Chapter 23 #2
“Okay, now I want to know what caused your blush,” Esme said. I didn’t think I’d ever blushed in my life, but this was a good a time as any to start. Expected, even, given there was a very clear image of Esme’s leg hooked over my shoulder clear in my mind.
“I’m thinking of a lot of different things I’d like to do to you,” I said, my lower stomach tightening nearly to the point of pain.
Our eyes held for several, heavy seconds where I was sure both of us were debating jumping off our horses. I knew I was ready, but it was Esme’s green light I needed.
I was the one to break the moment. “Get going, sweetheart.”
Esme nodded blindly, probably not even sure what she was agreeing to. Sky understood me, taking off in a healthy trot. Shadow moved happily to follow him, and once we had a little distance from the town, they both started to take off towards the tree line at a gallop.
My mind calmed into a steady buzz as my body worked harder and harder, though I realized the Bond was a little more alive than normal. I looked forward to Esme, trying to look out for anything the Bond was warning me about.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
It calmed considerably when I reminded it all was okay, but didn’t go fully quiet.
I didn’t want to pander to it, especially when this ride was supposed to be about taking some time to reset. Esme certainly seemed to be enjoying herself and I wasn’t about to stop her.
Sky and Shadow were having the time of their lives, running and skipping over little obstacles on our way up into the forest.
Freya had told us that there was a little clearing about halfway up our side of the mountain, close to the waterfall. A perfect place for some peace.
The very second that thought crossed my mind, all attempt towards peace slipped between my fingers.
A sharp zing rent through the air, just as an arrow blurred across my vision and planted itself in a exposed tree root not two feet away from Shadow’s leg. I already had my feet out of the stirrups by the time she was rearing back, sliding off her back and pulling out my gun.
“Go,” I commanded, knowing she’d find me when everything slowed down. Right now, she needed to hide. Whereas I could hide behind a tree or climb up it, Shadow was a big, walking target.
Her form was a dark gray blur as she ran away, followed by a lighter gray streak behind her. Sky.
I caught only the barest glimpse of Esme shooting behind a tree before another arrow whipped past me, far too close for comfort, and I had to take shelter myself.
Making sure my gun was fully loaded, I clicked off the safety and tried to quiet my breaths.
There was a light rustling, but nothing on the ground. They were up in the trees then.
Help me, I called to God, the Goddess, and the Bond, with that last plea the strongest. You’re helping me save Esme.
It was strange, feeling the Bond slide over my limbs and encasing me in a strength that made me feel like I could launch straight up into the highest tree branch with little effort.
“Come out and play,” a feminine voice crooned, as light and melodic as a bird song. “It’s no fun when you hide.”
“Then get out of the tree and let’s have some real fun,” Esme called back.
My heart seized in fear, despite knowing her better than that. As Esme had planned, another arrow shot through the air, landing with a thwack in the trunk of a tree.
Very likely the one that Esme had been standing behind before popping to the next on silent feet. Smart, because now we knew that whoever was hunting us was tucked up in a tree somewhere to the northeast of our position.
I scanned the trees, looking for just the right angle that would have allowed her to shoot behind me, but not see me. If she had, I imagined that arrow would have been sticking out of my chest by now.
My eyes had sharpened over the years, not always having the benefit of a scope to aid my precision. Maybe it was the Goddess blessing us, that it had been me who was here, someone uniquely able to spot the rustling of the leaves high in one tree.
The wind was a soft whistle today, moving the forest side to side in a slow sway. Now, that little cluster of leaves was moving up and down. From someone’s weight pressing on the branch.
Though I could probably execute a decent kill shot, making assumptions about stance and height, I needed to see who had ambushed us.
Moving my aim down an inch, I pulled the trigger. Birds flew out of their nests, shocked by the sound. Another wave followed, ignoring the first blast of sound but unable to avoid the crashing of a human being falling to the forest floor.
For a second, I thought I really had killed her. She was laying on her back, unmoving. I took one step forward, trying to get a better angle on her face.
A hand wrapped around my arm, stopping my pursuit. “Don’t you dare.”
I reacted, at first, like Esme was someone I didn’t recognize. Her voice was lower and rougher than I’d ever heard it. Her hair was wild around her face, falling out of its braid, and her eyes were blazing with a near feral ferocity.
The Bond was shocked back into focus, not giving a fig about anything else than getting Esme the fuck out of here. I grabbed her hand and took off running, only dragging her behind me enough to get a head start then pushing her in front of me so I stood in between her and an arrow to the back.
As we ran, I could feel Shadow’s presence looming. She was close, probably right near the tree line. We were hurtling down the slope of the hill, only moving on pure instinct driven by the Bond, blindly jumping over fallen branches and curving between trees.
I could still feel someone at my back, trailing us. It had been a far fall, enough to cause serious damage, but if our attacker had managed to catch herself and land with some sort of grace, she could have recovered fairly quickly.
That, or she had friends.
Not liking the thought of being outnumbered, I pushed harder, chasing Esme’s form like she carried my life force with her. I guessed she did.
The tree line was coming into sight, rays of sun splitting through the trees and paving the way to our salvation.
I braved a look over my shoulder, seeing if there was someone trailing within line of sight and finding nothing. They were still close enough that I could hear the distant rattle of boots slamming into the forest floor.
We were about to become very easy targets, out in the open field. Moving blindly, I ripped out the longer scope I always kept on me, screwing it into place on the top of my gun.
“Keep running! I’m going to catch you!” That mocking voice split through the forest.
I ignored it, but I wasn’t the only thing in control of my mind anymore. The Bond didn’t give a shit about my training, necessary for this exact circumstance to resist getting distracted by taunts.
All it heard was a threat towards Esme’s life, and it was livid.
Look. She’s in front of us. We have to get her to safety, I yelled back, trying to redirect its anger. Protect.
My next stride was longer and faster than it had been before, gaining a foot on Esme out of nowhere. Later, I would be clearheaded enough to dissect how fast we were running and how little energy it took to do so.
For now, I focused on the blur of movement coming from our right, a streak of light and dark gray next to each other.
Oh, thank God.
Finally breaking out of the trees, we met Sky and Shadow at a full sprint, performing yet another physical feat that I would have thought impossible, and jumping onto our saddles without them so much as slowing down.
“Lead Shadow,” I called up to Esme. She looked back at me with a harrowed expression, before moving it away and nodding. She leaned forward, pushing Sky harder.
Shadow followed, her pace picking up impossibly faster.
This had better work, I said, both to myself for courage and to the Bond for support.
Unhooking my boots from the stirrups and murmuring an apology to Shadow, I lifted myself up on the pommel and flipped myself around so that I was riding backwards.
“Ford.” I wasn’t sure that Esme’s growled admonishment was that loud in reality, but it sounded like a gunshot in my ear.
“Just ride,” I said back, blindly trusting that she’d be able to hear it over the wind rushing through our ears.
I lifted my scope, aiming for the spot we’d just broken out of. Sure enough, there was movement behind the trees. We were moving fast, but not enough to deter them.
Sure enough, the distinct whistle of arrow fire broke out a second later, depositing an arrow no more than five feet behind Shadow’s leg.
That was enough.
Taking aim based on what little I could see and pure instinct, I fired off three shots into the tree line. I could have sworn I heard the maniacal laughter that followed.
“Almost there!” Esme yelled. I would be more thankful to see Salona than ever before, not something I thought I’d ever say. The looming relief was so potent, I’d dare say I’d even be excited to see Elijah or Caspian.
Not unless they had anything to do with this, which I sure fucking hoped they didn’t.
Another arrow hit the ground, this time just off the side of Shadow’s body. Their aim had been higher, arcing more severely to track our height on the top of our horses.
If they were any decent marksman, two shots would have been enough to gauge where you needed to adjust your aim.
Right as the thought passed my mind, I realized that both of their shots had been aimed slightly to the left. Esme was to my left.
I wasn’t taking any risks where she was concerned. If she was the target…
However that thought was going to finish was lost when my entire body centered on the stinging sensation in my hand.
It took me a second to realize what I was looking at, the image coming together in broken pieces of understanding.
There was blood trailing down my arm. My hand hurt like a motherfucker. There was an arrow sticking through my palm—no, I was holding an arrow.
Esme’s yelp of pain broke me out of my stupor.