Ruined - Amy Tintera Page 0,80
hitting the top of his wrist. He howled, cradling the arm against his stomach. Aren was slumped against a tree, his chest heaving up and down.
She took off after Cas. A body slammed into hers and she hit the dirt, hard. Two hands pinned her to the ground.
“Punch me,” Iria said in her ear. “Make it look good.”
Iria loosened her grip and Em wriggled free, springing to her feet. She whirled around and swung her fist, connecting with Iria’s jaw. The warrior hit the ground with a grunt.
Em winced and gave Iria an apologetic look before turning back to Cas. He’d just freed the second horse. Koldo sprinted toward them, and she took off running, grabbing the reins of the horse. Cas moved toward the third horse, but she shook her head.
“Leave it!” she yelled.
He jumped on the horse. Em mounted the other horse, aiming her boot straight for Koldo’s face as he tried to pull her off. He stumbled backward, landing on his butt as she rode past.
Aren still stood by the tree, and he reached his hand out as Em’s horse galloped his way. She grabbed his arm and pulled him up. His body was limp from the exhaustion of using his magic, and he slumped against her back as soon as he was on the horse. She kicked at the side of the horse and they took off at a gallop, leaving the warriors in the dust.
THIRTY-ONE
CAS COULD HAVE easily left Em and Aren behind as they rode away from the warriors, and he considered it as he stared into the black jungle. Em’s horse carried two people, and was far slower than his as a result.
Em slid off her horse, leaving Aren hunched over on the saddle by himself. He looked like he might be asleep. She walked to Cas, holding out her canteen. He took a small sip and handed it back.
He didn’t have a canteen, or any idea where he was going in the dark. Once the sun rose he could figure out which way was south, but he’d lost track of their position after being captured. He had a sword now, at least, but what chance did he really have by himself? If he’d come across Iria and the other warriors alone, he’d be dead.
He squinted at Em as she put the cap back on the canteen. Was this all part of the plan? Was she pretending to save him in order to use him further? Did she really want to take him prisoner and trade him for Olivia?
The dark jungle suddenly seemed like a better idea than staying with her. He must be at least halfway to the Southern Mountains. He could make the rest of the trip by himself.
“I won’t blame you if you take off.” She turned around and walked back to her horse. “We should be to Gallego City by morning. If you want to ride with us until then, I promise you’ll be safe.”
Gallego City meant Lera soldiers. It meant finding out if his mother and Jovita were alive, and having a guard to protect him. He hadn’t even realized they were close to Gallego.
“I’ll ride with you,” he said, and almost added the words “thank you,” but they died in his throat.
Em nodded, and it was the last time she looked at him that night. They rode in silence, her and Aren in front, and he found himself drowning in the frenzied sounds of the jungle, wishing one of them would speak. Now that he was temporarily out of danger the weight of the last few days felt like it might crush him. The images from his final moments in the castle played over and over in his head, until his chest was so tight he thought he might never take an easy breath again.
When the sun finally started to rise, he almost cried with happiness. His body was stiff and sore from a night on the back of a horse, but he sat up straighter, taking in the bright-green leaves around him, the colorful bird perched on a tree not far away.
Aren had apparently regained his strength, because he slid off the horse and walked alongside Em. She glanced over her shoulder at Cas.
“We’re close,” she said.
He craned his neck. “How can you tell?” he asked, his curiosity overruling his desire not to appear stupid.
“The area is well traveled.”
He glanced around, baffled. It was exactly the same jungle he’d been in the past three days. “What