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A HUNTER WITH licorice red hair helped Sophie fasten a sheath on her thigh

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A HUNTER WITH licorice red hair helped Sophie fasten a sheath on her thigh. It held a slender dagger with a silver dragon hilt. It was the only weapon Sophie felt remotely comfortable handling. "Put your hand down," the hunter ordered. "We need to make sure that it's easy to reach."

Sophie absently did as she was told. Her thoughts remained elsewhere, focused on the future. Anxiety fluttered through her like poison. The idea of sneaking back into the castle worried her. Even though the hunters had done it before, there was always the chance that they could get caught, and it would be harder to escape the Headmaster a second time.

Then there was Eli.

Sophie wasn't sure what to expect. He had died, that much she was positive. He'd bled out and taken his last breath right in front of her. The Headmaster must have pulled some freaky experiment in order to revive Eli. She wasn't sure whether Eli even knew what had happened. Had he changed at all? Did he remember her? So many questions whirled around inside her head like a tornado.

"Pay attention," the red-headed hunter snapped, her expression annoyed. She tugged Sophie's new dagger from its sheath and held it up. "Remember, stab with the pointy end."

"I already knew that," Sophie grumbled and reached for the dagger. It was as light as a feather. She slid it back into its sheath and then watched Tadashi show Aubrey how to nock an arrow. Aubrey eyed the target at the other side of the room and took several practice shots. Once she hit the target a few times, Tadashi nodded in approval and glanced up.

"Ready?" he asked.

Sophie nodded. The redheaded hunter beside her grunted and shouldered a heavy looking sword. Tadashi led the small group through the campsite and hurried them along into the forest. The moonlight squeezed between a heavy canopy of leaves and branches, illuminating their path. Sophie jumped from branch to branch, leaves and the chilly night air caressing her skin.

Aubrey stayed close to Sophie, her fingers toying with the strap of her quiver. "What if he's a zombie?" she heard her whisper.

Sophie grimaced at the thought of a blueish skinned Eli, drooling and groaning about blood and brains. It took her a few moments to mull over an answer. "I don't think he would be good at training the new fledglings if he was a zombie. I've heard they aren't very limber."

Aubrey hesitated and then muttered, "That's true...but what if he doesn't remember us? Like what if he tries to attack us or something?"

To that, Sophie found she couldn't respond. Her mind spun with a whirlwind of possibilities. The very of Eli attacking her thought made her stomach tangle with massive knots. She wasn't sure whether she would be able to defend herself.

A small branch thwacked Sophie in the face, startling her back to reality. The redheaded hunter snickered, and Sophie scowled as she rubbed at her bright red face. Aubrey was too wrapped up in her own thoughts to really notice. Tadashi ignored them and slowed to a stop. Sophie stopped. She reached out and snagged Aubrey's arm, jerking her to attention. The quartet gathered on a single branch and clustered together.

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