In a matter of seconds, it would all be over—I could focus on repairing the damage after.
The dense trees barely let the scant breeze through. Pinching the collar of my shirt, I waved the fabric back and forth to create my own tiny winds. This humidity might very well boil me before they arrived.
A deep breath in, a deep breath out. I fought the thoughts that ate away at my hope, the ones that whispered there was nothing I could do. If I hadn’t left her alone, if I’d stayed at that cabin, I might have been able to fight them off.
Shaking my head and silencing my regrets, I breathed again. In on a five count, out for eight. Stay alert. Fire my arrows.
Stay alert, fire my arrows.
The waiting grew suffocating, and I cursed myself for gaining such a lead. What if there was a road I didn’t see? Another route which they could have taken? Should I start back tracking? Risk losing my position in order to save time?
Recent events dictated that whenever I tried to make things better, I only created a bigger mess. So I remained crouched in the woods, ears sensitive to any nuance or change.
My heart beat so loud I thought it might give me away when I heard the distant sound of chatter. Then I sank into the trained calm that settles before a battle. A predator focused on its prey as I laid in wait.
They came into view, still carrying Alba between them. She appeared conscious, though barely. At least something was going right. The young man and woman strode several feet behind, appearing as two people out for a casual afternoon stroll.Like their companions didn’t literally hold an innocent woman’s life in their hands.
My blood coursed like a raging river, the rapids becoming more violent the closer they got. I remained still as an oak, a foot and knee planted firmly on the ground. The foliage created a wall between me and the road. When they were close enough that I could hear every crunch of their steps on the uneven gravel, I held my breath, letting them pass unaware of the looming death that awaited them. Their footsteps faded from earshot, and I eased from my position. In a matter of seconds, it would be over.
In a matter of seconds, there’d be no undoing what I’d done. Seconds in exchange for a lifetime of guilt and regret.
Peeking over the greenery, I watched as they diverged onto the leftmost path. I rose to my feet, eyes glued on my targets. Approximately one hundred yards of distance between us.
The time had come to line up the first shot. I aimed the arrow, squinting one eye and pulling the string taut.
I leveled my breathing. The arrows would need to fly in rapid succession. No room for mistakes. I started counting down in my mind.
Three… Two…
A twig snapped behind me. Against the nearly soundless forest, it boomed like cannon fire. My heart seized, and I whirled to see a man approaching from behind. Archery instincts took over.
I sent the arrow flying before I even finished turning around.
25
Ro
Years of precise practice yielded results. The arrow hit true, lodging into the man’s thigh. Dead center, embedded right in the bone. He collapsed backward, groans of pain beginning to escape him.
Panic took hold, prompting me to move. If he alerted the others with his cries, it was over. I’d already lost an arrow. If I had to fight against them, I’d be outnumbered. Also ingrained from years of training, I had another arrow loaded and pointing at the man as I closed the short distance between us.
I stood over him, arrow aimed at his chest. “Scream, and this will pierce your heart before you can blink.” Desperation coated my words with lethal venom. If my hushed tone didn’t connote my seriousness, the rage in my eyes certainly did. To his credit, despite the agonizing pain he must be feeling, he fought through it to obey.
Shit. What the fuck just happened?
“Are you with them?” I briefly tilted my head in the direction my arrows should currently be flying.
He held up his hands in submission, brow furrowed, teeth clenched. “Why do you want to know?”
“That’s a pretty fucking ballsy question, considering the position you’re in.” Emphasizing my suspended kill shot, I lifted my eyebrows, encouraging him to cooperate.
“I think it’s a pretty smart question, considering the answer holds a fifty-fifty chance of you killing me.” He gritted his teeth, a fresh layer of perspiration dotting his dark brow. His black hair was half pulled back, the rest pooling over his shoulders.
“Are. You. With. Them,” I repeated.
His jaw ticked. “It’s complicated.”
“I’ll take that as a coward’s way of sayingyes. Lucky for you, yes is the right answer.” I lowered my bow.
