Chapter One
Haide
“Run, little rabbits,” I whisper, drawing back the bowstring, each step calculated against the soft forest floor.
The bow in my hands feels like an extension of my body. Exile Island pulses around me, its strange consciousness brushing against my mind like fingers through hair. It’s as if no time at all has passed since I returned from Rathe and all of London’s drama.
Three figures dart between the twisted trees ahead. Newcomers to the island.Fresh meat. They don’t understand anything yet. Don’t know that everything here is a game without consequences.
Distant wingbeats cut through the air above. I exhale as I tighten the bow further.
I track the first one. He’s tall with panic written across his face. The arrow tip follows his frantic movements. I could pierce his throat before he takes another breath.
I smile and shift my aim.
The second target stumbles over a root and falls to her knees. Terror makes people clumsy. She looks up, somehow sensing my presence, and our eyes lock through the foliage. I wink and draw the string tighter.
“Please,” she mouths.
I shift my aim again.
The third one is smarter.
He moves in a zigzag pattern, making himself a harder target. But not hard enough. I track him easily, the arrow finding his heart.
“Which one dies first?” I ask the forest. The trees don’t answer, but I feel the island’s hunger ripple through the soil beneath my feet.
I release the tension in the bowstring, lowering my weapon just enough to let them believe they’ve escaped. They’ll run deeper into the island’s embrace. The game is always better when they think they have a chance.
“You’re toying with them again.” Zevryn’s voice comes from behind me, rich and deep.
I don’t turn. “Took you long enough to catch up.”
He steps beside me, brown skin gleaming with sweat from the hunt. “Not all of us were born part animal.”
“Excuses.” I nock another arrow, tracking the fleeing figures through the trees.
Zevryn grabs my wrist, forcing the bow down. “Do you need a recap on how to pull this bow, Luda?”
“Fuck you!” I jerk away from his grip. “I’d still be able to beat your ass.”
“Bullshit.” His eyes narrow. “What’s the matter, Haide?”
Okay, now he’s pissing me off.
He sighs in clear boredom. “You had three clean shots. You didn’t take any of them.”
I bare my teeth. “I was savoring the moment.”
“You were giving them a chance.” His mouth quirks up. “The great Haide secret softie.”
I swiftly draw my knife and press it to his throat. “Call me soft again.”
He doesn’t flinch, his mouth spreading wide. “Sof—”
My blade melts into his skin, blood spraying over my face. Life dies from the pits of his eyes, not with shock, but something else.
He smirks before his body hits the ground with a thud.
