After escaping the hollow, they ran until their lungs burned, until Aeron's legs felt like heated iron rods beneath him, until Zenovia's breathing became so weak and uneven that even her pride could no longer keep her upright.
In the end, Aeron found that they had no choice but to hide.
Besides, it was completely dark out now, apart from the glow of the moon, and Aeron was convinced that as long as they hid well enough, it would not be easy for the demons to find them in the darkness of the great forest.
They found a narrow space beneath the twisted roots of an ancient tree, a place half-covered by moss, hanging vines, and the natural darkness of the Great Forest.
Aeron dragged Zenovia inside first, then covered their tracks as best as he could before slipping in after her. He was not an expert at hiding, not like Zenovia, not like Darin had been, but desperation had a way of sharpening even clumsy hands.
