The Wind's Call (The Broken Lands #4) - T.A. White Page 0,88

up to grasp hers. "Fly fast, fly far."

"I am coming back for you," she promised him.

He didn't respond, stepping back and slapping Sebastian on his withers. The Kyren jolted under her, lurching upward as the fox sprang into her lap, seeming to fly for just a moment.

He looked up at her.

"I don't want to leave him alone," Eva confessed.

His presence in her mind turned quizzical.

"Only if it doesn't endanger you," she said.

It felt wrong to ask the fox to interfere in the affairs of humans, but so did leaving Caden to face those men on his own. He might be Anateri, and an elite warrior, but he was still just one man. A human one at that.

Even a warrior as talented as Caden had his limits.

She sensed an assent and then the fox leapt off her lap in midair. His tails spread, the air under his paws lighting up as he seemed to run over it.

Sebastian carried her higher as the fox raced toward Caden below.

Eva craned to keep the fox in view, fascinated. What an interesting time she lived in, where she could communicate with animals in ways she'd only dreamed of before, and where small two-tailed foxes could run on air as easily as if they were on the ground.

Eva pulled the jacket tighter around her to keep the sudden chill at bay, only then realizing Caden had left it with her.

She caressed its leather. "You'd better not die, you stupid man."

*

The hours passed by in a tension-fraught haze, going too slow and too fast at the same time. A minute could easily stretch into an eternity while ten would feel like they passed in the blink of an eye.

Thoughts of what Caden faced tortured her.

She had no way of controlling Sebastian's direction and could only trust the Kyren was heading back toward camp.

Every moment that passed made her despair a little more. The further they flew, the further Darius would have to travel to reach Caden.

Finally, she spotted a flicker of yellow light below.

"There," she shouted.

Sebastian's head shifted, his powerful body flexing as he changed course. The wind whistled in her ears as they banked.

Eva looked intently at the ground. As much as she wanted to hurry and land, she knew that would be a mistake. Those below could as easily be the enemy as her people.

Right now, Eva and Sebastian had the element of surprise, but as soon as they landed, they'd be vulnerable.

There were a lot of people down there. To her uneducated eyes it seemed like the right number for Darius's company.

Still, they didn't know much about those hunting Sebastian. Perhaps she was wrong. Distinguishing people and places was different from this height. She'd never had to know what someone looked like from above, and it wasn't as easy as she thought it would be.

Several campfires had been lit and the people below didn't look like they were asleep. She caught the slightest shift of darkness along the perimeter to suggest there were sentries.

Eva decided to risk it. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted, "The wise never bait their hooks."

There was a pause as those below looked up.

"They get someone else to do it for them," someone shouted back.

Relief made Eva lightheaded.

"Sebastian, it's them," she said, leaning over his neck.

Sebastian touched down outside the perimeter of camp. Despite her assurances, Eva's stomach was tight. Caden was counting on her to get this right.

A man darted out of the dark. He grabbed her arm, yanking her off Sebastian. The Kyren screamed and faced the man. Seconds later a net was thrown over his wings even as Eva struggled to escape.

Darius moved into view, his expression cold and severe, the easy humor he was known for absent. This was the face of the general, unrelenting and cruel—someone who had conquered the Lowlands at Fallon's side.

Eva's gaze went to those beside him, noting the grimness on their faces. Even Hanna was difficult to read, her expression a blank mask.

Something was wrong. Very, very wrong, but Eva didn't know what. Only that people she'd been starting to consider friends weren't acting like she expected.

"What are you doing?" she asked, struggling to resist the Trateri's hold.

Sebastian tried to rear, a piercing screech escaping him. Those holding the netting were lifted partially off their feet as others tackled them, their combined strength keeping him grounded.

"Let him go," she shouted. "You're hurting him."

"I'd be more worried about what we're going to do to you," Darius said. "The Trateri aren't