"Run!" Andrei hissed, gripping her wrist as they dashed through the winding tunnel. Her legs burned with the effort, but she pushed forward, fear giving her strength.
At last, they emerged from the tunnel into the dim light of dawn. They were still within the palace grounds, near a farm bordered by a dense forest. Andrei scanned their surroundings, his breathing ragged.
"We're not safe yet," he murmured. "The forest. We need to reach the forest."
Behind them, the shouts of the guards grew louder. The girl glanced back at the tunnel's entrance, her heart pounding, and realized there was no turning back. Together, they sprinted toward the forest, their hope for freedom just within reach.
She hadn't gotten the chance to get used to the border of this place. None of the Elven were kind enough to give her a tour-not that kindness was a trait they seemed to have. The Elven weren't polite people.
First, Stinky Mouth and his gang had shot her down from the township wall. Then they drugged her, blindfolded her, and dragged her into the palace dungeon like she was nothing more than cargo.
When she had woken up, it had been in a cramped cell. That's when she'd picked a fight with a guard and split his lip because she'd refused to be his bride. While she'd been pounding her fists into his ears-definitely not in a romantic way (she'd rather die than let that guy touch her)-Stinky Mouth and his minions had shot her up with enough drugs to drop a horse.
So, once again, she'd hit the ground hard and woken up in a special cell, one that stopped her from using her magic. She gritted her teeth at the memory. No way was she running blindly into danger again just to end up right back where she'd started.
"Trust issues?" Andrie asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"I'd bet you don't come here often," she replied, shouting to be heard over the wind.
"And I plan to keep it that way," he said.
"The Elven warriors would wait until hell freezes over before letting you become one of them," she said dryly. "So tell me-do you even know where we're going? I want the full plan, no more dark secrets. If you want my help, you need to be honest."
Before Andrie could answer, Elvens seemed to appear out of nowhere. Their presence hit her like a wall, heavy and overwhelming.
Of course, she realized this was their military compound.
Panic bubbled up inside her. How were just the two of them supposed to take on an entire army?
"If you've got any tricks up your sleeve," she shouted desperately, "now's the time to use them, dude!"
Andrie shot her an irritated glance as he dragged her along at a frantic pace. "You told me to follow your lead!"
"Then keep your sparkling attitude, cousin," she snapped, frustration boiling over. "If they catch me, they'll just throw me back in that cell. I can handle a few more days in that hellhole."
"They won't catch us," he said, his voice steady.
Her heart pounded, not just with fear but with an odd sense of trust in this strange warlock. The sound of footsteps grew louder behind them, the thrill of the hunt clear in the Elven warriors' laughter. Some of them had shifted into their animal forms, gaining speed as they closed in.
"Run faster!" she shouted, forcing her legs to keep up with Andrie's relentless pace.
Ahead of them, a door loomed-Andrie's goal. "Just a little farther!" he called over his shoulder.
They reached the door, and Andrie threw it open. They dove inside, slamming it shut just as a shifter's heavy body crashed against it from the other side.
"Block it!" she yelled, helping him push a heavy shelf in front of the door. Her breath came in quick gasps as they worked.
"What's next?" she asked, leaning against the shelf, her voice tight with exhaustion and fear.
Andrie scanned the small, cluttered room. "We arm ourselves and figure out how to escape," he said, determination lighting up his face.
She nodded, grabbing a couple of knives from the shelves. "What's the plan to get past their defenses?"
"We'll make a distraction," he said, pulling items off the shelves with quick, practiced movements. "Something loud to draw them away from the exit."
She gave a grim smile. "Then let's make some noise."
Working together, they pieced together a crude device. Every movement fueled her resolve. They couldn't give up now, not when survival was within reach.
Andrie caught her eye as they finished, his expression calm and steady despite the chaos outside. "Ready?"
She grinned. "I am ready to be born-wait-" She faltered. "I messed up the phrase. I meant to say I was born ready."
Her face flushed with embarrassment, but she shook it off.
Andrie rolled his eyes at her, "Whatever. Let's do this."
Andrie activated the distraction. The explosion of sound was deafening, echoing through the compound and drawing shouts of confusion from the Elven outside.
"Now!" he yelled, and they bolted out of the room.
They darted through the compound's twisting halls, dodging patrols and weaving through shadows. Her pulse pounded in her ears, but she refused to let fear slow her down. The thrill of freedom was so close she could taste it.
As they ran, she spared Andrie a glance. Whatever history they had, she was grateful for his unwavering loyalty. For now, it was just the two of them against the world-and that was enough.
By the time they crossed the endless valley, climbed several Elven mountains, and reached the base of a rusty-red rocky hill, it was nearly midnight.
Mathea was exhausted, but she didn't complain. Andrie had offered to carry her, but he was tired too, still weakened from the magic he'd given her earlier. Without food to replenish his strength, he couldn't fully recover.
They stopped to look over the land ahead-a dry terrain of red dirt and scattered low bushes.
"That's the Elven border," Andrie said, scanning the horizon before glancing at Mathea to check on her.
A grin broke across her face. "We're going to make it. Let's race the last few miles."
If they could cross the red terrain and reach the other side, the Elven guards would have trouble tracking them. Maybe they'd even give up. The western wilderness beyond the border wasn't friendly to their kind-or to anyone, really.
Before Mathea could take off running, Andrie's voice cut through the air. "Stop."
She froze mid-step. The wind stirred, then fell still, only to pick up again.
Ahead, a cloud of red dust rose into the sky, spreading along the horizon like an approaching storm.
From all sides of the surrounding hills came howls-deep and bone-chilling. Packs of two-headed beasts, each the size of a cow, emerged from the shadows. A bright red flare shot into the sky from a distant hilltop, signaling the start of the hunt.
"They've set a trap," Andrie said, his voice steady despite the danger. "While we rested, they closed in. The Elven guards and the border patrol are working together to corner us."
All for her.
Mathea's fists clenched, her anger surging at the realization. Why were they going to such lengths? She was just one girl.
"Peachy," she muttered, though her sarcasm fell short of Andrie's usual tone. "Another fight. I thought life would be all roses and sugar once you got me out of that dungeon."
Andrie frowned. "You'd be bored if life was all roses and sugar."