A crash of foliage above Kyra made her jump. Nearby, a tree bent and swayed under an invisible weight as leaves rustled and rained down. Against the moonlight, Kyra saw a shadow: a long tail, curling and straightening in the branches.

Kyra dove back behind the tree, heart pounding wildly. Had the beast seen her? She kept absolutely still, too terrified to move. But there was no roar or shout. Kyra reminded herself to breathe and risked another look.

Now that she noticed one demon cat, she saw others. Four cats total, leaping from tree to tree in the same direction as their riders. The entire group was traveling somewhere. She trailed them, staying well behind the group and timing her movements so they were masked by the cats’ tree landings.

Kyra grew more and more alarmed as she followed them. The Demon Riders were headed toward Forge. She trailed them a little longer, hoping they would turn, but their path didn’t waver. If they really were going to the city, she needed to find Tristam. Making one last note of where they were, Kyra retraced her steps. She burst through the trees to find Tristam pacing the ground in front of his hiding place.

“They’re on the move,” she said without preamble.

“The Demon Riders?”

“They’re going to Forge. We have to get back.”

She could see his dark eyes moving as he absorbed her words. He gave a curt nod. “Let’s go.”

She dashed back in the direction from which he’d come, but she soon realized Tristam wasn’t used to running in the dark. Several times, Kyra rushed ahead, only to have to wait as Tristam caught up. Even at that pace, he was coming dangerously close to twisting an ankle. Thankfully, the demon cats left so many fallen branches in their wake that even Kyra could follow their trail.

The tracks continued to lead straight toward Forge. After a while, Kyra and Tristam ditched the trails for the main road. Kyra breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the guardhouse and hitched Lady back up to the cart.

Finally, the trees gave way to farmland. In the red glow of dawn, she could see the outlines of Forge. But it was too early for sunrise. Tristam had noticed the glow as well, and he reined Lady in. Kyra hopped out to get a better look.

“No,” Tristam whispered.

Kyra’s skin prickled as she realized his meaning. “Are you sure?” she asked.

Tristam’s eyes remained fixed on the horizon. His hands clenched the reins in a death grip. In the distance, the red flickered and grew as the first plumes of smoke rolled into the sky.

Twenty-six

T W E N T Y - S I X