The ground broke beneath Lucian’s hand.
Snow and stone slid away from the root, opening a black seam along the edge of the slope.
Edric vanished between the trees.
Evelyn had a clear path after him.
Five seconds. Maybe less.
Behind her, Lucian dropped another inch beneath the trunk.
“Go!” he shouted. “Take him!”
That made the choice simple.
Evelyn turned away from Edric.
She slid down the slope and caught the trunk before it rolled again.
Pain tore through her injured shoulder.
Lucian’s lower body remained pinned beneath the wood. One leg had disappeared under packed snow. His fingers had gone white around the root.
Marcus reached the top of the slope.
His bad leg folded. He caught a tree before he fell.
“Tell me what you need.”
“You can’t reach us safely.”
“I can secure a
