She hadn’t liked it then, either.Mountains rose like a wall of shattered iron to the east, the tops dusted in snow. Lines of smoke decorated the sky to the west as they passed another village, the third since entering Tollavon the day before.The wolfskin fanned her frustration. A part of her had wanted to remain with the Phillipa, to stay and fight. If Snow wanted to reclaim her throne, she had to come to Tollavon eventually. This demon had beaten them twice now. It wouldn’t do so a third time.She quelled the wolf’s anger the best she could. She had been riding since she was five years old, and knew all too well how easily the animals sensed the tension of their riders. Her horse was jumpy enough about Talia’s cape, and wouldn’t have let her ride at all if not for Danielle’s urging.Danielle was right. They weren’t ready to fight the demon. The cape might protect Talia from magic targeted at her, but it wouldn’t stop the demon from opening up the earth to swallow her whole, or shattering trees to crush her.
