Page 65 of Whispers of the Elderoak

Heart still racing, she rose, backed against a tree and took deep breaths, calming her body and reminding herself she was safe. She hoped there were no more of those monsters lurkingabout and she closed her eyes, allowing the breeze to cool the sweat from her brow.

She had killed something. It didn’t matter if it was about to attack her, she had never killed anything in her life and she began to shake at the reality of her predicament. There was no time for panic, not when there could be other monsters in the forest. She had to keep going and get out of here as fast as possible.

Ava pushed off the tree and stared at the creature she had killed as she prepared to continue through the forest when movement in the treetops caught her eye. She whipped her head up and met eyes with a large owl. Its soft feathers were marbled black and white, and it tilted its head and watched her intensely, as if it had a secret it wanted to share. Hooting softly, it spread its wings and took off silently into the night. Before she had a chance to wonder about the peculiar way the bird had been looking at her, something sharp pressed into her side, a hard body beside her.

“Move, and I’ll gut you where you stand,” spoke a harsh feminine voice.

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Ava froze.

They’d found her. Deidamia’s army had found her. Just when she thought she was getting close. Almost to safety. The small bit of hope she had been clinging to fell away as she scrambled to come up with a plan.

Two other figures emerged from the trees, too dark in the waning crescent moon for her to see them clearly but she heard them as they discussed her fate.

“Well, this is a nice surprise,” said a smooth male voice as he stalked toward Ava and her captor.

No. She wouldn’t be a prisoner again. Wouldn’t be laid out and tortured on The Scourge’s table again. She’d rather die. There would be no missed chances of escape like when she was at the camp. She was going to fight backnow.

Ava turned and slammed her head against the face of the woman beside her. The woman released her with a surprised gasp, and she sprinted into the woods. She barely made it ten yards before the tall man grabbed her around her waist and lifted her off the ground as if she weighed nothing.

“No!” she screamed as she tried to wrench herself from his grasp. “Let me go! Get off me!”

She managed to get her dagger and tried stabbing him, but she missed.

“Stop,” he urged as she continued to kick and tried to get away.

She reached down again and thrust her dagger toward his leg, this time finding purchase in his thigh.

“Fuck!” he shouted, but still didn’t let her go.

Quicker than she was able to make sense of, he adjusted his grip and had her arms pinned at her sides, carrying her as she still struggled against his hold.

“I’m not going back!” she screamed. “I’m not going back!” She repeated it over and over, screaming and snarling like a feral animal.

“Don’t let her go, Raine,” said the woman.

“I’m not, but she fucking stabbed me and now my pants are ripped,” said Raine.

“You’re fine,” replied the woman.

“Bring her to the general,” said an older sounding man as he approached. “See what he wants to do with her.”

The general? That terrifying general Or’thir who appeared in the woods the day she arrived through the portal? Panic taking over again, she tried kicking at her captor whose name she had learned was Raine, but it was no use and he kept a tight hold of her.

She tried looking at the three soldiers, but it was still too dark in the thick woods and she couldn’t see their faces. Couldn’t tell who they were.

“Stop struggling,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt you but if you try anything again, I’m going to be pissed.”

Underneath the authority in his voice, there was something else. Something… almost kind and even a little humorous. There was no aggression or malice, and it made her pause. She took a breath and stopped, the fight leaving her as exhaustion took its place. If this really was a group of daemon soldiers, she’d have to wait for a better chance to escape. They were obviously much stronger than she was. Though now she wasn’t quite sure they were part of Deidamia’s group.

“Get the rope, Jorrar,” said the woman.

Jorrar approached as Raine held her tight, binding her wrists in front of her.

“Let me go,” she insisted, trying to hide her trembling.

“Just following orders, human,” said Raine who held her tightly while the other finished binding her hands.

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