Her Hidden Half (War Songs of the Courts #1)

Chapter Thirty-five

WARNING: CONTAINS VIOLENCE

I followed closely behind Lincoln, my mind out of focus.

Hybrid.

The word fell into a loop in my mind until the meaning became lost on me. Not that I really understood what it meant in the first place.

Silence hung between us, heightening the sounds of the forest we trudged through. I wasn't sure if he knew I needed the silence or if he just wasn't a chatty person, but I was grateful for it nonetheless. I was too exhausted, both mentally and physically, to put effort into anything other than getting out of here.

The sound of rushing water cut through the still air, becoming more pronounced as we moved toward it. Soon I could see the running water of the river through the thinning sea of trees, a stone bridge coming into view with it. Moss scaled the bridge in scattered patches, leaving it with a look that made it fit in with the nature around it. Lincoln stopped at the sight and stared for a long moment. I leaned against the nearest tree and did the same, trying to catch my breath.

Swallowing despite my dry mouth, I forced myself to speak. "How much further do we have to go?"

His attention remained on the bridge with an odd expression. "Not much."

He took off towards the bridge and I sighed, pushing off the tree to trail after him. Reaching the foot of the bridge, he turned to see me struggling to keep up with the already slow pace I was going at. "I have to get Demetri. I need you to stay put until we get back."

My head was shaking halfway through his first sentence, anxiety washing through me to tell me how many different ways this could go wrong. "No. Nu-uh. Nyet. Nein. I don't know how else I can say it, but no. You are not leaving me here alone."

He aimed at no nonsense look my way. "There is only one way you're getting out of here and it's not happening until Demetri is with us," he said in a matter of fact tone.

I chewed on my bottom lip with nervous energy. "Fine, then take me with you."

He cocked his head at me with his eyebrows raised. "You're in no condition to travel any more than necessary and I can't risk you being caught in there," he said, shooting me down swiftly.

I looked up and away, trying not to freak out too much at the thought of being left alone right now. "Fuck," I grumbled to myself.

He rested a comforting hand on my shoulder and gave me a look that was probably meant to put me at ease. "I'll be back with him in no time."

With one last grin he was gone, vanishing before he could hear me respond with an unenthusiastic, "Sure."

It was only a few seconds of quiet that passed until my uncertainty surfaced, rushing back with a force that made my mind race. I fidgeted in my spot and looked back the way we came. My forehead wrinkled in thought as I remembered Lincoln doing his disappearing act, not once, but twice. Something about it didn't feel right.

Why make me walk all that way when he could have gotten us here in less than a second?

I shifted in my place and tried to justify it, but every possible explanation fell short as I turned it over in my mind.

Maybe he was saving his energy? I thought, reaching for something plausible.

That didn't sit right with me, either. The feeling that something was wrong continued to close in on me until I felt it curl around my chest, pulling uncomfortably tight around my rib cage.

It's nothing. You're just overreacting, I told myself, shoving my instincts down as much as I could.

The rustling of leaves pulled my attention to the shadows of the woods in an inhale. I held completely still, not daring to breath out, as I watched the area I thought I heard it come from. The stream of water filled the air with it's soothing music, the only noise to be heard as a long moment passed. I let out a breath I'd been holding, relief loosening the knots in my stomach. I relaxed and a small laugh fell from me.