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“What would you do to her?” Joel tightened his grip on the handle of the ax.
“What she deserves.” Ethan’s finger inched closer to the crossbow’s trigger. “I wish we could have hung Liam for all of his crimes against Heulwen. She should have hung by his side. But she will hang alone.”
A sob got stuck in her throat. If she must hang, then fine. But if they hurt her children… She would not go without fighting with every ounce of her being.
“I won’t let you touch her,” Joel seethed.
“I’ll ask you only one more time. Step aside. Otherwise, we’ll go through you to get to her.”
“Then may you tear my body to shreds before you touch a single hair on her—”
“No!” Nyana screamed as Ethan released the bolt. It flew lightning quick as it struck Joel down. The ax soared out of his hands, feet away from where he lay. While Ethan started to load another bolt, the other two rushed in her direction.
But then a panicked look crossed Ethan’s features as he swore and pointed to Joel. “Stop him!”
Joel pulled out his flute from his waistband, his expression contorted with pain, fear, and sorrow as he mouthed to her, Go! Protect the children.
Another sob lodged in her throat as she dropped her cane and grabbed each of her children’s hands.
And they began to run.
A frantic, musical rhythm picked up behind them as Joel weaved his illusion. The wind picked up. Leaves scattered around them. A thick fog crept over the forest floor.
Something whizzed over her head, and her eyes widened when a bolt lodged into a nearby tree. She tugged her children along as fast as her aching leg allowed. Her frantic gaze darted about in search of safety. The fog thickened around them. She didn’t dare slow down. Especially when pursuing footsteps followed briskly somewhere behind them.
They slipped over a frozen stream. They fought their way through tangled brambles. When her lungs threatened to collapse in fatigue, she forced herself to keep running. The children barely kept up.
Just when her body nearly crumpled, she spotted a small crevice on a rocky hill. She tugged the children into the semi-darkness, and the three of them huddled against the rough, cold wall.
Each of them breathed deeply. None of them spoke.
Eva sniffed, the green of her wide eyes barely visible in the darkness. When her chin began to tremble, Nyana pulled her closer to muffle her sniffs into her shoulder.
Maisy’s chin trembled as well. Mama, is Papa Joel dead?
Tears pricked her eyes as she thought of Joel lying in a pool of his own blood, a bolt lodged in his body. She didn’t know where it had hit him. But he couldn’t have escaped. It wasn’t possible. Just the thought alone caused an overwhelming ache to settle in her chest.
So, she lied. Joel will be fine.
Shoes crunched over leaves, fast at first, and then they slowed as they moved closer to their hiding spot. Nyana’s heartbeat thrummed with fear as she placed a finger against her lips to quiet her daughters. Each of them remained still, barely breathing.
“Damn these illusions!” a voice she recognized belonging to Ethan cried, followed by the frustrated kick of leaves.
“You just had to go and make him an enemy,” Cole responded. Another frustrated kick of leaves. “He was our strongest asset.”
“He made himself an enemy. Come on. Let’s keep searching for the woman. She couldn’t have gotten far on that leg, and Joel can’t help her now.”
The sounds of scuffling boots moved away from them. Nyana clutched a hand over her mouth to keep a sob from escaping. But her eyes still burned from unshed tears. Joel was dead. He had to be. He’d sacrificed himself to protect them.
Mama, you’re shaking.
Until Maisy pointed it out, she hadn’t realized her body shook from her trembling hands to her quivering legs. But if she admitted her fear, she knew she would only make the situation worse for her daughters.
Unable to form words, even in her mind, she pulled Maisy close, and the three of them sat shivering in the cold crevice of the cave. Minutes passed. And then perhaps hours. Her limbs locked up. Her shivers worsened by the second.
More footsteps.
Heavy. A disjointed rhythm. Her eyes widened at the realization. Not a person but a horse.
