“Were you headed to the palace, lost princess?” The man’s lips stretched into an ugly smile. “Kane misses you dearly.” He murmured, bringing a blade to my throat—
I had no time to allow fear into my veins, I had no time to allow panic to take over my mind, for the man’s eyes grew bigger before freezing forever.
His weight crashed upon me, the grip on his blade loosened as it fell onto the ground: barely missing my flesh by an inch.
My arms screamed in protest as I pushed the man off of myself, gasping for air.
I choked in the silence of the woods, my eyes landing on the small blade buried deep inside of Wurdulac’s heart—Florence’s blade.
“Are you all right?” Her worried eyes met mine.
I managed a nod, searching for Roxanne, yet nothing but silent bodies lay around us.
“Roxanne went to catch Annabelle.” Florence read into my expression, as she pulled me to my feet, before retrieving her Royal steel blade from the man's heart.
I filled my lungs, my eyes jumping from one limp body to another: Royal steel arrows were buried in each of their hearts as they lay in the now peaceful woods.
“They were waiting for us,” I croaked, meeting Florence’s eyes. “Kane knows we are coming.”
Chapter 42. The End.
Iwiped the last tip of Roxanne’s arrows against the bottom of my cloak, freeing it of Wurdulac’s blood, before setting it on the ground by my feet.
“What is taking her so long?” Florence watched the depths of dark woods where Roxanne had disappeared into.
“Should we go after her?” I asked, following Florence’s gaze.
“We sh—” she trailed off as the redheaded woman appeared in the distance: no horse followed after her as she rode towards us. “I’m sorry,” Florence whispered to me.
“I couldn’t catch her, she was too frightened,” Roxanne said when she reached us. “Sorry.”
I shook my head, passing Roxanne her lost arrows.
“You should ride with me.” Florence walked to her horse. “My horse is a lot bigger, she can carry us both.”
“It will still slow us down.” I followed after her nevertheless.
“We have no other choice.” Florence helped me mount her horse. “At least we are not far,” she mumbled as I sat behind her, my hands wrapping around her waist when she ordered her horse into a run, towards the palace.
The quiet battlements of the palace appeared in the distance as we slowed our steps. The dark clouds hid the Moon from our view as we neared our end.
“Wait!” Roxanne hissed, bringing her horse to a stop. Florence halted in an instant. “There is someone by the trees,” Roxanne pointed towards the spruce that surrounded the palace. “Right there, you see?”
Florence and I followed her gaze.
