The restful stillness of the forest did nothing to help her stay awake. With each passing moment, Selene’s eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Her body longed to sleep like someone parched longed for water.

They stopped midday to rest and eat the bread and cheese the people of Riveram had provided. Selene had just closed her eyes when Taegis announced it was time to go. So back on her horse she went, her tired body now sore from riding.

They rode all afternoon, the scenery never changing. Selene held her cloak close to her body as evening brought a cold wind with it. The sky darkened above. She watched Taegis, waiting for him to announce it was time to stop, while calculating how soon she could call it a night and fall asleep.

When it became too dark to see, Taegis held up his hand. “We’ll camp here for the night.” He pointed toward a small break in the trees to the right.

Selene slid off her horse before anyone could assist her. Every heartbeat was heavy inside her chest, and her body ached. But she couldn’t rest, not yet. She would not be idle while the men took care of the horses and set up camp.

A half hour later, a fire was burning in the middle of the clearing, the horses were munching on the grass along the perimeter, and Sten was passing around dried meat and small brown loaves of bread.

Selene chewed on the meat and watched the fire from a distant log, while the men sat around the fire and ate. She looked up. Only stars shone on the night of this new moon. Tomorrow the disciples of the Dark Lady would meet in the sanctuary, as they did the morning of every new moon.

Selene placed her bread aside and pulled her cloak close to her body. Thanks to Damien’s water barrier, her mother could not follow her here to the Northern Shores. But the Dark Lady surely could.

“Not hungry?”

Selene glanced over to find Damien watching her.

“I’m more tired than hungry.” She picked up the bread and held it out. “Here. Perhaps someone else has need of it.”

He took it, a concerned look on his face, and walked toward the supplies. A moment later, he returned with a woolen blanket in hand and held it out to her. “Feel free to go to sleep whenever you like.”

The way he looked at her, and his thoughtful gesture, touched something inside of her. “Thank you.”

After he went back to the fire, Selene rolled the blanket out, lay down on top, and pulled half of it over her. Her whole body sighed with relief and before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

Images sped across her mind: a spilled jug of water and a flying fist; a wracking cough from the bed in a corner; staring down at gnarled, lonely hands. And a dark figure, like a shadow, hovering in the background of each dream.