Aerenden: The Child Returns (Ærenden) by Kristen Taber Page A

covered her mouth
with his hand. He kept his eyes locked on the clearing as he pulled her into a
thicker part of the forest, then he pressed his lips to her ear. “Mardróch,” he
whispered.
    In
the waning light, she had missed them, but their rotting stench sat in the air.
They skulked along the edge of the clearing. One paused, turning his hooded
head toward Nick and Meaghan’s hiding place, and then glided partway into the
forest. She shrank a step back, stilling when Nick tightened his hand on her
shoulder. An almost imperceptible shake of his head kept her immobile.
    She
held her breath. The creature moved closer, raising and lowering his chin in a
way that reminded her of a dog sniffing for food. He paused, glided closer, and
then turned away. Relieved, she exhaled, but found it impossible to move when
the creature raised his hand to signal the others. Three Mardróch charged on
Nick and Meaghan’s hiding place. One of them raised his arms and Nick pushed
her toward the clearing.
    “Run!”
he commanded as bolts of electricity shot from the creature’s hands, exploding
their hiding place. Wood and dirt flew into the air. Despite her protesting
ankle, she propelled forward, launching over rocks as she fled. She heard Nick
panting close behind her.
    Out
of the corners of her eyes, she saw the creatures flanking her. They moved
faster, unimpeded by the rocky terrain. The electricity they threw into the
field corralled her and Nick rather than hitting them. Soon, Meaghan faced a
rock wall on the side of a mountain, a dead end. She veered toward one of the
creatures in an effort to find another route, and then came to a halt when she
realized Nick no longer followed her. She turned and spotted him a few yards
away. A Mardróch had blocked his path.
    The
creature faced Nick, who stood stiff, his feet planted and sinking into the
mud. His arms hung at his sides. His face showed no emotion.
    Meaghan
did not understand why he did not move or try to escape. The creature had not
attacked. Nick could fight, yet he did nothing. She took a step toward them,
but froze when a wave of fear struck her. Her own terror flooded her brain,
masking the foreign emotion at first, but once she felt it, she knew it was
Nick’s.
    She
heard a whispering movement behind her and turned her head to see the other two
Mardróch approaching. One raised his hand to his hood and she understood. The
dranx’s eyes had been red because of its power, and so were the Mardróch’s.
    She
averted her eyes when the creature removed his hood and then she took off
running. She headed straight for the Mardróch guarding Nick, tackled him, and
sent him sprawling to the ground. His body felt denser than she had expected,
and she scrambled away to prevent him from flipping her over. He whipped his
red eyes toward her, but before he could catch her gaze, a hand grasped her
own, yanking her away.
    Nick
pulled her behind him as they fled from the field toward the mountain. The
creatures pursued, howling in anger, a mournful, high-pitched wail that hurt
her ears. This time, the electricity cascading from their hands did not aim to
miss. Rocks exploded beside them as they charged up the mountain. They dodged
around a boulder, then up a dirt path hidden behind it. When Nick spotted a
cave large enough for two people, he tugged Meaghan into it, pulling her down
at the entrance so they could view the trail.
    “They’ll
see us,” she protested, tugging on his hand. “Nick, please,” she tried again,
quieting when he held his finger to his lips.
    The
Mardróch circled the boulder. They stared toward the cave and Meaghan tensed
for a fight, but the creatures kept moving without slowing down. She shrank
back as they glided past, their cloaks swirling into the entrance of the cave
inches from touching her arms. They continued up the trail, and then
disappeared around a sharp bend. Meaghan waited several minutes to ensure the
Mardróch would be out of earshot before she