He landed awkwardly across her bent back.
She grabbed whatever part of him she could and slowly made her way to a side entrance of the square.
An arrow whizzed past her head.
She flinched but kept moving.
Another flew by. She wasn’t going to make it out of this. Wait—that arrow had been going the wrong direction. It had been traveling toward the king’s archers.
Aizel looked up. Members of the River’s Talon were hiding on roofs and in the second story of the buildings surrounding her, covering her exit.
Robin appeared at her side, looping one of Erich’s arms over her shoulder.
Together, they traveled twice as fast. Celesta followed beside them.
“Aizel, sing!” Robin called.
Clinging to Erich, Aizel opened her mouth, jumping straight to her favorite verse of the song. She didn’t need to turn around to know that more soldiers were following them.
The side entrance was far nearer than the one Aizel had come from and they reached it quickly.
Just outside the entrance, a wooden carriage sat waiting. Peter hopped down from the driver’s seat and helped them lift Erich into the carriage. Aizel and Celesta climbed up after him.
“Go,” Robin said. “I’ll see my men and women to safety, then find you at the rendezvous point.”
The sound of the carriage wheels rolling across the dirt road drowned out her last words.
“Thank you!” Aizel called.
Pulling Erich further into the carriage, she turned to her sister.
Celesta threw her arms around Aizel and they both burst into tears.
Chapter 43
Erich was sure he was dead.
Fortunately, he didn’t remember any pain during the dying part, so that was nice.
He currently felt no pain either—which was why he was convinced he must be dead.
He exhaled and opened his eyes, curious to see what the afterlife looked like.
Interesting. He hadn’t expected it to look like the evergreen trees in the mountains above Chendas. He didn’t mind. The trees were beautiful.
Not quite as beautiful as Aizel, though. He missed Aizel. Maybe he would see her here again someday. Were there days in the afterlife? He would have to find someone and ask. But, for the moment, he would just enjoy lying on his back and looking up at the beautiful trees.
Then, someone leaned over him. Someone who looked remarkably similar to Aizel.
His eyes widened. It was Aizel.
“Did you die, too?” He felt both sad for her and happy for himself at the same time.
“You have some explaining to do,” she said. Her beautiful green eyes were glaring at him. “Last time we spoke, you were heading back to Iseldis and your family. Then suddenly you were striding into King Gareth’s palace in that horrible gray uniform.”
Erich scrunched his face, trying to recall the events she was referencing. “You’re alive!” He looked back at her as the last horrible hours of his life came crashing back into his memory. She was alive, and if the forest canopy above him was any indicator, they were both safe.
“Explain yourself.” If she was as angry as she looked, he would not be safe for much longer.
