"Regin, wait!" Chase ran after her, his bite mark torn and bleeding. He must've jerked away from Lothaire. "I didn't have a choice!" He grabbed her arm. "I had to make that vow to him. Without his aid, we wouldn't have made it past the first night."
She flung herself from his grip. "He can learn things about me through your blood. Can learn about my sisters!" She briefly covered her mouth. "He can see everything we've done! I don't want that leech to know what we do in private."
Lothaire strol ed up, making a scoffing sound. "As if I don't watch you two live from a distance." He licked his crimson lips. "His staying power is increasing. As is yours. Bravo."
They both scowled at him.
"I made a vow," Chase told her. "I'm compel ed by it. You understand this."
"Fine. Then you should've kept your distance from me until you were released from it."
He pinched his forehead. "I knew I had only days to win you."
Brandr, Natalya, and Thad caught up to them.
"What's going on here?" Brandr demanded. "Damn it, Regin, do you never do as you're told?"
She blinked at him. "It's taken you a mil ennium to get that?"
Lothaire said to her, "Valkyrie, I've seen little about your sisters that I don't already know. Mostly I've been treated to Declan's torture at the hands of my former all ies, the Neoptera."
Regin swung her head around at Lothaire. "You're talking to me? You real y wanna do this, leech?
Clear the air?" Again she reached back for her swords and came up empty. With a glare, she dropped her hand to the sword at her hip. "Then let's go! The Valkyrie know what you did to our queen. You hid Furie somewhere, torturing her for decades. Rumor has it you buried her under the sea to drown a million deaths."
But Lothaire frowned disdainful y. "I assure you I do not know where Queen Furie is."
"We have it from a very reliable source that you do. Your old king said so."
"Who was crazed til the day he died."
Regin narrowed her gaze. Lothaire was physical y incapable of lying. "Then... then where is she?"
"Again, I do not know-"
Chase raised his hand, hissing, "Listen!" He flicked his fingers for her sword. Without thought, she tossed it to him. In one fluid motion, he caught it, then flung it end over end down through the treetops below.
A Cerunno uncoiled with serpentine agility, narrowly dodging the blade.
When it slithered away with a bul et's speed, Regin cried, "We've got to catch it!"
"It'l be long gone, Valkyrie," Lothaire said. "You can't match pace with one of that kind, not when you have a torque. Besides, you need to be running in the opposite direction. The night of our escape, I saw the Cerunnos amassing with all the Pravus all ies. Among others, there were vampires, shifters, and some Sorceri-Portia and Emberine, specifically."
"Then those bitches will be coming for us! We've got to attack them first."
Lothaire gave a harsh laugh. "They're too powerful. You're not much stronger than a mortal right now.
What hope do you have against a being who can move mountains?"
Natalya said, "As soon as Portia knows we're on this mountain, she'l level it."
Lothaire turned to Chase. "You and I are faster than the others. We need to lead the Pravus away from this group. Make a lot of noise while descending as swiftly as possible, and hope they fol ow us. Or this mountain will fal ."
Chase gave a curt nod, then faced Brandr. "You take the others to the boat. Due west from here there's a covered berth in a leeward cove. We'l meet you there before sunset."
"Oh, no, no. This is a shit plan." Regin crossed to stand before him. "For one thing, Valkyrie don't flee. We fight."
"We're running out of time," Lothaire intoned.
Chase pulled her close to say at her ear, "Then do this to protect Thad and Natalya." The bastard was playing on her sense of loyalty. And it was working!
When he drew back, she said, "This is still a shit plan. I can fight-I can help you!"
"I ken you can fight. Which is the only reason I'd let you out of my sight." His confidence in her abilities continued to surprise her. "But right now, we are faster than you and the others. You know this is the most logical move."
She did, but was pissed that they were in this position.
When she pursed her lips, he said, "If for some reason we don't show by sunrise, take the ship." Then Chase shared a look with Brandr. "You watch her back."
Brandr gave a curt nod.
In Old Norse, Regin murmured, "Take me with you."
Chase's brows drew together. "This is the best choice, lass." Trying to make light, he chucked her under the chin. "Is the big bad Valkyrie worried about me?"
Peering up at him, she said one word. "Yeah."
Chase dragged her close with the crook of his arm. "Mind yourself, Regin." Against her hair, he vowed, "I will no' be long apart from you. "
The Endgame commanded action, Lothaire thought as he and Chase sprinted through the brush. And I'm about to obey.
"Come, Magister, you're flagging. Did I drink too much?"
Chase was utterly exhausted, more than from merely ceding blood. He was depleted-as if from a berserkrage. Between breaths, he snapped, "Do no' bloody cal me that!" He cast another glance back in the Valkyrie's direction.
"You look worried. I'm sure Regin will be fine. We should be concerned more for ourselves down in this forest."
"If something happens to me, what would it take to get you to watch over her?" Chase wiped sweat from his brow. "To make sure she gets off the island alive?"
"More than you can give. Such as a firstborn to go with my others. Matching set and all."
"Then just move your arse. There's a clearing up ahead."
They broke from the trees onto a bare plateau. Chase stopped, stared. "What the hel is this, Lothaire?"
Pravus beings-fire demons, Horde vampires, shifters-had all congregated here around Portia's makeshift stone temple. The structure looked like a roofed Stonehenge, with Emberine's flames crawling over its stones like living things. Portia and Ember strol ed out, gazing on with interest.
Lothaire tilted his head at Chase impassively. "This is a day trade. You for my freedom."
"You son of a bitch!" He lunged for Lothaire, but a cadre of vampire guards traced to intercept him.
"I delivered you unto them for the late Fegley's severed hand, or, more importantly, his thumb," Lothaire explained as the guards whaled blows on Chase. "As for your fate-the Pravus are planning to gather here at sunset and make a proper sacrifice out of you."