Villainess

Eloura- 10

"How do you know about this place?" Kian asks me as I lead him further down the passageway.

I shrug, "You could know all the castle's secrets if you just bothered with looking."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

I ignore him and continue walking down the passage I had come through only a week before. It took us a minute to find it and a couple of near-death experiences with more assassins, but thankfully we avoided them.

"You said this leads outside of the palace, right?"

I sigh, "When will you start trusting me? Yes, Kian, this leads outside of the palace. Do you not believe me?"

"No, I quite frankly do not believe you nor trust you."

"Fine, then stay behind. Personally, I would prefer to live."

I picked up my pace down the hall. We need to get out of here quickly. Someone could have easily seen us enter. The end of the passage comes before us. I pause.

"What now?" I ask.

"Does this lead outside?" He asks to confirm.

I nod, "East wall."

"Good, follow me and don't stop running. We don't want someone to spot us, so get to the tree line fast and don't stop running from there."

"Ok, and where exactly should I not stop running to?"

I nodded. I stomped out the torch, leaving us in pure darkness for a few moments while I worked to open the door. The door is heavy and sharp. The stone is ancient.

Moonlight shines down on us. It filters through the doorway and into the dark passage, which is now illuminated with light and shadows. Kian steps to the door. He looks back at me. I give him a ready nod.

He takes off running into the dark night. I am quick to travel after him. Kicking my heels off in the process, I sprint out of the door. I can hear the stone click behind me and the passage shut.

My feet feel free running through the soft grass. It feels like I am stepping on a cloud. My feet become numb to the dewy grass the more I run. Pain clouds me as I enter the tree line and run into the forest. Stepping on leaves, sticks, and roots in the process.

My dress is held close around my waist, but still, it clings to the tree's fingers sticking out to drag me down. My dress catches in yet another tree, this time. It successfully pulls me down. My head hits a root as I fall to the forest floor.

My head is clouded. I want to stay lying here, cuddled with the moss laying under ancient trees. A thought comes to my pounding head, What a pathetic death this would be. A death for a failure, not for the best Valorinian assassin in her time. And somehow, that thought got me back on my feet. It got me running once more.

Kian isn't too far ahead. I regather my gown and begin to run again. The wind and power of running knock the pins out of my hair and let it flow down my shoulders once more. I run faster and harder than before. Willing myself not to stop, not to get caught.

Twigs stab into my feet. I can see the blood begging to leave my body as it gushes out of the souls of my feet. My dress is ripped and torn, catching on every tree I pass. But, I don't let it slow me any more than it has already.

I continue to run when an arm wraps around my waist and pulls me behind a tree. My feet lift off the ground, and it feels for a moment as if I am flying, that is, until I crash into something hard.