Page 51 of Ruthless Fae
I bit my lip but agreed, my eyes desperately scanning the area.
The boat rumbled, a loud chugging sound coming from the back. “Get the ropes!” Vaughn yelled from above.
Seeing what he meant, Bael and I worked on unwinding the ropes that tied the boat to the dock. As I untangled the last one, gunshots rang out.
My head snapped up. “Sinasre!”
I flew up, the rope still in my hand. Where was he? My heart pounded as I searched the trees.
Beneath me, the boat chugged backward in the water.
Come on, Sinasre. Come on!
Vaughn steered us away from the dock. I knew we needed to leave, but we couldn’t abandon Sinasre. His mother stood on the deck with her eyes trained toward the trees. Though she didn’t speak, I knew she must be going through the same hell she had when he’d been taken.
Just then, he burst from the trees, running at full tilt. Behind him, the guards followed, taking wild shots that boomed over the boat engines.
“Sinasre!” I called, starting to fly toward him.
His eyes found me, and he waved me back while simultaneously, flicking his magic hair and tripping both guards. They spilled into the dirt, their guns disappearing into the grass.
He tore down the dock, jumped the ten feet, and landed heavily on the boat. I flew back, alighting beside him.
Becca ran up, clapping. “We made it!”
Everyone turned to watch the dock recede, waiting for gunshots or monsters or Karen to fly out of the dark and attack. Instead, Vaughn angled the boat around and sped away, the sea salt flying.
We’d made it? I stood in stunned silence as I watched the island get smaller. Would they come after us on the smaller boat?
“I found food,” Becca shouted over the roar of the boat.
The rest of the group went inside, but I noticed Ronnie standing at the railing, his eyes on the shore. Walking up, I stood beside him. The island looked beautiful from here, demonstrating that one couldn’t judge something based on looks alone.
“I can’t believe we left them all,” he said, wiping a tear from his eyes.
I put my arm around him. “We’ll help them. We’ll find help somehow.”
“But what happens between now and then? How many of them will die?”
I went quiet. Ronnie was putting words to the feelings that had been swirling around me since this plan took shape. I’d promised myself I would not rest until the Habermanns and Karen were stopped, and yet here I was.
How could I leave? How could I abandon them? I had made a promise to myself. To them.
The answer was, no matter how much it hurt, I couldn’t.
I kissed Ronnie on the cheek. “Will you tell Vaughn I’m sorry?”
“Tally, what are you—?”
“Will you just tell him? Tell him I had to.”
Ronnie nodded. “I’ll tell him.”
“Thanks.” I squeezed his hand.
“Be careful,” he whispered.
“I will.”
