The Sage's Vow

15.1 || Hidden Enemies

CRIMSON LIQUID DRIPPED from her arrow. Mara held her bow facing down, her grip on the arrow loose, and studied the weapon. Such a vibrant red. So close to blood.

But no, that wasn't right. She fought monsters, and if they bled, it was a thick, brown gunk.

Still, the red liquid dripped, as if from a never-ending source, forming a small puddle at her feet. Drip. Drip.

"Murderer."

Mara's head snapped up. A man with long, wild hair stood before her with manic eyes and clothes that looked like they barely clung to life. And an ice arrow stuck out from his throat, blood streaming from the wound.

Stomach churning, Mara jerked her eyes back down to her bow. Her arrow was gone.

The man took a jerky, unstable step toward her and raised his arm. The stream from his neck seemed to pour faster as he pointed an accusatory finger at her. "Murderer!"

Mara stumbled backward. "No, I..."

"You killed me!"

Another lurching step forward from him. Another unsteady retreat from her. Mara's heart beat in her throat, blocking any words from getting out to defend her. Did she have any defense? Wasn't he right? She saw flashes of the very events he meant. Tears filled her vision. The world swam, not just blurred, but tinted red.

"Oh, but my little Samara, you did nothing wrong."

The words slithered through her and constricted her heart as effectively as a serpent. A freezing chill settled in her veins as she looked over her shoulder.

They appeared out of the shadows like spilled ink. The man stepped out first. Dark hair, black eyes behind glasses, well-kept beard, wiry frame. The woman followed close behind, a curtain of black hair trailing her and cold eyes sparkling from her heart-shaped face.

Her mother and father.

The prior had been the one who spoke, and when the duo reached her, her mother caressed Mara's cheek. The smile on her face was both endearing and belittling. "Our precious Samara. You did what you needed, so why do you insult yourself so?"

Mara flinched away. Her shoulder collided with her father's chest. He steadied her, a similarly slimy smile on his face. "He was a threat," he whispered. "You took care of the problem, just as we taught you."

"Murderer!"

Mara tried to face forward again, but her mom caught her chin and forced their eyes to meet. "He began a fight he could not win. You ended it."

She licked her lips. The world flickered the red of fresh blood again. "He wasn't that big of a threat. I didn't... I didn't need to..."

Her father gripped her shoulder. His fingers bit into her. "Of course you did. He shouldn't have tried to harm you."

"He was your enemy," her mother whispered in her ear. "The moment he attacked you, there was only one option."

"Murderer! Killer!" The wild man's finger continued to jab in her direction. She was very aware of this because, without her control, she faced forward again, and she brought her bow up. Once more, an arrow rested in its place.

"No mercy," her mother continued. "When it is only you or him, there can only be one outcome."

"You will survive, and he will know regret," Mara's father finished.

Her mother placed a gentle hand on Mara's elbow, giving it a gentle tug until she complied and pulled her bowstring back. "Now, deep breath in."

"Slow breath out." This time from her father.