Of Thorn and Thread (Daughters of Eville #4) - Chanda Hahn Page 0,70

to stop it,” I said helplessly.

Liam came and stood shoulder to shoulder with me. “We’ll figure it out.”

I smiled softly.

“Tell me,” he said. “What are my men thinking?”

I took a deep breath and debated on how much to tell him. “They’re afraid, but not for the reasons you think. They’re afraid of losing against the blight. That they’ll die in vain.”

Liam turned to me, and I read the pain in his eyes. “They’re not wrong. I’ve failed before. They entrusted me with five hundred men to stop this blight, and what you see before me is all that I have left. This time it’s different. The fog is stronger; harder to pass through. I fear we may not make it further. If we don’t find the source, our kingdom will truly be overrun.”

“That’s why you brought me, or have you forgotten the whole reason you traveled to a backwater town and kidnapped a sleeping girl?” I grinned and patted his arm. “I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t stay behind in Briarwood either.”

“You have a plan to get us out of the fog?”

“I do. You’re not going to like it.”

Chapter Twenty

I held the scrap of red fabric and grinned.

“This is your plan?” Liam scoffed.

I tied the makeshift blindfold around my eyes and felt Damsel shift beneath me. “Yes.”

“Are you crazy?” Devin asked.

“Never ask a woman if she’s crazy.” I chuckled, putting on an outward show of bravado, but internally—I was quaking.

“What is the point again?” Devin asked. “How are you going to lead us out of here if you can’t see anything?”

“It’s our eyes that are deceiving us. We’ve been trapped in this mist for days when we should have already made it to our destination.”

“How are you going to lead us out, then?”

“I’m not.” I leaned forward and patted my horse’s neck. “She is.”

“We’re following a horse?” Hayes rubbed his palm over his face. “This is going to be interesting.”

“Stop worrying and don’t take your eyes off of me.” The abrasive cloth rubbed against my eyelids, and I wanted to rip it off. Instead, I pressed through the feelings and used it to focus outward, then downward, running my fingers through Damsel’s mane.

Are you ready to be my eyes?

I lead, Damsel replied.

Thank you.

She started moving forward, and I grasped the pommel, being careful not to pull on her reins and direct her. I had to put my trust into her eyes and her senses.

“Yah,” Liam said, spurring his horse after mine. I felt better knowing that he was at my back.

He’s nice. Smart, that one, Damsel commented. It was a relief to hear her voice.

Yes, he is.

Gives lots of snacks. You should keep him. Then he’ll feed you and you can get fat too. Fat is good.

Maybe. I hid my smile, trying not to show my amusement that my horse was giving me dating advice.

Make lots of foals with that one.

I snorted, covering my mouth with my hand. I definitely didn’t need this kind of advice from my horse. No, definitely not.

He was sad when the bad men took you, a deeper voice spoke into my mind.

I blinked as I tried to register who I was hearing.

Hush, Pern, Damsel admonished.

He didn’t sleep or eat for days. Pern, Liam’s horse, had joined in the mental conversation.

So now you’re both going to make me feel guilty, are you?

Of course. You worried the golden one, Pern said.

Golden one? Ah, that must be Liam. He did kind of give off a golden aura.

“Uh, Aura?” I heard Liam’s warning. “I think you need to turn.”

Do we? I asked her quickly and gripped the reins, preparing to course correct.

Damsel snorted, tossing her head in frustration. No. I take back what I said. He’s not smart. Dumb.

We’d have been out of here days ago if he let me lead, Pern added. But he fought me every inch.

Behind me, others pulled on the reins, and I heard the horses being redirected. Their hooves scraping against the gravel. Voices raised as men fought to turn the horses.

Hold tight, Damsel warned.

Out of curiosity, I raised the corner of my blindfold and gasped. We were walking off a cliff. I gripped the reins and was about to do the same, but I felt no fear from Pern and Damsel, only confidence.

Even though I was terrified, I turned in my saddle and gave Liam and the men a confident smile before pulling the blindfold back over my eyes and gripping the pommel. My heart jumped into my throat as my