25. Twenty-Five Maeve

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

TWENTY-FIVE: MAEVE

M y breath burned in my throat as I pounded down the hill after the shades. Their faces flickered across my vision. I'd only seen them for a fraction of a second, just as the belief magic swept through the Slaugh ranks and bore them back into the dark cloud and away from Earth forever. But that second was enough. I couldn't let the darkness take them, not again.

I broke from our protective circle and chased after them, waving my arms to shoo their horses away from the edges of the net of light. Their hooves tangled in the web, and I flung the filaments aside so the creatures could escape the snare. They galloped off around the side of Raynard Hall, and I raced after them.

My chest burned as I careened down the slope. They reached the edge of the forest that bordered Ryan's property – the same wood that met up with Briarwood. There they stopped, as if waiting for me to catch them up. The largest horse snorted at me, impatient to be on its way.

I landed at the bottom of the hill, doubling over and gasping for air.

"You…" I gasped, struggling to regain my strength. Performing the spell had taken every ounce of my energy. I was in no state to be running around after shades.

But these shades…

As one, the two riders turned to face me. Without the black cloud in the way, the clear moon lit up their faces, showing every feature in brilliant detail.

From atop their midnight steeds, Matthew and Louise Crawford smiled down at me.