Page 19 of Restored

“Whoa.” Ledger’s arm catches me and slides me back into the saddle. His other arm cages me in, stopping me from going over the other side.

I weakly elbow him away, the feel of his body, the way it warms my chilled skin, an unwelcome sensation. “Rest, blondie, don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time in the future to fight me.” His arms remain strong.

And fight him, I fucking would.

I feelthe slow cantering of the horse, a warm hand wrapped around my middle, and the dull throb in my head and ankle. Birds chirp all around me. I blink my heavy eyelids, squinting as the brightness of the day engulfs my vision. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.

My eyes flicker around the surroundings. There are trees as far as the eye can see, moss and ferns cover the ground. The scent of damp earth and wet tree trunks fills my nostrils. A blanket of haze coats the air. My hands are tied in front of me, numb and leached of color.

I stiffen as the memories of the prior night come flooding back to me. Clawing at the hand encircling my waist I manage to shout, “Stop the horse.” The words scrape my throat, unfamiliarand raw.

My gaze darts frantically, searching for anything recognizable in the dense, shadowy forest. We’re far from Bellehaven now, farther than I’ve ever been.

“Stop the horse!” I lunge for the reins, my voice rising with desperation.

“Whoa.” Ledger’s arm snakes around my chest yanking me back against him. His breath is warm on my ear as he growls, “We are not stopping. We need to make up time.”

I lean to the side, and his arms tighten around me.

“What makes you think I will help you?” I spit the words at him as I try to shrug him off. My anger sparks anew.

“You are under no obligation to help me, but you will.”

“And if I refuse?”

“You won’t.” His short presumptuous answers stoke my growing outrage.

All I see are trees and I wonder just how far I’d get if I could get off the horse and run.

“You wouldn’t get ten feet. And if, by the off chance, you did escape me, you would not live to see the sunrise. The creatures that roam these woods are the fuel of many nightmares.”

My body feels heavy, discomfort gnawing at me from all angles. It takes substantial effort to sit up without swaying, so my odds of outrunning him or escaping are low.

“If I help you, what are your plans for me after?” I glare back at him through my eyelashes, holding my chin high.

“Haven’t gotten that far, blondie.” He hardly pays me a glance and that sends a bolt of fury down my spine.

“Layla,” I grit. “My name is Layla.”

“Noted.” His face is bored, void of any discernable emotion.

I elbow him in the ribs needing to draw some kind of reaction from him, and he grunts.

“Do that again and I will tie a rope to your ankles and drag you behind Apollo the rest of the way.” I catch a glimpse of his neck as it turns a tinge of red. It brings a triumphant smile to my face knowing I was able to anger him.

“Please do; that sounds much more pleasant than being stuck pressed up against your brick of a body,” I snap back, accepting the fact I would have to come up with a different plan of escape.

The hours tick on, and I nearly weep with joy when we come to a halt. My mouth pops open as our backdrop comes into clear focus. We’ve stopped at the most idyllic body of water I have ever seen. The water is a crystal-clear teal, and a soft roaring is coming from a freely flowing waterfall in the middle of the spring. There are trees and moss-covered rocks surrounding it. My breath catches at the beauty; it is beyond anything I could have imagined.

I continue to stare, mesmerized as Ledger hops down from behind me. “Don’t get out much, do you?”

“I didn’t know such things existed; it’s incredible.” I’m breathless as Ledger’s hands come around my waist and setme on the ground. My legs are stiff, and parts of my body still throb angrily.

I can’t stop from greedily drinking in my surroundings. The sun shines bright and hot, indicating it must be late afternoon.

When Ledger turns to tend to his horse, the dagger strapped at his hip gleams against the light, catching my eye. I barely have time to contemplate my next move before I am foolishly snatching it from his belt. I dig the tip into his back, where I know his heart beats a few inches away.

“I must go back. I cannot leave my mother.” My heart pounds in my chest. I grip the dagger in my tied hands. “She is all I have, and I cannot leave her to the antics of the King.” Ledger remains still as I hold the dagger firm.

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