Sacrifice (The Snow Queen #2)(56)

“The hole is still open?” Rakel asked.

“Nope. Ragnar’s elf-friend is guarding it. A new one.”

Rakel bounced uncomfortably on the saddle. “Not Genovefa?”

“Nope. This one is a male.”

“How many made it out?” Farrin asked.

“About twenty to thirty soldiers. Not enough to take back the city, but enough to do harm to some of the smaller villages,” Phile said. “A few of our troops are already giving chase. They were on foot, so catching up shouldn’t be a problem. Ragnar—it’s us! Get your elf-friend to move!” They galloped straight towards the dark hole in the wooden wall.

A dangerous-looking elf clothed from head to toe in armor stood in the center of the hole, with groaning soldiers strewn around him.

“Let ’em pass, Ysolt,” Ragnar said.

The armored elf moved aside sedately, barely missing Phile, Rakel, and Farrin as they hurtled through. They had to stop, however, and squint in the moonlight to find the tracks.

“We should have brought Bunny to track them,” Farrin said.

“Nah, with that many men, it should be easy,” Phile said.

“As long as they haven’t split up,” Rakel said.

“True, but I don’t think they will. This way.” Phile nudged her horse forward.

Though the daytime weather eased back and forth between freezing and thawing, the night brought out cooler temperatures and cast a silver light over everything. Shouts and the bone-cutting clang of clashing weapons clotted the air, but all the noise came from the city and grew muted the farther they chased the soldiers.

Phile urged her horse ahead. “I see ’em!”

Rakel clung to the saddle as Farrin leaped from the horse, tapped his magic, and zipped ahead. She scrambled to use the reins, but thankfully the animal followed after Phile and her mount. When it stopped and tossed its head, Rakel shimmied down—almost falling on her posterior—and ran the remaining distance to the chaotic battle.

Farrin zipped from soldier to soldier, but it appeared the pursuing Verglas soldiers were outnumbered. Rakel stretched her hand and started freezing the Chosen soldiers from the waist down, immobilizing them.

Some of the mercenaries panicked and swirled their weapons around them, and a few slipped from her reach and ran—only to be pounced upon by Phile and Farrin.

When they subdued the last of the soldiers, Rakel released the breath she had been holding and let herself relax.

One of the Verglas soldiers saluted Farrin and Phile and bowed to Rakel. “Thank you for the assistance.”

“It was no trouble at all.” Phile tossed Foedus in the air and caught it.

Rakel offered the soldier a smile. “I’m glad we could be of service.”

Farrin inspected the Chosen troops. “Is this all of them? I thought the original estimate was twenty to thirty. There are nineteen here.”

“A few split off prior to your arrival, sir,” the soldier said.

“Do you want our aid in tracking them down?” Rakel asked.

“No,” the soldier said. “I imagine you are needed back at the city. Me and the boys can track ’em.”

Phile swung up onto her horse. “He’s right. We should head back.”

Rakel reluctantly approached the mount she shared with Farrin. “I suppose so,” she said dubiously.

Farrin bowed to her. “May I?”

Rakel let her expression grow pinched. “If you do not mind.”

“Your education in riding has been sorely lacking,” Phile said. “We’ll have to fix that come summer.”

Rakel had been rather proud of herself for staying in the saddle and riding Frigid to Kiby, so she frowned at her friend after Farrin boosted her up. “If we do not have greater concerns.”

Phile swatted her hand at her. “Concerns? Nah! We’ll have the Chosen bagged and kicked out by then.”

“Tenebris must be taken care of,” Farrin said, sliding into place behind Rakel. “Or he will simply ride right back in.”

Rakel mulled over his words as she waved farewell to the soldiers. He is right. Tenebris could simply recruit more through the same slimy means he used to recruit Farrin and the others. But how to defeat him personally?

“Ahh, yes, good point.” Phile frowned and put Foedus away as they followed the trail of churned snow back to Kiby. “If he’s still around in summer, perhaps I should go back to Baris and consult the oracle who gave me Foedus.”

Rakel raised an eyebrow. “Is that your newest origins story?”

“I’ve always said Foedus has royal bearings,” Phile said.

“You daily complain of its ugliness,” Farrin said.

Phile opened her mouth to reply, but a blue fireball exploded over the city, followed by two crimson ones. The roar and flashing lights of the fire made the horses spook. Phile’s horse pranced a few steps and reared, but Farrin and Rakel’s mount wheeled around and tried to flee.

Rakel grabbed fistfuls of the horse’s mane, and Farrin snaked an arm around her waist, anchoring her.

“The city is clear!” Phile chirped when the horses stopped panicking and blew out big puffs of air.

“I remember the signal,” Rakel said, a little shaken.

Farrin’s arm was still around her waist, but his grip was gentle. “Shall we head for the front gates?”