Entering the narrow hallway, I spotted the door blocked by two people huddled in hushed conversation. The beautiful male from earlier leaned casually against the wall, accompanied by a tall, muscular woman with short black hair. Her rugged appearance and scarred skin sent a shiver down my spine.
As they noticed me, my heart quickened. The male's sapphire eyes sparkled with amusement, while the woman’s icy yellow gaze seemed to spear into mine with irritation. I didn’t want to turn around, so I rushed past them into the room, closing the door behind me with a sense of relief.
The room had multiple closed-off areas, and I quickly rushed into one, wanting to leave as quickly as possible. When I went to exit the stall, I found the short-haired woman standing before me. Her wicked smile sent a chill down my spine, and a familiar glint in her eye made me uneasy. I scanned the empty room, realizing we were alone.
“Hello, Zara,” she purred, her voice dripping with cruelty. My eyes widened in fear.
“How do you—” I began, but before I could react, she closed the distance between us, her words sending an icy shiver down my spine.
“Morgana sends her love,” she whispered, and darkness enveloped me as the handle of her dagger connected with my skull.
*
The wind whipped against my face, and I felt something rough, like tree bark, beneath me. My head throbbed, and as I cracked open an eye, I stilled, holding my breath.
I was straddling the back of an enormous creature, its scales oozing a sickly green liquid. The thunderous sound of its massive paws pounded into the earth.
A Daka.
Jagged black spikes jutted along its neck, glinting menacingly. An arm looped firmly around my waist, and ropes bound my wrists together, their rough fibers biting into my skin. My arms ached from supporting my weight, but I dared not move and alert them I was awake.
I had to think. I glanced at the ground. We were moving too fast, the surrounding scenery blurring past with sickening speed. The impact with the ground would kill me instantly if I rolled off, leaving that asnotan option. I could try to knock them unconscious, take them by surprise, or — “I know you’re awake, Zara,” a silky voice rang out.
Shit. I pushed myself up, the wind somehow not touching my face, and turned to find the dark-haired woman with scars staring back at me, a smirk on her red lips.
“What do you want with me?” I demanded, glaring at the witch.
She barked a laugh. “I’m not even going to answer that.”
“Why won’t she just leave me alone?” I snapped, infuriated at the situation.
“Beats me,” the woman replied, her voice void of emotion.
I swung my bound arms back, aiming for her face in a feeble attempt, but she blocked my attack effortlessly and retaliated with a sharp punch to my face. My cheek ached as her fist collided with it, and I was thrown forward by the force, my body hitting the body of the Daka again. The Daka let out an irritated noise as it continued to run, and I could hear the witch laugh over the pounding of the Daka’s feet. I pushed myself back up, glaring at her over my shoulder. She winked at me, and my cheek throbbed. I scanned our surroundings. We were alone; the beautiful male from before was nowhere in sight. The beast weaved through the dense forest, ignoring any semblance of a path. It barreled through trees, the sound of crashing wood echoing around us. Why would she let it leave such a blatant trail? Were the witches so confident in their beasts that they had no fear? Or…was it because she wanted us to be found?
A trap. She was purposefully creating a trail.
“No,” I breathed, realization dawning. This was a trap for Xavier. They were luring him away from the village, using me as bait to ambush him. My heart pounded at the thought. I had to do something—anything: shit, shit, shit. I had to think.
“I rather enjoy this.” the witch said against my ear, her breath sending chills down my spine. A moment later, something heavy crashed into my head, and darkness claimed me again.
When I awoke, my head pounded, and the chilly air bit at my skin, making me shake. It was quiet, save for the echoing drips of water from somewhere near my head.
I opened my eyes to find darkness. Only a dim light shone on me from a carved-out circle above me, but even that light was dim and coming from somewhere I couldn’t see. My eyes scanned the space, and my stomach sank as I realized I was in some sort of cave.
The eerie darkness surrounding me was thick. I pushed myself out of the puddle I had been lying in and got to my feet. The light from the opening only touched a small circle in the middle, where I now stood.
I brushed off my dress and stared at the opening above me. It was about twenty feet high and roughly the size of a large boulder. The ceiling seemed to arch widely around it, making it impossible for me to climb out without any tools.
Water was pouring in a steady drip from one side, creating puddles under my feet and adding to the dampness of the cave. My dress was wet, soaked from the puddles I had been lying in when I woke.
I hesitantly stepped out of the light's safety and into the darkened expanse, my arms in front of me as I slowly crept across the room. My steps echoed, occasionally splashing in puddles of what I hoped was only water.
After about twenty paces, I reached the cave wall. It felt smooth and cold under my touch, damp with water, and I followed it in one direction. My hands searched the surface as I went, trying to find a way out, but the wall only curved around the room like a cell.
Despair settled in my chest as I realized the only way out was through the opening in the ceiling. I slowly sat on the cave floor, pulling my legs to my chest as a wave of hopelessness crashed over me. I was bait, powerless to stop what was coming. Xavier had no magic, and if something happened to him or the others because of me…a tear slipped down my face, and I felt a surge of anger. No. I wiped the tears away aggressively and stood, glaring at the opening in the ceiling.
I gasped as movement stirred at the far end of the cell. My head snapped in the direction of two unnaturally large blue eyes. They floated near the ceiling, their eerie glow piercing throughthe shadows. They blinked slowly as they kept their gaze on me, and I clenched my fists at my side, refusing to be scared.
