Page 67 of Lady Knight and the Thief

Torren grunted his approval. “That is what I surmised, as well.”

“Have you sent any of the Fair Folk out to inspect the other tombs? Haveallof the Hounds awoken, or just this–” Cypress hesitated, unsure what to name the group that once resided here. “–pack?”

“Three other packs have escaped, in addition to this one.”

“So four out of how many?”

“Thirteen.”

Cypress sucked in a breath.

“And were they all this size?”

“This was the first to be breached, then the others fell in succession. So far, this cavern is the largest of the ones we’ve searched.”

Cypress nodded. If this was the largest, it likely held the most Hounds. If the others were breached quickly after, then it was only a matter of time before all of the Hounds would be released from their bounds.

“Torren…” Cypress started, a startling thought sending ice through her veins.

“Lass…” Torren drawled in response, giving her an odd look.

“What happens when the Hounds are all awake, but the Old One still sleeps?”

Cypress couldn’t tear the image of a thousand winged, feral hounds running rampant through villages, slaughtering humans without regard from her mind.

“By the look on your face, I’d wager you figured it out yourself, Lass,” Torren said quietly. Pity coated every syllable.

She swallowed, anxiety rippling through her core. They needed to get out of here, back to the Keep and inform Caelith. She had to be there to protect the Prince. If the Hounds were eternally searching for their first betrayer, then none within the human lands were safe.

Fuck, none withinanyof the lands were safe. Torren said Faerie is ravaged by the Hunt, too.

“How do we get out of here?” Cypress asked, straightening her spine. There wasn’t time for the panic, there wasn’t time for her to get lost in the meaning of all this.

Cypress had a job to do. She would not fail Cade or Caelith.

She refused to.

“You’ll have to get on,” Torren said, throwing his thumb over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry?” Cypress said, blinking at him.

He grinned at her. Glee coated his expression, all of his teeth showing.

“I’m your ride out, Lass,” Torren said, waggling his eyebrows at her.

Cypress sighed. Of course, it would be something as idiotic as this.

Ofcourseit was. Why wouldn’t it be?

She stalked over to him and said, “I swear, if this is some sort of joke, I’m going to strangle you when we get out of this fucking tomb.”

Torren laughed, but bent slightly for her to hop on his back and wrap her legs around his waist.

“I knew I’d get those thighs wrapped around me eventually,” he said, just before he jumped impossibly high and began climbing out of the hole.

Cypress let out an undignified shriek at the sudden leap, but clamped her teeth shut when she heard Torren’s deep, rolling chuckle.

“I hate you,” she said, holding tight to Torren as he heaved them up and out of the hole.