The instant Aeron and Kaela ducked into the alleyway, cries rang out from the entrance of the bookshop.
"The Riftbearer was here! Find him!"
Aeron's heart slammed. They knew.
Kaela yanked on his arm. "We need to get moving—now!"
They ran down the narrow alley, boots thudding on the wet cobblestone. The shadows fanned out behind them. Aeron didn't have to glance back to be certain that the assassins of the Order were already tracking them.
A harsh whistle pierced the air.
Kaela swore. "That's a signal—they're closing in on us!"
Aeron ground his teeth together. They had to leave Blackmere before they were fully encircled.
In front of them, the alley diverged into two routes. Kaela braked to a halt.
"Left or right?" she demanded.
Aeron's gut yelled left, but before he could reply—
An arrow whizzed past his head and buried itself in the wooden wall next to him.
"Not left," Kaela growled.
They dashed to the right, coming out into a small marketplace. The handful of vendors still open stared in shock as two hooded men ran through their stands, sending crates of fruit and baskets of cloth tumbling.
Aeron dared a look over her shoulder. Three assassins. All wearing the same black robes as the killers who had struck in the Marrow Hills.
The Order wasn't merely observing. They had orchestrated this.
A Risky Plan
"We can't outrun them," Aeron panted.
Kaela drew an arrow. "We don't need to."
Aeron didn't have time to ask what she was doing before she whirled, firing towards a huge wooden cart laden with barrels.
THUNK.
Her arrow hit the cart's axle, splintering it in two.
The whole thing came crashing down—barrels tumbling into the street, slamming into stalls, fruit and debris flying everywhere.
The assassins slid to a stop, having to work their way around the pandemonium.
Kaela smiled. "That'll slow 'em down."
Aeron pulled her wrist. "We need horses."
She gestured up ahead. "Stables. By the gate."
They ran through the dispersing crowd. The outer walls of the town rose in the distance, and beyond them—the open plains leading to the Crimson Wastes.
If they could only make it past the gates—
A deafening roar tore the air apart.
Aeron spun just in time to witness a huge, cloaked figure vaulting onto a rooftop.
Its hood fell back, and a monstrous visage was revealed—blackened skin, empty eyes ablaze with violet fire.
Aeron's hand on his hammer tightened.
This was no assassin.
It was something far worse.
The Shadowborn Hunter
The monster fell into the road with a jolt that shook the earth. At least seven feet tall, its body covered in torn black armor, radiating symbols carved into its arms.
An assassin behind them collapsed to his knees, shaking.
"The Shadowborn…" he mouthed in terror.
Kaela's face went white. "Tell me that's not what I believe it is."
Aeron had no clue what a Shadowborn was, but this much was certain—even the men of the Order were afraid of it.
The beast focused on Aeron. It didn't wait.
It attacked.
Aeron's Last Stand
Aeron just managed to raise his hammer in defense. The force of the blow almost broke both his arms.
The power of the punch pushed him backward, boots scuffling against the earth. The hammer vibrated in his hand, fighting to contain the raw darkness emanating from the creature's fists.
Kaela released an arrow—a direct shot to the chest.
The Shadowborn caught it out of the air.
Aeron's eyes went wide. "That's not fair."
Kaela cursed. "What do we do?"
The Shadowborn advanced another step. The earth split beneath its feet.
Aeron struggled to take in air. He had only one attempt.
He concentrated—not on the beast, but on the hammer itself.
Silver flames flared along the runes, spreading to cover the head of the weapon. The air was charged with vibration.
The Shadowborn cocked its head. "Ah," it sighed. "A Riftguard weapon."
Aeron did not allow it time to move.
He struck.
The effect released a blast of pure light, slamming into the Shadowborn's chest like a tempest. The pressure shattered the marketplace, tossing stalls aside.
The creature growled, its shoulders stumbling backward.
It didn't fall.
But it paused.
And that was their opportunity.
Kaela yanked Aeron's sleeve. "RUN."
Escape into the Crimson Wastes
They ran toward the stables. Aeron's heart thudded as he vaulted onto a horse, catching the reins.
Kaela mounted another alongside him, facing the gates.
Additional assassins stepped out of the darkness.
But the Shadowborn wasn't pursuing them. It only stood there, observing, its blazing eyes fixed on Aeron.
As if it had already determined that this wasn't finished.
Aeron dug his heels into the horse's flanks.
They came through the gates of Blackmere, galloping into the open wasteland.
The last Aeron saw before they vanished into the darkness was t
he Shadowborn Hunter, waiting in the remains of the marketplace.
Waiting.
And deep within, Aeron knew.
It would come for him once more.