Tissaia pressed.

    "Kaius had a vision. I don't know what he saw, but he's raving that we need to leave now. He's shaken enough that I don't think we should risk staying. Pack what you need and let's get out of here. Vael and Kahari will have to track us."

    "Should we leave them a message or something?" She asked as he turned back to the door.

    "No," Talarion answered, sharper than he intended, but he couldn't apologize now. There was no time, and he needed to get back to Kaius. Something warned him not to leave the male alone for long. "Leave no sign of our presence here. If someone is coming after us, we don't need to bring these people more trouble than we already have." He left before either of them could respond.

    He found Kaius looking somewhat more collected than before. He was already dressed and hurriedly gathering their belongings and stuffing them into their satchels, but the male's gaze remained vacant and far-reaching, a sure sign that his mind remained detached from his body.

    Talarion snatched up his leather suit and shrugged it over the thin shirt and pants he already wore, then grabbed his boots. As soon as his suit was strapped into place, Kaius tossed him his sheathed daggers. Talarion buckled them at his hips and collected his other blades, tucking them into their assigned spots.

    Kaius knelt beside the bed and grabbed the cloak he'd hidden beneath it. He watched as the male formed a makeshift strap on it from one of his belts before slinging it over his shoulder. While Kaius stood, Talarion crept towards the window and cast a shrewd glance outside. No light came from any house in the village.

    A sense of wrongness pricked at his gut and he looked back at Kaius. He's with me. He's safe, Talarion reminded himself. They would put as much distance between themselves and this village as possible in order to keep him that way. "What did you see?" Talarion asked once more when Kaius's gaze met his.

    "Faces," Kaius whispered. "Cold and cruel. And a shadow looming over me. Hands holding me down, ripping me open, letting the shadow inside." He broke off with an audible hitch and Talarion embraced him again.

    "We need to go," Kaius protested, pushing him away. He nodded and went to retrieve Tissaia and Azael, but movement beyond the window gave him pause.

•༻☽☾༺•

    Tissaia jumped as a fist banged on their hallway door. "Tissaia!" A familiar voice hissed, just loud enough to be heard. "Open up!" She exchanged confused glances with Azael before obeying.

    Kahari's wide gaze swept over the pair of them, noting their satchels and weapons. "Kaius had a vision," she realized.

    "Why are you here?" Azael demanded, stepping closer to Tissaia. She didn't begrudge him the gesture.

    "We were laying our trail exactly as planned when we came across two scouts." Tissaia went rigid as Kahari's gaze met hers. "Your father is here."

    "What?" She gasped, stumbling backwards into Azael's chest as her legs threatened to give out beneath her. He caught her by the elbow, but she didn't register the contact. No. No, he couldn't be here! Her father couldn't be here! Because if he was...Talarion and Kaius...

    "I came back to warn you while Vael tried to lead them off. I don't know if he succeeded. I rode here as fast as I could. I told the stableboy to have your horses ready. We need to go, now!" Kahari grabbed her hand and pulled.

    The other door slammed open, revealing a frantic Talarion. "We need to..." He broke off as he caught sight of Kahari. His eyes snapped to Tissaia's.

    "Father," she choked out. "I know."

    "There are already Lochren warriors in the yard."

    Tissaia's stomach churned, but she squeezed her eyes shut and clamped down the fear that threatened to flood her nerves. She couldn't lose focus now. Not if they were going to get out of here. "The inn has a back entrance," Kahari pointed out. "It's how I got in."

    "I'll get Kaius." Talarion vanished, and Tissaia didn't resist when Kahari guided her into the hallway.

    Azael remained planted at her side and two more sets of footsteps joined them within seconds. Kahari led them to the opposite side of the inn, where a narrow flight of stairs led down to the main floor.

    They raced down them as quietly as possible, though Tissaia's heart pounded louder than the rolling bursts of thunder she could hear approaching from the distance. Just as the landing was in sight, wood cracked and something heavy crashed to the floor in the inn's tavern.

    "Hey!" The Innkeeper called, her voice surprisingly alert and clear given the early hours. "What do ye mean by breaking down my door? If ye be wanting rooms, all ye had to do was..." She broke off with a startled cry which gurgled into unmistakable choking.

    Tissaia's breath turned uneven as a coppery scent reached her nostrils. Her hand flailed for Talarion's arm and latched onto it. She managed to look at her brother and found his face just as pale as hers had to be, although he somehow looked more composed.

    "Keep to the wall," Kahari whispered. "The shadows will be dark enough to hide us."

    Tissaia forced herself to inch after the Forest Dweller in spite of her trembling limbs. Her brother was right behind her, for which she was grateful, and yet some part of her wished to have Azael's presence nearer. He had fallen to the back of the group and was close behind Kaius, though she could feel his gaze lingering on her.

    Tissaia clenched her damp palms into fists, suppressing the desire to shield herself. She should've thought of it before. They couldn't risk any light now. The faintest glimmer of magic and the Lochren warriors would see them.

    They reached the door without any interruption, although she could hear the intruders creeping around the main floor of the inn and rummaging through something. Kahari knelt beside the door and slipped two wads of fabric out of her pocket. She pressed them to each of the door's hinges, then gave a curt nod.

    Talarion eased past Tissaia and wedged it open. Kahari's cloth muffled the creak it would've released otherwise and she watched as her brother stepped into the yard. He beckoned for them to follow with two fingers. Tissaia gripped the hilt of her dagger as she exited the inn, doing her best to measure her breaths.

    The sky was starless overhead, dark clouds moving in from the mountains. A chill wind nipped at the tips of her ears and lifted the loose hair from her shoulders. Tissaia looked back in search of Azael as Kaius fell in step with Talarion.

    Kahari was right behind the Prince and Tissaia offered her friend as grateful a smile as she could muster. Azael wrapped an arm around her waist as soon as he was close enough and some of the panic gripping her gut relaxed its hold.

    "We'll get out of here," he whispered, the words a firm promise. "Your father won't touch you. I swear." She could only manage a nod in response.

    "I left my horse over here, by the sheltered part of the stable," Kahari said, waving them along.

    Tissaia refrained from mentioning that she couldn't hear any movement from horses or otherwise. Silver light flashed at Talarion's palms, coating both himself and Kaius in protective shields. Tissaia allowed hers to do the same, and saw Azael follow suit. Another amber shield wrapped around Kahari as well before turning invisible.

    They moved to the entrance of the stable, and froze. Tissaia stared at the carnage in horror, her stomach twisting harder though she fought the urge to retch. There was the stableboy, his arms still raised to shield himself and his eyes wide but empty. His torso had been cleaved down the middle, spilling his organs into the hay-strewn dirt.

    And all around him, their gear still in place, having been dutifully arranged, were their horses. Not a single one moved. Their throats had been hacked open and blood formed a muddy mess on the ground. The stain was slowly seeping towards her boots and Tissaia took half a step back.

    "No!" Kahari gasped, her eyes landing on the horses.

    Tissaia unsheathed her dagger. She had never cowered to her father before, even when he was crushing her hand underfoot. She would not cower to him now, even with the terror coating the back of her throat like a sludge meant to smother her.

    "Stay behind me," Talarion snapped to Kaius. The Phoenix only nodded, fitting an arrow to his bowstring.

    Tissaia's own bow was heavy against her back, but if she knew her father, he would have more warriors than they had arrows. She would save hers until Kaius ran out, and then she would make them count. Thunder boomed as crackling bolts of lightning split the sky, electrifying the very air. In the luminance that followed, her gaze found the onyx stare of Roshan Lochren.

    "I have been looking for you for far too long, my children," he said, his voice slicing into her like heated knives. "Come to me quietly, and I'll let your friends from the Vidar leave this place alive. Fight me, and..." He snapped his fingers and two warriors stepped forward, dragging a limp figure between them.

    "Vaeldan!" Kahari shrieked.

    Tissaia lifted a hand to her mouth at the sight of the Shifter. It was clear he had not gone down easily. Blood dripped from his ears and nose, and several of his fingers were twisted at odd angles.

    There was a brutal snake in his arm where the bone had broken, and one of his legs was drenched in blood. As was his abdomen, which his unbroken arm was draped over. The male himself was unconscious, though his eyelids twitched as though he were about to wake.

    "Well?" Roshan demanded.