“You’ve got my back, I’ve got yours,” I managed to gasp, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.
But just as quickly as we got away from our captors, our luck had just as quickly run its course.
Another whistle filled my ears, this time coming from a different direction.
Ambrose’s eyes widened and he turned to look at me as the bolt jammed through his neck, spraying greenish blue blood in an arc that covered me.
For a moment, I couldn’t register what I was seeing. Ambrose went down on one knee, a gurgling noise coming from his mouth as he looked up at me before he flopped down onto the ground in a heap.
I knelt down next to him, pulling him into my lap. “Ambrose, don’t you dare die,” I said, giving him a vehement shake.
He frowned up at me and gestured for me to run.
“A little wound like that won’t kill an elf,” one of the hunters said as they approached. “Elves are sturdy bastards, and every inch of them is worth a pretty penny.”
He moved to grab Ambrose’s arm and I swatted his hand away.
“Back the fuck off!” I yelled, hovering protectively over Ambrose’s still bleeding body.
The hunter looked down at me like someone would look at a new puppy. “Ain’t that cute,” he guffawed before turning to yell over his shoulder. “Yo, Campbell come get your girl so we can bag and tag the elf!”
Mike appeared from the underbrush, every inch of him disheveled by our jaunt through the woods and he tried in vain to straighten his suit before speaking. “You couldn’t have caught them before they ran half way across the fucking forest, Peter?”
The man turned with his crossbow, “The name’s Rad, Campbell. You better get it right or my next bolt goes through you.”
Mike held his hands up. “Fine, fine, got it, Rad,” he said, his voice wobbling.
Rad glared at my ex-husband for another beat before turning back to us. “God, she’s wearing half of the product at this point. We’re going to have to strip her to salvage what we can. Boys,” he said with a snap of his fingers.
Two of the other hunters stepped up and I skittered back, making Ambrose groan in pain.
“S-stay back,” I told them, wishing I still had Ambrose’s gun from last night.
“Oh, don’t worry sweet pea, we’re not gonna hurt you. You’re just carrying ’bout ten grand worth of elf blood on those clothes of yers,” one of them cooed as he knelt in front of me.
“Yeah,” said the other, “we just need you to wear your birthday suit for a bit, and if you’re good maybe we can find you some clothes at the next rest stop.”
Ambrose tapped my hand, bringing my attention away from the two oncoming men back down to him.
He looked lucid despite the amount of blood that was coming from his neck and he gave my hand a squeeze. “Run,” he mouthed.
I didn’t want to leave him here to the same fate that Astri faced. Everything in my being wanted to fight the men off and drag the dark elf with me.
But despite my sealed bond with a gargoyle, I was still only human.
“I’ll come back for you,” I promised him in a whisper.
Ambrose’s dark eyes blinked with surprise before he mouthed for me to run again just as a hand came into my vision.
“I said,” I growled, jerking my chin up to face the man. “Get away from me!”
Opening my mouth I bit down on the man’s hand as hard as I could.
He howled and stumbled back, yanking his fingers from my teeth. “The little bitch bit me!”
I didn’t stick around to hear what anyone else said, shoving Ambrose off of my lap as gently as possible, I got back up on my shaky legs and I was off and running again.
This time I didn’t bother to avoid the branches and they scratched at my face, hair, and neck as I tumbled blindly through the forest.
