Songbird by Colleen Helme Page A

between the rocks. It was hard to see with rocks camouflaging the break. Beyond the opening, they picked their way up a sharp incline to the left and soon emerged at the top of a hill.
    Bran set a grueling pace, riding deep into the forest. They followed a well-ridden track and kept to it for speed. After several miles, they came to a fork in the road. After taking one path, Bran cut through the brush toward the other.
    The detour slowed them down, but after that, she couldn’t hear any signs of pursuit. They emerged onto the other road and sped up, hoping to lose their pursuers once and for all. When they came to a small stream, Bran stopped to let the horses drink and rest for a moment.
    “Did you see who it was?” Teya asked.
    “No. I didn’t have a chance, but I can only assume they were King Thesald's men. I don’t know how they found us so fast.” Bran’s brows furrowed. “There aren’t that many people who know about the cove.”
    Teya’s shoulders tensed. Had Jax or Clare been caught? “If we weren’t followed, then maybe taking off the kundar released magic of some kind that led them to us.”
    “Perhaps, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. We need to keep going. They might not be far behind.” He glanced at her hesitantly before asking, “Is there anything you can do to slow them down?”
    His question caught her off-guard. Things were desperate if he wanted her to use magic, especially when she had no idea what she could do without the kundar around her neck. When she hesitated, he added, “Think about it. We’ve got a good lead for now, and hopefully we can lose them in the mountains. Let’s go.”
    He urged his horse into the stream and Teya followed, still unsure of what to do. They slogged through the stream a few miles until it turned into a river that was too deep for the horses.
    Once on dry ground, they headed up a rocky incline and dismounted at the top of a rise. Searching the forest below, Bran pointed to the riverbed. Two men on horseback had just entered the stream. “I wonder if they’re using sym to track us.”
    Teya hadn’t thought of that. If others could use magic against them, then what was she waiting for? “Let me try something.” She concentrated on the water. Its source was high above them, but if she could stir it up, it could turn into a powerful torrent.
    She listened to the sound of the rushing water and formed the notes in her mind. Taking a deep breath, she drew out the notes, low and hard. Bending the current to her will, the water churned into a frothing whirlpool. She held the water back as long as she could before releasing the turbid mass.
    The water crashed back into the river with a powerful roar. Below, the riders paused before understanding dawned. In a sudden blur, the water surged over them with breaking waves. Thrown from their horses, Teya lost sight of the riders and dread formed a knot in her stomach. She hadn’t meant to kill them. An instant later, she caught sight of their dark heads bobbing in the water before they disappeared from view.
    “Do you think they’ll survive?” she asked Bran.
    He nodded absently. “No doubt they’ll wash up somewhere downstream. I don’t think we need to worry about them for the time being.” His wary glance held new respect, and something close to awe.
    She didn’t know what to say. She’d never done anything like that before. It was both exhilarating and frightening at the same time. Still, she didn’t want him to be intimidated by her.
    “Are we headed in the right direction?” he asked.
    “Yes,” Teya closed her eyes and felt the pull. “It’s straight through there.”
    Bran nodded. “Then let’s keep moving.”
    Following Bran, she marveled at how easy it had been to summon her magic. She was so conditioned to having it cause her pain that she was almost afraid of it. Under the direction of King Thesald, she had used magic to influence people’s minds, to calm them, or dazzle