‘Nope,’ Tatum said immediately. ‘If you go, someone will wind up dead. It’s the only way that ends.’

‘Not necessarily.’

Tatum took a step towards him. ‘You can’t get to her without getting through him. Tell me I’m wrong.’

If they made it back to Hampstead Keep, she was never leaving there again. ‘I’ll figure it out on the way.’

‘You’re not going,’ Tatum said calmly, ‘and that’s final.’

Blackmane stared at him. ‘Really? You’re going to tell me to stay? Do nothing?’

‘Don’t give me that horseshit. We’ve done plenty, much more than we were ever allowed to.’ He gestured to the children. ‘Look around you.’

Blackmane pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘I swear to you, before Belenus, if you let me go, Hodge will return to Hampstead Keep alive.’

Tatum’s jaw tightened. ‘You don’t even know which way they went.’

‘I’ll track them.’

There was a long silence before Tatum threw his hands in the air in defeat. ‘Fucking love.’ He shook his head. ‘I better not regret this.’

Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

Blackmane took the most direct route, knowing Hodge would be keen to get her back behind walls as quickly as possible. That meant he had to move quickly to make up for lost time.

He rode at a steady canter, eyeing the hoof tracks on the road without knowing if he was following the right ones. At least he did not have to worry about random rebel attacks anymore. They were all a little preoccupied at that time.

An hour into his journey, he noticed Margery circling overhead. He slowed his horse to a walk and watched her a moment. She was hovering directly above him. Shaking his head, he raised one arm in the air and waited to see what she would do. She surprised him by flying down and landing on him, eyeing him warily from the farthest point on his arm.

‘How do we do this?’ Blackmane asked the bird. ‘Because you have no idea what I'm saying, and I have no idea what you’re thinking.’

The eagle jerked her head left and right, studying him from every possible angle.

‘I know you don’t want her going back to that place either. Where is she?’ He released a breath and looked heavenward. ‘And now I’m talking to a bird.’

Margery spread her wings and flew off but returned a moment later as though waiting for him.

Blackmane kicked his horse back into a canter. ‘If you’re going east and I’m going east, then we may as well go east together.’

A short time after, Margery dipped left and disappeared into the trees. Blackmane brought his horse to a halt and stared after her. He could not afford to lose time by participating in a wild-goose chase. Or, in this case, a domesticated-eagle chase. He had an hour of sunlight left at best.