My body lurched forward as the carriage suddenly stopped. Alaric and the other guards' horses had raced by, the hooves thudding into the snow. He turned his head, shouting after us. I looked at the guard, who was now slumped to the side, the reins falling from his armour-gloved fingers.
The carriage tilted slightly and I gripped the sides. It didn't topple but the guard started to slip to the side. I grabbed his chest plate and opened the helmet and pulled back, wide-eyed. He was foaming at the mouth, his eyes blank and gradually went glassy.
My heart stuttered as the screeching grew louder, snapping me out of my daze. A shadow descended from, the sky, enormous and menacing. Its screech tore through the night. It was coming right for us.