1 Exclusive Extra Chapter Ryland
A shiver runs up my spine – hopefully just from the cold and not my survival instincts kicking in. There’s no leaving now. Lightning booms through the night sky, flashing glimpses of the forest. Our trotting horses spook. ‘Eyah,’ I shout, refocusing Duke, then push him to speed up – as fast as he’ll go in the dark with rain coming at us sideways. My torch flickers, the last of the sulphur and lime are burning out. Tristan grumbles something with the word ‘hellfire’ but the rain hitting our leather hoods drowns the rest out. He turns his head to shout at me. ‘If second shift isn’t reporting in because they didn’t want to get wet, I’m taking their boots with me.’ ‘And their horses,’ I add. Checking on missing security in the middle of the night isn’t my idea of a good time, especially if they didn’t report in after shift change because of weather. I search for any sign of fire on the fifty-foot warning tower – the banshee – but see nothing in the sky. Which should mean we’re not being raided. Although this early summer rain is making me question the effectiveness of that security measure. My torch gives one last pitiful flicker, then fizzles out. ‘Son of a bog witch,’ I mutter as we go completely blind. Is that another sign we should turn around? I slow to a walk and loosen the reins, letting Duke be my guide now on the dirt road. The cold suddenly feels harsher. The rain wetter. Goosebumps raise on my skin. ‘You hear about that new kid?’ Tristan asks. ‘Levi? Sixteen.’