I tried to come up with a pithy reply, but in actuality I was relieved when Victoria’s voice cut through the need for any further words.

“The centaurs have left the rear of the temple and are moving out across the grounds.” She was looking intently to the north. “The mares have been loosed.” She paused. “They are in position—ClanFintan has signaled. Begin moving out!” The ring of warriors started forward as Victoria left the wall and galloped to the front of their ranks.

The pace increased steadily as the front of the phalanx passed through the safety of the temple walls. By the time those of us in the center of the phalanx departed the temple, we were jogging.

What had started out as a foggy, rainy dawn was rapidly becoming a clear, warm morning. I was pleased to see the distinct outline of the sun above and in front of us. Please, Goddess, I prayed, let it burn off all of this fog and be a serious hot pain in the ass (or wherever) to the Fomorians. I craned my head around to the left, trying to get a glimpse of the battlefield, but between the last vestiges of the fog and the tight ring of warriors, I couldn’t see anything.

But soon I realized that didn’t matter, because I could hear. Sounds of shrieks and snarls drifted eerily over the treeless temple grounds.

“Keep moving!” Victoria shouted when the women reacted to the noise by faltering in their steady jog.

“Come on.” I took up Vic’s encouragement and called to the women surrounding me. “We’ll be fine—just keep up with the warriors.”

Then the sound of hooves thundered through the dissipating mist, and as the last of the fog lifted, the herd of terrified mares galloped into view. They milled around, white-eyed and uncertain, when they saw us.

“Do you see Epi?” I yelled above the din, trying to pick her out from the sea of moving horses.

“No!” Carolan answered.

Then my eyes widened in horror as a dark, winged shape came into view. Then another, and another. They mowed through the terrified horses, slashing and clawing. Somewhere behind me one of the girls screamed, and that piercing cry carried across the field. I could see Fomorian heads swivel in our direction, and they left off the slaughter of the horses and began their gliding run toward us.

“Forward! Move!” I shouted in my best teacher voice, and our group surged forward. Another screech drew my attention back to the battlefield, and I looked over my shoulder in time to see a centaur warrior chase down and hack the head from one of the creatures pursuing us.

“They’ve broken through the centaur ranks, but the warriors are in pursuit.” Carolan’s voice was grim.

I tried to move forward while keeping part of my attention focused on what was happening behind us. The mares were still panicked, and they milled around haphazardly. More Fomorians were coming after us, but now I could plainly see the line of centaur warriors. They were still battling the Fomorian army, and attempting to pursue single creatures as they broke through. But they couldn’t catch them all. And the dark winged shapes were gaining on us.

“Where is the damn river?” I yelled to Alanna.

“We are not yet halfway there.” Her face was white.

“Huntresses, fall out and arm your bows!” Victoria’s calm voice ordered, and five magnificent Huntresses stepped fluidly out of the phalanx, notching their crossbows as they moved. “Sight and fire at will.” The ping of loosed arrows, and the shrieks of wounded Fomorians followed her words.

“Warriors, shields up!” The ring of men and centaurs around us responded instantly, temporarily blocking our view of the converging creatures.

The first creatures reached the phalanx, and our ranks responded with a violence that rippled through our group. Through breaks in the shielding men, I was able to catch glimpses of single creatures as they struck at our warriors. When a Fomorian fell, another stepped over him and assumed his place.

We kept moving forward.