Free Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong Page A

sailing from his hands and crashing to the ground. Then the guard disappeared, flat on his stomach, arms flailing as something dragged him into the undergrowth.
    Moria and Daigo charged after him.
     
    Moria raced through the forest as she clawed vines aside.
    I shouldn’t have left Ashyn . I know it’s my duty to protect everyone, and Ashyn can keep the spirits at bay. But I shouldn’t have left her.
    Her foot caught on a vine. She didn’t have time to even break her fall before she went down hard, chin hitting the ground, blade flying from her hand. She leaped up, but the vine held her fast. Daigo fell on it, snarling, pulling it so hard she fell again, tears springing to her eyes.
    Tears? Truly?
    She pushed Daigo away and managed to sit up, swiping at her eyes and cursing.
    When she heard a noise, she looked up to see Gavril hacking his way through the vines.
    “Here!” she called.
    As she struggled to cut herself free, Daigo hovered anxiously and Gavril had to shove him out of the way. The wildcat snarled but backed off.
    Gavril dropped to his knees and slashed the vine so angrily she expected the blade to go right into her leg. When she was free, she leaped to her feet, looking in every direction, straining to listen.
    The forest was silent. Jonas had been taken. She’d been his only hope and she’d lost him. Because she’d tripped. Over a vine.
    She bent to Daigo. “Where is he?”
    The wildcat looked back the way they’d come.
    “ No . Where is Jonas?”
    Daigo butted her legs, again in Ashyn’s direction. When Moria ignored him, he caught her breeches and tugged, growling.
    “Your wildcat is telling you that your duty is back there, Keeper,” Gavril said. “With the others. Protecting them. Not chasing after—”
    She spun on him. “If you tell me I’m chasing butterflies, I swear I’ll stake you to a tree and leave you for the shadow stalkers.”
    “Is that what you think they are? Shadow stalkers?”
    His tone had softened, and she deflated. “I don’t know.”
    “Your duty is to protect the group, not the individual. The group is back there with your sister. That’s what your cat is trying to tell you. You can’t help Jonas.”
    “I was too slow. I should have grabbed him before they dragged him off.”
    He exhaled, almost a sigh. “No one else could either.”
    “I’m supposed to be better than that. I need to be.”
    She found her blade and let Daigo lead her back the way they’d come. As they walked, Moria caught Ashyn’s voice.
    “Ignore it,” Ashyn was saying. “Stay close to me and don’t—”
    “They’re closing in! We need to run!” It was Levi. The fool.
    “Not without my sister.”
    “Then you wait for your sister.”
    Running footfalls sounded. Levi had bolted.
    Moria started to run. Gavril leaped in front of her and barreled along the path.
    “No!” Ashyn’s voice. “Oswald! Don’t go after him!”
    Moria heard Oswald’s and Levi’s pounding footsteps as they took off, deeper into the forest.
    “By the spirits!” The snarled shout came from the boy, Ronan. “Are you both mad? Get back—!”
    A scream cut him short. Moria had once heard a terrible scream once when a guard lost his arm during a drunken sword fight. This was beyond that. And it was Levi’s voice.
    Moria tried to push past Gavril as they ran. When he wouldn’t move, she ducked, but his arm shot out and she ran into it with an oomph .
    “It’s too late,” he said.
    “It’s not. You go to Ashyn and take care of her. I—”
    “No.”
    She let out a hiss of frustration and dodged past him. He grabbed for her, but she was too fast. She ran, as Daigo cleared the way so she wouldn’t trip again.
    When she stumbled, Gavril grabbed her cloak, but she’d already recovered. She’d simply tripped in surprise as the forest opened into a small clearing.
    They didn’t have a lantern. The only illumination was that sickly gray moonlight. But when Moria stepped into that clearing, she could