If only it was that simple.
A twig snapped below us.
I peered over the tower.
Something—or someone—moved in the shadows.
The creatures that roamed the forest—and there were many—mostly didn’t scare me. Creatures were manageable.
Other humans, on the other hand, were terrifying. Especially Lirien soldiers bent on killing as many Viori as possible. They viewed us as rebels, a threat to their tyrannical king. No matter that we’d set up our territory in the wilds of the Dreadwood, forbidden lands they had no use for.
The musky scent of sweat cut through the forest’s earthy aroma, wrong and foreign. The forest held its breath, shadows thickening like predators watching from the trees, the silence too heavy to be harmless.
My gaze locked on the forest floor beneath me.
There. A solid form in the thicket below my post. A Lirien. A Viori would have announced themselves by now.
My heart sped.
I turned to Esme, pressing a finger to my lips. She knew better than to make noise now.
Don’t look, I wanted to tell her.
Maybe she needs this lesson, though.
Hurry.
If the Lirien slipped past me and someone farther into the territory had to handle them, I’d be responsible for the failure. Once they moved far enough from the tree for me to lower myself and remain unseen, I’d have to act.
I grabbed the rope. “Stay here,” I mouthed.
Esme gripped my forearm, fear on her face. “Don’t leave me.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Without waiting for her response, I climbed down. Next year, if I made officer, I wouldn’t be assigned posts at the edge of our tribe’s borders. Maybe then I’d finally get all the sap out of my hair.
I sank onto the forest floor, damp earth swallowing the sound. Tara had devoted a full year to teaching me how to walk soundlessly.
Crouching low, I searched for the Lirien.
I held my breath, listening carefully. A few pine needles rained down on me and I winced. Esme.
How often had Tara seen me as a liability?
A soft crunch focused my attention.
The Lirien stood twenty feet away, head cocked. His profile revealed a strong forehead. Wavy, dark hair, like mine, was tied behind his neck with a strap.
He hadn’t seen me.
Pulling a dagger, I rose slowly. The Lirien’s reasons for being here didn’t matter—one Lirien could wreak havoc. Failing to intercept them meant murder, rapes, executions, or worse, kidnappings back to Lirien, where even grimmer fates awaited. They viewed us as their enemies as much as we did them.
I could do this.
Even with Esme watching.
Still, I hesitated. She’d have to witness death sooner or later—learn to kill—even if she hated me for it.
