AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Mina swallowed around a sudden lump in her throat and slipped the leather around her own wrist. “I don’t have to say a magic word or anything, right?”
“Nope, just hook on, and trust in the enchantment, but you’ve gotta be quick about it,” he said. “We only get ten minutes to hide.”
“Here goes nothing,” she said, and after a deep breath, she hooked her hand to the rope, and took three quick steps forward, launching herself into the air. A terrifying second passed where she wondered if the enchantment would fail for her, and then it flashed overhead.
She felt the magic jerk her forward, and she went flying down the line. Ahead of her Lucy dropped off and she watched as the witch darted across the rooftops before disappearing into the small village.
Mina had no idea where she wanted to hide, not until she was almost to the end of the line. As a human, she was at a disadvantage to creatures who could smell her, she had to find a place that would help her fix that, and only one place came to mind.
She slipped her hand from the leather, and her body dropped like a rock. Her feet skittered across the nearest rooftop, and she nearly toppled over the edge before she stopped.
“By the Mother,” she gasped, pressing a hand to her heart. Energy buzzed through her body; she’d never done anything so dangerous in her life.
“Don’t just stand there,” a voice shouted from behind her, and she turned to see Lucy dancing on her toes between two of the buildings. “Hide!”
Mina laughed and hopped down onto the balcony in front of her, and then ducked inside the building, racing down the stairs. She couldn’t be open about her plans, she had to make sure no one on the seekers’ team saw her, and she had to leave trails of her scent in other spaces to confuse them if she could.
The rooms of the building were empty of anything that made it look remotely lived in. She passed boxes, and tarps, all smeared with old chalk from when others had been discovered in the building. She reached the street, and then darted across to the next building, racing up the stairs and then back down to go to a third building, before finding a window closest to the lowest of the tree branches.
Cracking her knuckles, she tried to do the mental math of the jump she’d have to make and then shook out her hands. She could do this. She’d made jumps like this before, training at home, and she was running out of time.
Mina exhaled and ran. One foot in front of the other. She stepped up onto the window ledge and launched herself at the nearest tree branch. Her fingers scraped against the bark, and then held fast. Her weight jerked against the branch, and then in a practiced swing, she lifted herself up onto the branch. If there was anything Mina excelled at, it was climbing trees.
Getting her balance, she quickly scrambled back towards the trunk of the tree and grabbed the next branch above her that came in reach, and repeated the process, climbing higher and higher.
The tree itself stood at least thirty feet higher than the rooftops. The further she was from them, and the ground, the harder it would be for anyone to spot her. At least that’s what she hoped.
The air smelled thick with pine and sap, and something else she couldn’t put her finger on. It was almost floral, but like the flowers had been diluted with something else. Something ancient.
Perching just short of the top of the tree, she wedged herself between the branches and smiled. She had the perfect view of the rope she’d dropped off of, and the seekers were beginning to line up, readying for their descent.
Mina made a mental note to thank her cousin for this. She’d been so focused on the craziness of her arrival that she hadn’t taken the time to actually find something to do with herself. Training again, playing a game…it felt good. It felt right without making her feel guilty. Unlike her feelings for Erik.
The mere thought of him threw her insides into a tizzy. Her stomach twisted in knots of desire, and fear, and confusion. Her heart fluttered; her skin tingled. She prayed the Crone would give her guidance during their dinner. Maybe then she’d have some clarity.
So lost in her own thoughts, she almost missed the seekers hitting the rooftops about fifty feet from the tree. She held her breath, and just as she suspected all six of them darted off in opposite directions. All of them headed away from her spot in the branches.
She listened closely as shouts went up in the distance, and she heard a series of grunts as someone tried to rip the cloth from one of her teammates. There was silence, and then a bright blue burst of smoke shot into the air. Blue. She didn’t know who had chosen blue. She’d been so distracted by the king, and Harker’s instructions, that she hadn’t even glanced at who else had joined her team.
That was happening a lot lately. Her mind kept slipping away from things that she knew should’ve been important. Like Lucy for one. Her cousin was a witch, and she’d never taken the time to stop and—
Pink smoke burst in the air, and Mina shook her head. Lucy had been found. Then came a green burst of smoke, and an orange burst. That left two people. Mina and someone else. Her gut told her it was Harker .
Shifting her weight, she scanned the air, looking for some sign of danger. There was nothing. Not even a seeker standing around in confusion. Her spot seemed to be perfect, at least that was until she heard the movement below her.
Looking down through the branches she heard a grunt, and growl as something heavy and hard was thrown against the trunk of the tree.
Harker ’s voice rang out in pain, and she realized he was fighting against one of the seekers. They hit the tree again and it shook, nearly knocking her from her hiding place. She stifled a curse under her breath, and just as she thought Harker might have the upper hand an unfamiliar voice cried out in triumph and a golden burst of smoke shot through the tree in her direction, breaking through the branches of the tree.
Mina gasped, and instinctively dove to another branch. Her gut smacked hard into the wood. And she grunted as she slipped off and then slammed into a branch below her.
The impact knocked the wind from her, but she was able to wrap her hands around the branch and keep herself in place. Pain radiated through her ribs, and for a few seconds it hurt to breathe, but then the pain eased, and she was able to sit up and get her bearings.
“Shit, where is she?” Someone cried out. “We’ve got two minutes.”
Mina fought the urge to laugh and laid flat against her branch. Two minutes and she would be the winner. Two minutes, and then she could rejoin the world.
The seconds ticked by slower. At least that’s how it felt. Resting her head against the branch, she began to feel woozy. She hadn’t eaten much for breakfast. She needed to get some food, and then prepare her questions for her dinner with the king. There were things she needed to process, emotions to understand.
A strange shaky feeling washed over her, and with a weak exhale her mind slipped from consciousness. Her mind’s eye pulled her deep into the darkness behind her eyes. Then all at once, the world around her lit in stunning color. Sitting up, leaning on her elbows. She looked at the field of wildflowers around her and frowned as she pushed herself to sit up fully. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep. She was waiting for him…waiting for—
A shout broke through the quiet of the night. Turning she saw Erik rushing towards her being harried by dark shapes she couldn’t make out at a distance.
She rose to her feet, and he shouted again. His terror stabbing her right through the heart. “Evangeline! Run!”
