Page 158 of First Light

You were betrayed by a friend. Don’t move. He breathed out, his exhalation searing her skin.

Carys flinched, but she held still as he’d told her and felt the wound at her neck disappear. “Can you heal Aisling too?”

Naida is tending to her, and I hear the unicorns approaching.

The pain in Carys’s neck was a memory when she turned back to Duncan and Lachlan. “It was an accident.” It was enough of the truth for the moment. “The potion came from Regan, and Aisling didn’t know it would hurt Seren.”

Lachlan’s face went pale. “Aisling?”

“Regan’s going to Duncan’s to get Seren’s journals. We need to get them before she does.”

Duncan looked up at Cadell. “Can you carry me and Carys both?”

I can carry two humans.He flexed his massive claws.We must go now.

“He says he can take us both.” Carys stepped back. “Let’s go.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lachlan snapped. “Duncan, you’re not trained.”

“I have iron.” Duncan held up the sword.

“And no training in it and no defense against magic.” Lachlan scowled. “This isn’t a contest. We have to be smart. Regan is an immensely powerful mage.”

Duncan gritted his teeth, and Carys looked up, spotting Mared and Dafydd in the distance. “Both of you can go.” She waved her arms at the dragon soaring overhead. “My uncle and Mared can take one of you—the other can go with Cadell and me.”

“I’ll go with you.” Both Duncan and Lachlan spoke at the same time.

“Not the time!” Carys yelled.

Duncan stepped back even though his face was a storm. “Fine, go.”

Carys cast one last look at Duncan as Cadell heaved his body into the air, grabbed Carys in one claw and Lachlan in the other.

Then they were flying and everything was wind.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Cadell carried them over the loch, circling the fae forest in the distance before he turned back to land in the meadow closest to Duncan’s cottage.

“I can already feel her magic.” Lachlan dropped to the ground, and his sword was in his hand. “Carys, stay behind me.”

“Got it.” She wasn’t an idiot. Lachlan was a trained soldier, and she wasn’t.

Cadell transformed into his human form and ran with her.

“Nêrys, you’re still weak from her spell.”

“I’ll be fine.” She was lightheaded, but there wasn’t enough time to recover.

Behind them, Carys heard Mared’s coracle drop with a woodenthunk, and two pairs of footsteps came running out.

“Mared will watch from the sky.” Dafydd was huffing as he ran, and he carried a bronze axe in his hand. “If the witch has called for reinforcements, she’ll tell me.”

“The wards are already up around the place.” Lachlan started running toward the cottage.

“She’s one woman,” Duncan said. “How powerful canshe?—”

The force of an invisible barrier slammed into them and cut Duncan off.