Morrigan whinnied. If Lily hadn’t already been nervous, she would have shaken off the concern that was laced through such a simple, natural noise for the horse. But Lily was nervous, and Morrigan seemed to be too.

Lily jumped, her stomach experiencing an uncomfortable swoop as the horse suddenly shot up. She stood directly in front of Lily, glaring down at her, her hooves scraping into the dirt like she wanted to run.

They were still surrounded by damp fog and the shadows of the setting sun cast strange shapes both up ahead and back in the direction from which they had come. More than once, Lily had been sure she’d seen someone out there, following at a near-invisible distance. She had shaken it off as worry shrouded in the immense tiredness that coursed through her body. Still, the twisting, clenching ache in the pit of her stomach was enough to keep her glancing behind her every few moments, sure that she would see a figure materialise from the fog.

She tried, unsuccessfully, to calm the horse, but Morrigan wouldn’t settle.

‘What’s got into you?’ Lily whispered, trying to keep her voice confident and calm. She realised there was no use fighting the stubborn mare. Reluctantly, Lily clambered back into Morrigan’s saddle and dug her heels into the horse’s sides, encouraging the tired creature to keep on moving. The faster they reached the coaching inn, the sooner they could both rest their aching limbs. She kept picturing the azure flicker of the sea on the horizon, searching for some kind of confirmation that she hadn’t strayed too far from the road, that she was still travelling towards Kelseth, towards Alice.

They had barely moved a few strides before a violet strike of lightning spiked across the sky, briefly illuminating the world around them. Rain started to hammer from above, and within moments she was soaked to the skin and shivering ferociously. Her horse continued to canter forwards, seemingly unabated by the brutal weather, and Lily was thankful all over again for the company and strength Morrigan provided. What would she have done without her? Lightning flashed through the sky again, but this time, Lily saw something else.

Something strange.

The prickling feeling on the back of her neck returned as she saw a hooded figure on a horse in the distance. The figure seemed to notice her at the same time; they locked eyes across the heath and then he was charging towards her, flying like a person possessed. With a shout, Lily commanded Morrigan to run, urging the horse to go as fast as she possibly could, away from their pursuer.

Rain blinded Lily and stung her skin as it slapped against her frozen face. Breath broke from her lungs in gasps and Morrigan panted heavily beneath her from the exertion. She didn’t waver though, and she didn’t stumble. She valiantly carried Lily onwards, away from the shadow on their tail.

‘Leave me alone,’ Lily whispered. ‘Please leave me alone.’ Fear rumbled through her. She felt like she might drown in it. She willed the rider to give up, to realise she wasn’t the person he was seeking. Scrunching her eyes closed, she begged and pleaded to the rainclouds to drive him away.