Lady Catt thought the bird was insane, personally.
There was nothing in this wilderness, not a Seelie or anything else.
So much for the grand entertainments of the Unseelie Court, she thought wryly. Is this what we've come to, we who once hunted Seelie High Court elves like deer in this forest? Chasing the illusions of Seelie prey? Is this what we are now? Brave hunters of squirrels?
"They've picked up a scent!" the Master said, pointing to where the Hounds eagerly sniffed the dark ground. One of the Hounds bayed, then another, a fierce sound, and the others took up the call. The Hounds surged forward, away from the Unseelie lords and ladies astride their horses.
"It's a human!" the Master shouted, bending low over the neck of his horse and spurring it into a gallop.
A human? But there are none left alive here, only the slaves and servants . . . it's not possible!
Catt raced after him, her own magic reaching out to find the source of the Hounds' eagerness. The other Unseelie lords followed them, no longer the disinterested, bored band of courtiers that had left the Queen's castle a few hours before.
"A human mage," Catt called, sensing the lure of power like a beacon in front of her. She could feel the incandescent glow of magic, bright against the deadness of the surrounding land and trees. It moved quickly through the trees before them. She sensed the sudden taste of fear rippling through the human's magic.
"We'll take it alive," she shouted, loud enough to be heard over the pummeling hooves of the horses on the damp ground. "A gift to our Queen!"
She was close enough to him that she could hear the snarl that transformed the Master's face beneath his horned helmet. "Do as I say," she hissed, "or risk Her wrath!"
He nodded once, then spurred his horse to even greater speed. The elven horses strained beneath their riders to follow him, moving quickly through the shadowed forest.
Kayla slid down a slimy embankment, landing on her knees in the icy water of the stream. She lurched to her feet again, scrambling for a handhold on the opposite bank.
Come on, run, they're closer, they're getting closer, they're—
She grabbed for the low, glistening roots that extended out from the muddy bank above her head and screamed in sudden surprise as those roots came to life, wrapping themselves tightly around her hands and wrists. Kayla struggled to pull free, unable to stop screaming.
She could feel the roots doing more than holding her fast; they were pulling at something inside her, feeding off the magic inside her. She tried even harder to pull free, then felt a surge of magic coursing through her hands from within, culminating in a bright flash of light. The roots fell away, shriveling and dying instantly, and Kayla fell backwards into the water with a splash.
For a moment, she couldn't do anything but hold her hands to her face and cry.
This place is so horrible, it's awful, please, somebody get me out of here!
Stop it! Got to keep running, keep running . . .
The wolves were getting closer every second. Regaining her feet, Kayla staggered down the streambed, sloshing through the cold water and trying not to slip on the wet stones. She clambered up a sandy bank, carefully not touching any of the tree roots that dangled near her, and stopped for a moment at the top to catch her breath. She could hear the wolves howling frantically and eagerly.
Then, with an inhuman scream that echoed through the trees, a wolf burst from the cover of the trees on the opposite bank of the stream. In the split-second that it paused there, she saw it wasn't a wolf at all, but a black hound with yellow eyes, nearly as tall as she was. It howled once, triumphantly, and then leaped across the wide stream directly at her.
Kayla didn't even have enough time to scream as the gigantic hound knocked her to the ground. She tried to roll out from under it, but its jaws clamped down on her arm, painful but not breaking the skin, holding her fast. Her struggles sent them rolling off the bank and into the icy water, but the dog's teeth wouldn't let go.
Desperate, Kayla grabbed for the dog's nose, twisting it sharply. The huge dog yelped in surprise and let go of her. She staggered to her feet and then ran as fast as she could, splashing down the stream.
As she ran, she could hear the whimpers and whining of the hound behind her, joined by the barks and howling of the rest of the pack.
The stream widened suddenly into a still lake, quiet and dark beneath the moonlight, surrounded by a meadow of tall grasses. Kayla fell onto the sandy shore, too exhausted to go any further. She crawled into the thick grass and lay there for a moment, trying to catch her breath.
Please, just let me wake up now, make them go away, please please . . .
The howls of the hounds were all around her now, and a new sound: the stomping of horses' hooves and the jangle of metal. She tried to get up, and something kicked her back down again, something heavy and hard as stone.