Page 160 of Veiled

People shuffle off to meet their partners.

Then—

“Corvin.”

I straighten slightly.

“Web.”

Great. I’ll be stuck with the guy with the shitty pickup line from Environmental Studies class.

“Platt.”

Quiet, but nice.

Kael’s brows furrow, but he shrugs whatever it was off just as fast. “You three are riding out with me. Let’s go.”

I sling my compass around my neck and climb into the back seat beside Platt.

The ride is silent and bumpy—so bumpy that it’s almost making me regret drinking my coffee because I feel like I may throw up. The deeper we go into the woods, the thicker the forest gets, and by the time Kael finally stops, it feels like we’re on set for some scary movie.

Once he leaves us, Platt, Web, and I spread out so we can cover more area. We all scan the underbrush for anything remotely edible. Based on how long it took us to get out here, we should make it back by early afternoon, but worst-case scenario, we come up empty, and I’ll just show up to dinner with an even bigger appetite.

Web whistles off and on as we move, but otherwise, no one talks unless someone thinks we need to alter course.

We walk mile after mile, getting hit with unforgiving pine needles as branches whip our bodies, fumbling over fallen logs, and hearing far too many snakes rattle for me to even begin to enjoy the wilderness.

Chapter fifty-nine

Annalise

Idon’t hear Platt move closer until his arm is already around my throat.

One second, I’m pushing branches out of my face, the map tucked under my arm as I try to figure out how far we are from Scion, and the next, the world is tilting. My boots skid across the ground as he wrenches me backward. I get one hand between his arm and my throat; it’s not much, but it’s enough that I can still breathe.

I stomp down onto his foot as hard as I can and slam my elbow into his ribs, hard enough that his hold drops and I’m able to get a few steps away from him.

But I don’t have time to catch my breath before my legs are being tackled out from under me. I crash to the ground, pain shooting up my spine as the wind is knocked out of me, and the rock I just landed on digs into my back.

“Stop fighting!” Web growls, trying to get a good grip on me as I struggle against him.

I reach down for one of my daggers, but Platt catches it, and before I can curl into myself, he’s kicking me in the stomach over and over. After too many kicks, I manage to wrap my arms around one of his legs and pull it tight against me before he can wind up again.

He’s flailing and shouting at Web to do something, but I keep hold. I don’t know what to do from this position, so I just hold onto him as I try to figure out my next move…Until Web’s boot connects with the back of my head, and I feel like it may explode at any moment.

“Yeah! That’s how you kick a bitch!” Web cheers like he just kicked a game-winning field goal. “Now, get her fucking weapons before she stabs one of us.”

My head pounds like the beat of an EDM song, dizziness trying to pull me under as they work together trying to restrain me. Platt is straddling me, trying to get ahold of my hands, while Web is trying to get a rope around my feet.

A rope. They fucking planned this.

“Get off me!” I scream, twisting, trying to get free, but Platt just lifts slightly and drops his knee into my shoulder.

“Hold still,” Platt snaps, his voice breathless from the fight I’m putting up. “Get her other ankle!” he barks over his shoulder.

“I would if she’d stop kicking like a feral bit—” Web’s sentence breaks off with a grunt as my heel connects squarely with something soft. Good.

Platt shifts his weight, repositioning, and the pressure on my shoulder turns brutal. Pain crackles down my arm, and I cry out.