The Queen's Red Lake

XXVIII

The darkness doesn't last long, and I'm soon slamming against hard ground and rolling down a steep slope. I continue to plummet down the deadly cliff, fortunately, the trees soften my fall; but, the excruciating pain that passes through my body as it collides with each tree branch does not stop me from passing out as soon as I strike solid ground.

I'm not sure how long I'm out but the numerous voices above me and the footsteps force me to open my eyes. I'm being pulled on a wooden sled—my eyes instantly shut when the pain of the arrow and bruises from the fall triggers my body.

"Why are we wasting our time?" One of the men that is pulling me grunts.

"—you saw what happened back there?" The other man responds. "He touched her wound and died. The arrow is poisonous."

"—so?"

I hear a quick smack on the younger boy's skin who is currently carrying Sasha's sword, Athene. The other man grunts, "The Crowned will reward us in unlimited gold if we deliver this body alive. We will never have to starve ever again boy."

I try to roll off the wooden sled as my heart begins to accelerate—I'm in immediate danger and I didn't even know where I was—or the others. The man turns and drops the wooden sled before stalking towards me. I try to fight him off but it was futile—I was too weak and battered to fight. He knocks me out cold, instantaneously.

I wake up on top of a metal table in a panic, feeling around my upper chest for the arrow, which is missing. Metallic red blood is running down my naked chest. All around me, I can hear people screaming in metal cages. Two of the men from before are now facing away from me, and there is a third man. I scan the room for any weapons, but my gaze is drawn to someone locked inside the metal cage. He puts up his finger against his lip silencing me—

"—so, I'm right?" The man speaks. "—it's dark witchery and she's the one The Crowned been looking for—she's a demonic. It has to be true—the poison should have killed her but it didn't."

"I believe we just got lucky—" The additional man replies. "—the arrow and this small sample of her blood will prove that she is the demonic The Crowned has been searching for."

I quickly transform into a demonic, with rage and adrenaline coursing through my veins. I snap the first man's neck and I'm upon the next man before the first man body even hits the ground. I slash across the second man's neck with my deadly claws—I scream in agony as something sharp penetrates my shoulder. I spin around with a vicious snarl and wrap my hands around the final man's throat, cracking his neck—his body hit the floor lifeless.

Blood seeps from my wound as I remove the chopping knife from my upper shoulder. I sway, my adrenaline depleted, and drop onto the table, desperately searching for a way out.

"Release us—" One of the men from the cages screams.

I glance at him and all the others for a millisecond—I didn't have time to help them, I needed to find Sasha and the others—plus, how could I even trust them.

"You won't make it a mile with that wound." The man pushes. "I know a healer—you free us and I save your life."

I choose to ignore him and step forward but my steps are unbalanced and vision blurry. I turn with a growl and set them free. I snatch him by his dirty shirt and growl, "If I don't make it—no one will." I know my eyes flash purple by the way he gasps in fear. He swallows and we get moving. I luckily find Sasha's sword, Athene, tucked away in the corner.

Once we're on the outside everything seems surreal. The sky is dark—it's difficult to breathe. "Here." The man passes me a wet cloth. "Try not to inhale the smoke—come hurry."