The ride to the border shrine took most of two days, and by the second morning, Julian's body had started failing him in ways he could no longer hide from Seraphine.
His hands shook too badly to hold the reins properly, forcing him to loop them twice around his wrist just to keep from dropping them entirely. Sweat soaked through his shirt despite the cold mountain air, and twice he'd had to stop, doubled over his horse's neck, waiting for his vision to stop swimming before he could continue.
"We should rest," Seraphine said, reining her horse alongside his, her expression tight with concern she no longer bothered hiding.
"We don't have time."
"You'll have even less time if you collapse off this horse and c***k your skull on the rocks." Her voice sharpened, more command than suggestion.
