The Blood Forest (Tree of Ages #3)(51)

They walked through the snow in silence. Only the sound of their boots crunching on the ice, and the occasional hoots of owls assured Finn she could still hear. She noted the lack of guards as they walked, and knew it must have been planned, along with the sleeping guards in the corridor. Did Eywen have allies, or had he managed to drug them all? She supposed it didn’t matter, as long as they were awarded their freedom.

Eywen reached the stables first. He nodded in greeting to two conscious Aos Sí. Finn tensed again, but they did not attack, nor did they cart them back to their cells. Instead, they handed them the reins of fresh horses, with supplies strapped to their backs.

“Why are you letting us go?” Finn finally whispered, stepping close to Eywen. “I do not understand.”

His breath fogged the air near her face as he met her questioning gaze, then pressed the reins of a white horse into her hands. “Oighear believes she can force the Dair into submission, but her pride blinds her. Many of us know better than to incur the wrath of the Cavari. I hope that when the time comes, you will show mercy to the Aos Sí, though I will not be alive to see it.”

Behind him, one of the Aos Sí handed Iseult a sword, then turned to help Anna onto her nervous horse’s back.

Finn began to ask why Eywen would not be alive, then realized her foolishness. Oighear would surely kill him when she realized he’d drugged her guards and released her prisoners.

“You should come with us,” she whispered without thinking.

Eywen and the other two Aos Sí shook their heads. “We have accepted our fates,” Eywen explained. “All that I ask is that our deaths not be in vain. Please, show mercy for our people.”

Finn nodded, fighting back tears. She clutched the horse’s reins tightly in her shaking hands. “I swear to you, I will do all that I can.”

A sudden breeze lifted Finn’s hair from her face, stinging her cheeks with ice.

Eywen gave her hands a squeeze around the reins, then moved to help her mount. She looked hesitantly up at the graceful white horse, its mane reminding her of Oighear’s hair. It wasn’t the horse she and Iseult had ridden previously, but she supposed any horse was better than none.

“You must go,” Eywen urged.

Without warning, he put his hands on Finn’s waist and nearly threw her into the saddle. She managed to swing her leg up at the last moment, then gripped the pommel for dear life as Eywen thwapped the horse on its rump. It shot through the snow like an arrow, carrying Finn away from the stables.

Moments later, her friends caught up, their horses galloping on either side of her. The icy wind picked up, and she abruptly realized their hurry. Oighear had awakened.

A rage-filled shriek cut through the night, and suddenly she was blinded by snow, pelleting her face to the point where she could hardly breathe. She ducked low against her saddle, pressing her face near the base of her horse’s neck. She had no idea if she was going in the right direction. She simply had to trust that her horse’s lithe legs would carry her away from danger.

Something sliced into her arm, nearly toppling her from her mount as she cried out in agony. Hot blood welled to pour down her limb.

Tears covered her face, still pressed near her horse’s mane. She couldn’t lift her gaze enough to see her surroundings, but she heard no hoofbeats around her. She was alone, in a world gone entirely white.



Iseult rolled through the snow, righting himself just in time to deflect the blade of his attacker with his borrowed sword. He was fortunate that only one of the Aos Sí had managed to cut him off. The ancient warriors were highly skilled, and just as fast as he, if not faster.

He dodged another swipe of his attacker’s blade, darting his eyes about for his new horse. If he’d had his own horse, it would have stuck by no matter the commotion, but this new creature clearly wasn’t properly trained.

He lifted his sword against another attack, the force of which sent a painful jolt up his arm. Their blades slid across each other with a metallic shwing, then both opponents stepped back and squared off. Iseult steeled himself for another attack, but it somehow came from behind. Sharp pain radiated up from his lower back, bringing him to his knees. He slumped to his side in the snow and looked up at his attacker, another of the Aos Sí. The warrior had been utterly silent in his approach, catching him off guard like no man ever had.

Iseult’s hot blood melted the snow beneath him, and his vision began to fade to gray. He had failed. He would never free the souls of his ancestors. He would never make amends to Finn. He had failed them all. As his life slowly left him, he thought he saw Finn’s face, but the specter slowly faded, a last punishment to show him what he’d lost.



Seated on a rock with her horse’s reins looped around her arm, Anna buried her head in her hands. They’d made it out of the snow with three fresh mounts, and three less companions.

“We should wait for them,” Kai growled, but Anna just shook her head. She knew there was little they could do. The sun had finally risen above them, bathing the party in bleak light through the canopy of tree branches. Though she welcomed the sun after their escape through the freezing blizzard, she was worried the rest of their companions were still trapped in Oighear’s icy embrace.

“And allow the Aos Sí to find us first?” she argued tiredly, lifting her head from her hands. “Or perhaps An Fiach?”