ABSOLUTELY FUCKING WONDERFUL #2
The girls cast furtive glances at Gabriel, but neither of them speaks to him. That’s probably for the best.
The Hunter is standing, his burly arms crossed. His sword is back in its scabbard as he alternates between glaring out the iron grate and at the king’s tracker.
Once the twins are ready, I guide them around the glowing ember, warning them of its danger. Violet casts me a questioning glance, but neither of the girls push me further.
“Ready?” Gabriel asks, his eyes sweeping over the twins, then lingering on me.
I can’t help but shiver beneath the weight of his attention. The way he’s looking at me is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Like there are words he isn’t saying, feelings that shouldn’t exist between us but somehow do.
That strange sensation that came to life last night, that knowing that is beyond comprehension, stirs deep inside me.
I resolutely ignore it and nod, answering the Hunter’s question.
“Good.” Gabriel kneels, running his fingers along the edge of the grate. “Let’s get out of here.”
He loosens rusted bolts, twisting them off one at a time and gathering them in his palm. It takes several minutes, but no one speaks while he eases the grate off the wall. When we first arrived, I thought it was decently sized, but in the fading daylight, it looks smaller.
Still, I’d rather take my chances on whatever’s waiting for us on the other side rather than returning into the tunnels, or gods forbid, the palace itself.
“I’ll go first,” I offer. “That way I can help everyone else.”
And I can make sure it’s safe before the twins come through.
I kiss the girls on the cheek, giving each of them a hug. Taking one last look at the ominously glowing ember, I crouch in front of the hole.
“See you on the other side,” I say, looking over my shoulder and forcing a smile in an effort to put my sisters at ease.
Before I can change my mind, I half shimmy, half crawl out of the opening.
My shoulders brush along the edges, and I hear a rip that has my stomach sinking, but I make it to the other side relatively unscathed.
Scrambling to my feet, I brush out my dress.
The hem sports a rip that’s several inches long, but it’s not like the dress was in pristine condition before.
I turn in a slow circle, taking in our surroundings.
We’re on the edge of a forest, surrounded by trees.
If I hadn’t known we were near the capital, I never would’ve figured it out.
No one else is here, which is the important part. I exhale, scrubbing a hand over my face.
Okay.
This is good. Or at least, it’s not bad. We don’t have much of a plan yet, but things aren’t actively getting worse.
To be honest, that’s about as much as I can ask for right now.
Once I give the go-ahead, Marie comes through the opening. Violet follows closely behind, and they both make it through unscathed.
The Hunter’s up next. He gets his head through the opening, but then I realize we have a problem. My shoulders brushed the sides, but his are wider than mine. Bigger, like the rest of him.
“Ah, fuck.” Gabriel grunts, his face pinched.
He wiggles and strains, but despite putting up a valiant fight, it quickly becomes clear that this won’t work.
“He’s not going to fit,” Marie whispers to Violet, ever one for pointing out the obvious.
I frown. “Hush now. That’s not helpful, and you know it.”
“Sorry.”
I’m not sure whether Marie is apologizing to me or Gabriel, but either way, the problem is that she’s right.
At another time, the situation would’ve been comical. But right now, all I can think about is the king’s tracker and the fact that he’s coming for us.
As much as I hate Gabriel—and I do, I hate him for the way he hunted me, for the way he haunted my dreams, for the way that I can’t stop thinking about him—I cannot deny that he has helped us. Without him, my sisters and I would be lost in the tunnels or worse, caught and at the king’s mercy.
Fuck. I can’t leave him here. My stupid heart, with its stupid inability to leave anyone or anything that’s hurting or in danger, won’t let me.
Dropping to my knees, I worry my lip and assess the situation. Gabriel is stuck, plain and simple, and there’s no way he’ll get out without help. I sigh, cursing myself for being so softhearted. A different, crueler person would probably leave him here.
Alas, I am not that person.
“Give me your hands, Gabriel.”
His green eyes are sharp as they meet mine.
“Give them to me, and we’ll pull you out,” I repeat.
This will be the third time I’ve helped the Hunter.
Well. Technically, it’s the third. Maybe it’s the second? I suppose that the last time, when I poisoned him before changing my mind and saving his life, might not count.
Semantics.
Gabriel studies me for a long moment before he nods. He slips back inside before reappearing, his arms in front of him.
I take hold of his right hand, and a wave of heat surges through me. Why? Why does a single touch make me feel like I’m burning up from the inside out?
I try dousing the flames, but they burn even hotter. None of this makes any sense, and I’m forced to tamp down my frustration as the twins both take hold of Gabriel’s left arm.
“On the count of three, we pull.” I glance at my sisters, and they nod.
“One.” I brace my feet against the ground. “Two.” I draw in a deep breath and steady myself. “Three.”
My chest heaves as I yank on the Hunter’s hand with all my might. He grunts, his face twists, and perspiration drips down his brow.
For a long moment, it seems like nothing is happening.
I dig in my heels and pull, refusing to give up. There’s a scuffling sound, and Gabriel grunts. One of the twins shouts.
Time itself seems suspended for a long moment before something gives. There’s a shift, followed by an ominous sound of flesh tearing that has my stomach twisting.
Gabriel shouts, the cry carrying through the evening air, as his shoulders finally make it out of the opening.
I stumble back, releasing Gabriel’s hand, and he crawls out of the opening.
His black shirt is ripped, and a fresh, red gash runs down his arm.
My fingers twitch helplessly at my side.
Gods, I wish I had my bag. That wound could easily get infected, especially considering our surroundings. A dab of blessed salve would help.
Unfortunately, Kadyn and I hid all our belongings before we headed into the Winter’s Eve Ball. Our plan had been to retrieve them once we had the twins, but like everything else he and I had planned, that’s no longer going to happen.
Kadyn is gone, and although I’m not sure where we are, it’s clear we are nowhere near the Rose Palace.
Gabriel doesn’t seem to notice the cut on his arm. His back is to me as he straightens, his muscles rippling, and my mouth dries. I may despise this Hunter with every fiber of my being, but I cannot deny his handsomeness.
He turns around, and I avert my eyes. It’s one thing to watch him when he’s not paying attention, but it’s another to be caught doing it.
“Thank you for your help,” he says, and why does the rough sound of his voice make me feel all mixed up inside?
My tongue is in knots, and it takes me several tries to untangle it and mumble, “You’re welcome, Gabriel.”
The air between us feels weighted. There are more things to say, more questions that need answering. Conversations we need to have that can’t wait forever.
But this is neither the time nor the place.
Gabriel glances up at the sky, where the suns are trading places with the moons.
“Come on. Let’s get further away from the tunnels, and then we can talk about what comes next.”
Once again, he steps into a leadership role with ease, and again, I don’t push back. We silently follow the Hunter into the rapidly darkening forest.
Cool air brushes against me, and I draw my arms around myself. I don’t see any more embers or any sign of soldiers, but I still feel uneasy. Yesterday was a good reminder that I can’t let my guard down, even for a moment.
After all, the king is coming.
We walk for roughly a quarter of an hour before a branch snaps ahead of us.
The sound is a crack of lightning in the otherwise silent forest, and my heart jumps. Immediately, my mind leaps to the worst conclusion: There were more embers we didn’t see, they alerted the king of our presence, and he has found us.
I gesture to the girls to get behind me and draw my dagger. Marie whimpers as Gabriel unsheathes his sword, positioning himself in front of us. His shoulders are tense, and he is a warrior, through and through.
A dark shape is moving through the trees.
My Mark begins to burn, and my fingers rise, reaching for the hood that isn’t there. I’m not wearing a cloak, and I have nothing to cover the glowing swirl with.
Damn it.
I pull some curls over my forehead, masking it as best I can, but there isn’t much I can do. Glancing at my sisters, I whisper, “I love you both.”
Another snap from the woods, and I steel my spine. Clench my fists. Draw deep breaths.
I will not die easily, I promise myself.
I wasn’t ready for my life to end the day of my Giving Ceremony, and I’m not ready now. But all the brave words aren’t much in the face of potential death, and my blood chills as leaves rustle.
And then, we are no longer alone.