The forest had fallen eerily silent, the distant sounds of pursuit fading into the mist. Lucien led Taryn to a small hollow beneath the gnarled roots of a massive tree. It was cramped but hidden, the earth cool and damp beneath them.
Taryn sank to the ground with a muffled groan, her hand still pressed tightly to the arrow in her side. Blood seeped through her fingers, her breaths shallow and uneven.
Lucien knelt beside her, his silver eyes scanning her face before dropping to the wound. His voice was quiet but firm. "We have to take care of this now."
Her eyes flicked down to the broken arrow protruding from her side. She grimaced, her resolve wavering. "I need too…" she said, her voice strained but steady.
Lucien's gaze snapped to hers, his jaw clenching. "Let me do it—"
"No." She cut him off, her free hand already gripping the broken shaft of the arrow. She exhaled sharply, bracing herself. "I've got it."
