They were silent.
Too quiet.
Not even a single birdsong.
That was what gave it away.
I let my heavy bag fall to the ground. I could fight with it, but the straps might loosen, and the weight was unwieldy, which could throw me off-balance.
That freed up my other hand to snatch one of my longer hunting knives from my boot.
“Show yourselves!” I called out when nothing happened.
No response.
That made the hair rise on the back of my neck.
If they weren’t attacking immediately, it meant one of two things: either there was only one of them and they found me intimidating, or, more likely, they were a large group, closing in on me strategically, waiting for the best opportunity.
My gut told me it was the latter.
Though few knew of it, I’d been on the run for years, afraid of this exact scenario.
I’d gotten lazy as time went on, thinking they’d lost my trail.
But now... Now I wished I’d kept up my training a bit better lately and eaten less of Peregrin’s addictive sweets.
Well, too late for regrets. Time for a plan, because I wouldn’t go down easy.
My eyes scanned the tree line.
There.
A slight movement behind one of the trees.
I let a wicked smile curve my lips.
Time to make these folk regret ever taking on this job.
I took off without warning.
Running directly at the tree, I swung around it with a yell meant to startle the assailant.
The space was empty.
“Hello, Gwen.”
I whirled, recognizing the deep male voice behind me. He’d circled the tree as I approached, knowing what I’d do before I did it.
“Ivor?” The name came out weaker than I’d have liked as I stared at him—the redcap my father had arranged for me to marry four years ago, before I’d fled.
When I’d spurned him, I’d expected to be hunted. I’d prepared for it, even, covering my tracks. When no one came for so many years, I’d begun to relax. I’d always assumed if anyone found me, it’d be one of his allies, easily evaded. But he’d come for me personally.
In my shock, I didn’t hear the other footsteps until their tattooed bodies were almost on top of me.
Even so, I fought hard.
My smaller knife flew at the first assailant, catching him in the leg. He went down with a delicious scream. The next was already on me, but my hunting knife met his blade, shoving it to the side, before I hurled it at the fae behind him.
