Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Lyra’s POV

I wasn't sure how far I'd walked, but I liked to think the throbbing pain in my ankle was a good answer to the question I asked myself. I winced slightly, as I continued walking. Ignorance they said, was bliss, so perhaps if I ignored the pain for so long, I could easily pretend that it was only a figment of my imagination, and that the pain never happened. With all the strength I could muster, I managed to push the thought out of my head, but it didn't last long, because apparently, mother nature had something else planned for me.

One minute I was telling myself that the pain didn't exist, and the next, an even sharper and more intense pain than the one I was feeling originally, shot up my leg. A gutteral cry slid past my lips as I crouched to cup my ankle. Not like it was going to do anything helpful, but at least, it would help me from crying out anymore.

It was one thing to sneak out of Red Moon while the rest of the pack was still asleep, but it was a completely different thing that I just had to make a loud noise while being at it. The expanse of land and forest between Blackwater and Red Moon wasn't exactly the safest place, and even if the soldiers from back home hadn't heard me, then the possibility of being heard by rogues or other wild animals were extremely high.

“You can do this,. Lyra.” I massaged my leg. “you can do this. Come on, get up and continue. You can't give up now.”

I chanted the words over and over again, till I was finally standing. The road stretched endlessly ahead, quiet and broken like my thoughts, but I knew I couldn't stop. I walked a little bit more, before stopping for some rest. I stood at the edge of a cracked, weed split road, and I didn't miss the shudder that ran down my spine. I wrapped myself tightly in my cloak, hoping the fabric and hood did enough to mask my face. Every second felt like a gamble.

I'd made it out of Redmoon, just barely, but now I was in the space between kingdoms, where no banners flew and no loyalties stood. .

In other words, I was nowhere, and no one, and the perfect prey for whatever was out there.

The wind howled in the distance, and each time it did, I flinched. I also half expected a growl, a shout, or even a patrol guard,but all I got was just silence. Alongside dust and the stifling weight of my decision pressing down on my shoulders.

The sun was slowly beginning to rise and I'd already counted three carriages that had passed me alread. Two of them had the Redmoon insignias boldly crafted into their sides and I could only mutter a prayer that whoever was in there didn't recognize me. The last one was driven by a man who’d looked right at me and sped off like I was carrying the plague, and I couldn't blame him.

Who picks up a lone girl in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but a small travel bag and a clearly sprained ankle?

More time passed, and this time, I was starting to think I'd have to walk the entire stretch to Blackwater when the rumble of another engine rolled through the stillness. I almost let out a triumphant yelp when I realized it was slowing down.

The car was old. I could tell by the wheels grinding slightly, backfiring once before it eased to a stop beside me. A couple of thoughts echoed in my head, and I hesitated, but the image of being eaten by something wild, was all it took to wipe that nightmare away from my mind.

“Hi.” I leaned toward the passenger window. The man inside was broad.shouldered, with gray beards, and chewing something that looked suspiciously like a stick. Not just any stick though, I wouldn't be surprised if it was laced with something.

“Where to?” he asked, as his eyes squinted at me through thick brows. His voice was gruff and slightly accented, and I wasn't sure what to make of it.

“Blackwater,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral.

“That’s deep.” He gave a low grunt. “I don't usually make trips….”

“I can pay,” I added quickly. I had a small stash of cash tucked into my boots and deep inside my bag.

“Get in.” He nodded after a beat. “Fast. It's not exactly safe out here.”

As quickly as I could, I did as I was told.

The car creaked and shuddered as we pulled back onto the road, and every pothole felt like a personal vendetta, jarring through my spine and nerves. The car's insides smelled faintly of old leather and smoke, but there was something else beneath it. I couldn't exactly place it, but it bore a striking resemblance to something like rust. Or blood.

Blood. The mere thought of that was more than enough to send chills racing down my spine.

I kept my bag on my lap and one hand inside it, fingers curled loosely around the hilt of my dagger. The driver may or may not be dangerous, but being a little more alert didn't exactly hurt anyone. Anyone that I knew, anyway.

“You from around here?” the man asked after a while, not taking his eyes off the road. I held his gaze through the overheard mirror, and with the little features I could catch from his crooked reflection, he didn't look all that dangerous.

“No,” I said, the lie too smooth on my tongue. “Just passing through.”

“Not many do. Most stay in their territories now.” He nodded once. “Tell me, do you have business here, or….”

This was the part where he expected me to say something, something that would keep the conversation going, but I didn't answer. I couldn't, especially after the stories I'd heard about the place we were driving towards.

The road narrowed the closer we got, and the trees pressed in tighter. Their branches were low and claw like, and I didn't miss how they brushed against the sides of the car. There was no sign to indicate where we were yet, but I could feel it, the pull of Blackwater.

The tension in the air changed. It thickened, and even the lights seemed different and darker, as though the shadows knew who ruled beyond the next bend.

Then, just as we rounded the hill, I saw them. They came as shapes on the road first. I quickly counted four silhouettes, but not just any ones. They were cloaked and the sight sent my heart plummetting to the ground.

“Stop,” I whispered abruptly, but I knew he'd heard me. “look…”

I didn't get to finish as the driver cursed under his breath and slammed on the brakes, but it was too late.

Spikes shot up from beneath the dirt, shredding the tires in an instant. I heard them, and believe me when I said that, in that moment, it was the scariest thing I'd ever heard. A shrill cry slid past my lips as the car jolted and skidded sideways before slamming to a stop. Pain exploded throughout my temple as my head smacked hard against the window.

“Out! Now!” the driver barked, but he was already being yanked from his seat by one of the cloaked figures.

With a throbbing head, I stumbled out, my blade drawn by my side. My heart hammered wildly in my chest, but not even that could stop me from accessing the scenario.

Rogues, or soldiers, I couldn’t tell, since their faces were hidden, but the way they moved, fast and calculated, felt organized, and ur only made me come to one conclusion. This wasn’t a random robbery, this was deliberate.

Shit.

“Come here.” One reached for me. He'd barely touched my arm, before I slashed at him, catching his arm. He snarled and lunged in return, just before knocking me backward onto the gravel.

“Oooff.” pain spread through my wrist as my dagger flew from my grip, skittering across the ground.

“Pretty little thing,” one of them murmured above me, as another boot pressed down on my chest before I could scramble up. “Didn’t expect it to be her, did you?”

The man holding me down froze, and apparently, I had the same reaction as well.

Wait, they knew me?

“Get off me!” I thrashed beneath him. “Get off me, right now.”

“Careful,” someone else said sharply. “He said no bruises.”

He.

The pronoun brushed past my ears, and everything inside me turned to ice.

Xavier? Could they be talking about Xavier?

The world tilted, but I fought against it. I kicked instead, hard enough to make the man above me stumble. I rolled away, hands searching desperately for my blade, but someone else caught me by the hair and yanked me back.

“Sleep tight, Luna,” a voice whispered, just before something slammed against the back of my head.

White hot pain echoed in the back of my head, and as I grappled for anything I could find, I faintly caught sight of the driver's crooked and bleeding nose. My vision blurred after that, and then, the darkness welcomed me into its icy embrace.