The Grey Men marched on, hissing like snakes. I kept away from them, scenting instead a herd of deer that had waited too long to run. A burst of speed, and I surprised one, grabbing it and wrapping a piece of Laurel’s red gown around it. The deer escaped, the fabric fluttering from its fragile leg red as a wound.

The last scrap of cloth was gone. The Grey Men were starting to swerve from their formation, chasing Laurel’s scent tied to the wrong prey. Soon the deer would be slaughtered, and we’d lose our hold on this corner of the woods, but if I ran, we might have a chance to escape.

As I turned, a bitter scent choked me. A familiar crackling filled the air, magnified a thousand-fold. At my feet, beetles wriggled out of the wood and fled. Not away from the Grey Men. Towards them.

My skin prickled with old fear, and I knew what Laurel had done.

* * *

In the end, Haakon held the axe in his teeth as he crawled. His muscles strained and sweat poured down his bare back, but we moved closer to the cliff.

“There,” I pointed. “There’s a cave.”

“Go,” he gritted out between clenched teeth.

“I will, once you hide.”

He sped up. I bit my lip and waited.

Behind us, the bonfire raged out of control. It had spread faster than I would’ve guessed, the flames eating up the dry tinder at the base of the pines. It hadn’t crossed the wet patch of earth at the bottom of the ravine, yet.

I didn’t dare breathe until Haakon crawled into the mouth of the small cave.

“I’ll be all right, lass!” he called, clutching the axe. “It’s damp enough here. Leave me. Climb the cliff—get to higher ground. Ulf will find you.

I ran out, and stopped dead. Grey Men emerged from the trees on the hill above the ravine, pale and stinking as maggots A hissing sound came from them, loud enough to contend with the fire. They held spears. If they came quickly, they could avoid the fire. The spears would reach Haakon and…

“Go, lass. What are you waiting for?”

“I’m the prize the Corpse King wants, right? The Grey Men will not hurt me.”

“They will try to take you! Wait for Ulf—”

“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I cannot obey.” Then I raised my voice and waved my hands, scrambling down the hill towards the fire. “Hey! Over here!”

The Grey Men poured from the tree line, headed in my direction. Some seemed to hesitate at the hot flames, but when one stumbled, another knocked it down and walked over it, taking its place.

“Come on,” I shouted, and coughed. The smoke was growing thick. Bending over, I ran with streaming eyes until I found what I wanted. A long branch, its end dabbed with pitch. Grabbing it, I ran through the oven hot air, and thrust the branch into the blaze. It flared immediately.

The Grey Men could try to take me. They would burn.

Coughing on smoke, I took my torch and whirled towards my enemy.

“You want me? You can have me.” Flaming torch high, I ran at the group of Grey Men. Several recoiled.

The Grey Man nearest to me lifted his spear so the end pointed skyward. I felt a rush of triumph. I was right; they would not dare kill me.

I thrust my torch at him, and confirmed my second hunch. Grey Men were corpses—old ones at that. The torch set the one before me alight.

Dry skin and bone crackled under the flame, crumbling to dust.

I screamed, and choked on the vile smoke.

The Grey Man fell, engulfed by flame. It rolled in the bush, spreading the fire to its comrades. Dead hands reached for me, and I set them all alight.

With hissing cries, the Grey Men fell under the fire.

Eyes and nose streaming, coughing, I ran back the way I came, but everywhere was fire.

“Laurel!” Ulf stood on the crest of the hill.

“Here,” I shouted, throat raw, and shied as more bushes around me burst into flame. Any Grey Men left in this forest would burn.

I only hoped Haakon would not burn with them.

Ulf raced towards me, slowing as he avoided patches of flame. Sweat rolled down his body. His scarred face was a mask, but this time I could read his expression. Fear.

The sap in a pine tree exploded and I covered my head against the raining sparks.

“Laurel,” Ulf called. “Come to me.”

“Ulf, I can’t! The flames.”

“Come to me. I won’t let you burn.”

But when I ran towards him, the heat crackled in my face, hotter than the hottest oven. I thought I could bear it, but I could not.

With a roar, he ran through the fire to me. The creature who reached me was half man, half beast. The flames tore at his furred body.

He caught me and ran back up the hill. Past the trees, not falling as the fire consumed them from within. Past the flaming remains of the Grey Men. I kept an arm over my eyes to protect them from the smoke. The breath left my lungs, my skin blistered in the heat, but he held me close.

“Are you hurt? Are you burned?”

I clung to him.

I shook my head. It hurt to speak.

All around, the flames devoured the forest.

What had I done?

“Ulf—” I choked out, my throat raw and screaming for water, “we must get Haakon—”

“Too late.”

And I realized what I done. I’d killed him. I’d killed my mate.

I dropped my arm, rolling in Ulf’s arms to look back at the red waste. The world blurred. Smoke filled my lungs.

“Laurel? Laurel! Hang on—”

I let the darkness take me.