“This flower is one of the tributes we have to bring Velorien to break the curse,” She drew a stabilizing breath. “Its petals heal. You need your leg to mend. You need this.”
She locked eyes with Lewis. A nearly imperceptible nod. "You let us go," she continued, voice firm. "Let us live—it's yours."
Enyo tilted his head. “Or I take itandkill you.”
“You won’t get close enough,” Vivienne countered, curling her fingers around the bloom. “One wrong move, and I’llcrushit.”
The captain chuckled, a dark and unnerving sound, as he gestured for his men to step forward. As they did, Vivienne closed her fingers further around the blossom. They halted as Enyo's hands flew up in a stopping motion.
Enyo's lips parted in a slow, disgusted grin. “It appears you weren’t bluffing. You have yourself a bargain.” He turned to his men. “Untie them.”
Ropes fell away. Owen and Cirrus ran forward to help Lewis stand. Florence retrieved their confiscated weapons and sliced through the rope on Lewis’ wrists. Vivienne held her breath.They just need to get clear.
"Go," Vivienne urged, her voice low but forceful, "I'll be right behind you."
Cirrus hesitated, his gaze locking onto hers, searching for a crack in her resolve. Owen’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. Florence, ever the fighter, looked ready to drag her away by force. Even Lewis, battered and barely upright, shook his head in objection.
"Move," she hissed. "Now."
One by one, her friends backed away, their reluctance palpable. She kept her eyes trained on Enyo’s men, tracking every hint of movement, every twitch of their fingers near their weapons.
Her pulse thundered as she retreated, never turning her back, never giving them the opening they wanted. The distance stretched between them, but the space felt razor-thin, every inch a battle between control and chaos.
"All of you, back off!" she barked.
Enyo’s men tensed but didn’t advance. They watched her with predator’s patience, their hands hovering near blades, waiting for the moment she faltered.
She reached the camp’s edge. Her friends stood just beyond, waiting, poised to run the second they were free. Vivienne’s throat tightened. She crouched, lowering the Noctilum toward the ground with deliberate slowness, as if any sudden movement might break the spell. Her breath felt too loud, too uneven, as she placed the glowing bloom onto the dirt. Her fingers lingered on the stem for half a heartbeat longer than necessary. Then she straightened, her eyes never leaving Enyo’s, as she jogged backward, creating space between them.
“There’s your flower. We are leaving now,” she said, each word a declaration stronger than she felt.
Enyo chuckled. Aslow,chillingchuckle.
“I agreed I wouldn’t kill you,” he mused, his grin widening.
A deep, unnatural cold crept through her limbs.
“But,” he continued, tilting his head, “Ineversaid mycrewwouldn’t.”
49
The rainforest closed in around them, a tunnel of shifting shadows and tangled roots. Every pounding footstep sent pain lancing up Vivienne’s legs, but she didn’t dare slow. The sounds of pursuit—branches snapping, leaves rustling, the furious, guttural shouts of Enyo’s men—pressed against her like a rising tide, hungry and inevitable.
Lewis huffed between labored breaths, his voice laced with pain, held upright by an arm over Owen’s shoulders as they ran. "Maybe you should have been more specific with your deal!”
"I wasn't thinking about the fine print when I was trying to keep us alive!" Vivienne shot back, her heart threatening to escape her chest.
The rhythmic crash of waves still felt impossibly far away, their one shot at escape bobbing in the surf, waiting.We won’t make it in time.Enyo’s men moved like wolves—a relentless pack out for blood. If they caught up, there would be no second chances.
Vivienne’s mind raced, cataloging their dwindling options, their depleting strength.Where are the Apocrita when you actually need them?An idea pierced her panic—dangerous, reckless, barely worth considering. But it was all they had.
She surged forward, pushing past Florence and catching up to Cirrus at the front of the group. "Cirrus!"
He didn’t stop moving, his breathing ragged. "Banns, what—are you okay? We have to keep going."
"I know! But I have an idea. Do you remember the day after the ruins? We should be close to the?—"
Cirrus snapped his head toward her, eyes flaring. "You can’t be serious."
