Page 55 of A Hunt So Wicked
Chapter fourteen
Foronce,itseemedas though luck was on our side.
Despite our slow pace, thanks to injuries, dehydration, and exhaustion, we didn’t encounter any predators as we walked through the meadow to the forest. Birds and small animals were actively singing and scurrying around without a care in the world. That didn't mean we were going to take any chances, though. We remained silent and kept our strides soft as we wove through the tall trees and vegetation. Isla was doing fairly well with her injury. I was thankful she was able to bear any weight on it at all. With her limping along, my mind went to Ayla, the poor girl with that nasty leg wound. I know she was with us as we made our way to the ocean, but just like several others, she was unaccounted for. I hoped that she, Tiona, and the others missing from our group were okay and that Rion was with them, keeping them safe.
That included Belinda. As horrible as this had been, I was hoping that it might be enough to turn her mean girl attitude into something a little bit nicer. I glanced at Kael, who stepped over a log. Belinda had suspected something was going on between the two of us, and that fact still made me uneasy. If we got out of this hell and returned to the Keep, she could very well still try to ruin him and me. Tarnishing my reputation with a secret affair would ensure that no royal would touch me, which was perfectly fine with me, especially after this ordeal. To make such accusations though, and against a royal guard? He'd likely be executed. I couldn't have that...
But those were thoughts for later. Things that might not even matter in the end because our reality was looking very grim at the moment. I pushed the worries aside and tried to refocus on the present. Leaves and foliage crunched beneath my boots as I stalked along, and the soft sound of scratching on a tree pulled my gaze to the right. Three black ravens sat on a low hanging branch not far from me. Their beady eyes tracked us as we walked, and one took flight, landing smoothly on another branch that was closer to the front of our group. I had the sudden urge to kill them all.
Corvus wouldn't be seeing very much without his pets to do his spying, would he? Were they actual ravens or illusions created by his dark magic? If they were real, were they extensions of his evilness? Was he controlling their every move?
I rubbed my temples as my head pounded, likely from too much thinking and lack of water. We had to be about there by now.
Suddenly, Kael stopped and held up his fist. We'd all seen enough from the guards to know that meant to stop. Slowly, he turned to us and waved us toward him.
"What is it?" I whispered.
"We made it," he answered. "But it's crucial that we continue silently. If this is one of the few water sources in the forest, we won't be the only ones seeking it out. Let's just hope we're the only ones in this area right now."
"Let's go," Riv said to us and then glanced down at Isla, who was now grimacing in pain. "She needs to sit. The sooner, the better."
We walked another hundred feet or so as a group, and there was the stream. We had come in from a different point, and I was so grateful. The steep ravine was on the other side of us, giving us a fairly easy path to fresh water, and based on what Eliza had told us, the cavern should be close.
"There," she said, pointing to a crack wide enough for a person to squeeze through.
"We should probably check it out first, just to be safe," Riv told Kael and Tiro.
"I agree." Tiro began walking toward the cavern.
"Isla, you can sit here while we investigate," Riv said, guiding her over to a rock.
Isla stopped their progress. "I really need to get some herbs. We all need our wounds cleaned as soon as possible. I saw some just over that way."
Becca and Eliza were both already sitting down. "I can't walk another step," Becca groaned as she removed her damp boots. "My feet are covered in blisters."
"You're not going out there alone," Riv told Isla, looking outraged.
"Of course she's not," I said, stepping up next to Isla and looping her arm over my shoulders. "I'm going with her."
"I can come w—"
Isla put her hand on Riv's shoulder and shook her head. "We'll be fine, Riv. Go help Kael and make sure he doesn't get himself killed."
Riv sighed in defeat. "Fine. But if you two aren't back in twenty minutes, we're coming to look for you."
"Twenty minutes is plenty of time." I looked longingly at the stream. "Let's do this quick because I'm dying of thirst, and if I don't get to sit down soon, I think my legs are going to fall off."
Riv released her hold on Isla, and the two of us began backtracking, both shaking our heads at Riv's stern 'twenty minutes' reminder as we left them behind.
"How far do we have to go?"
Isla hummed in thought. "This way. These particular herbs love ash trees, and see that big tree right there?" I followed her finger with my eyes, spotting the tree she was talking about. "That is an ash tree."
I sighed in relief. Not far to go at all. Thank the Goddess. In no time at all, we were at the base of the ash, and Isla began happily plucking leaves from the plant she needed. I pulled off a large leaf and sat it on the ground where Isla was making a nice pile. "So, you and Rivka?"
My friend's face snapped to mine, and I laughed quietly as her whole face flushed pink. "There's just something about her, Evie. I've never felt a connection to somebody like I have with her. And I know it's... not exactly ideal, given the whole choosing ceremony situation."
I smiled and took her hand, which was moments from stripping another leaf. "I'm happy for you and Riv. Worry about the rest later, when or if the ceremony actually happens."
