The Frozen Prince (The Beast Charmer #2) - Maxym M. Martineau Page 0,103

and I quickly sent Iky back to the beast realm before the shadows could swallow me too. The gods only knew what that would do to my beast. Our presence masked by darkness, we sprinted toward a nearby mountain pass. Frenzied shouts of soldiers met my ears, and I tossed a quick glance over my shoulder to see them advancing on the empty space where we used to be. Between Iky’s tactics, the shadows, and the ghastly storm releasing a torrential onslaught of snow, we’d been able to slip away. If we put enough distance between us and them, maybe they’d give up. Or maybe they’d get lost.

My lungs burned as I pushed myself harder. The Sentinels’ angry shouts had dimmed, lost in the howling wind whipping through the pass. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, and I thought only of escape. Only of making it out of this alive so we could find a way to get to Noc. The outlines of the Sentinels grew smaller and smaller until they disappeared altogether. Finally, we slowed to catch our breath when we reached a small plateau dotted with smooth boulders.

We maybe had one minute of peace. And then several beams of light detonated to our right as three Sentinels manifested beside us. Their armor gleamed painfully against the snowy backdrop, and my pulse skyrocketed as they turned toward us. A sharp hissing cooked the air as their light permeated the shadow realm. And then the dark tendrils receded in a rush, leaving us exposed. No chance for safety in darkness.

“Found you.” The leader unsheathed his sword.

“Run!” Oz pushed me, and we skidded down the mountain slope with Kost.

We tumbled over our feet, sliding down the face of a mountain until our bodies were battered and bruised. My breeches ripped over hidden brush, and the sting of snow and gravel against my knees sent curses flying from my mouth. Wincing, I rolled to my side and glanced back up. The Sentinels stared down at us from the small plateau and began to summon those blinding columns.

“Keep moving! They’ll come after us.” Kost yanked me to my feet, and the three of us ran. Icy wind whipped against my body and filled my lungs, making it hard to breathe. We had no idea how long it would take them to work their magic and reappear before us. All we could do was keep moving forward.

We raced over the icy plains, and my foot slipped on loose rock. My ankle rolled and killed my momentum as I slumped to the ground. Oz cringed and leaned down to scoop me into his arms.

“Ozias, here.” Kost pointed toward a cluster of boulders and darted off, sequestering himself in their temporary shadows, then summoned more of his own to blanket the entrance of the cave in total darkness. Oz pressed me close to his chest and followed as the Sentinels’ signature light began to bloom behind us. We slid into safety just before they appeared, the constant snowfall hiding our footprints.

Kost’s wild eyes tracked the mountain range, searching for escape. “We have to keep running. Oz, no matter what, Leena makes it out of this.” He added a few more shadows to the entrance, but a sweat was breaking out along his hairline. With the Sentinels’ magic in full effect, it would be impossible to hold darkness in place for long.

“Understood.” Oz gave me a subtle squeeze.

“Wait, what? No, absolutely not.”

Sentinels shouted behind us, their brilliant light beaming like a sun over the frost-covered brush and rock. A few of Kost’s shadows hissed and dissipated. We didn’t have long.

Kost’s gaze drifted to my quickly swelling ankle. “We’ll go on together as long as we can. But if they catch up, Leena, you call Onyx and have him fly you out of here. Ozias and I will keep the Sentinels distracted.”

Bile soured my tongue. They couldn’t put their lives on the line for me. I couldn’t have another assassin injured because of me. Another family member lost. “No. Absolutely not. Your shadows won’t work against them. I’ll stay and help, no matter what.”

Oz set me on the ground to peer over the rocks. “They’ll be on us in minutes. What do we do?”

Kost’s smile was pained. “I understand how you feel. But how many beasts will it take to defeat one Sentinel? Let alone three?”

My mind whirled. My family or my beasts? To me, they were one and the same. Condemning one to death to save the