"Am I going to die?"
Lina's voice was quiet, her face pale beneath the flickering lamplight. The wound on her shoulder still bled, crimson soaking into the bandages I hadn't yet applied. My hands froze mid-motion. For a breath, I couldn't speak.
"No," I said finally, steadying my voice. "I won't let them take you away. Ever."
I motioned her closer, heart clenched so tight I thought it might break. She obeyed without a word. Her back was straight. Her lips didn't tremble. Even with an arrow buried deep in her flesh, she didn't cry. She was stronger than anyone gave her credit for.
I soaked a cloth in boiled herbs and pressed it to the wound. She flinched but didn't make a sound. I blinked hard, keeping the tears at bay.
"They're never going to stop," I said. "Not until you're broken. Or I am."
The silence between us was thick, heavy with understanding. I tightened the bandage around her shoulder and forced myself to meet her eyes.
"We're leaving."
Lina looked up. "Really?"
"Yes. Once everyone is asleep tonight, we will leave. I've had enough. I can't stay here to be abused anymore. If I have to become rogue to keep you safe, then so be it."
She was quiet for a moment. Then she reached for my hand.
"I'm fine with that," she said. "As long as you're not the one getting hurt."
I nearly broke. The dam cracked inside me, tears welling as I pressed her hand to my lips. I didn't deserve her. But I'd protect her with everything I had left. I wrapped her wound as gently as I could, whispering my plan between sobs and grit.
"We'll wait for them to sleep. We'll run fast and far. Only the essentials. Just you and me."
Lina nodded, and perhaps her eyes shone with a different kind of light. Unfortunately, I didn't notice that Haley had been hidden close by. After hearing my words, she ran out to tell Jacob about my plan.
After treating Lina, I moved like a shadow through the halls, quiet and precise. I only took what mattered and a few important things I had brought from my old pack. Lina was wrapped in layers, her face pressed to my chest, silent. We waited until the fires dimmed and laughter faded.
We stepped into the night.
I had taken three steps past the rear gate when I heard him.
"You weren't planning to leave without saying goodbye, were you?"
It was Jacob. He stood just ahead, his arms crossed. A couple of strong Alpha Warriors were behind him, all towering over me. Jacob gave me a condescending look.
"You can leave, Janice," he said. "But she stays."
I pulled Lina closer. My fingers twitched toward a hidden pouch under my coat.
"Didn't I tell you earlier?" he continued. "If you want to leave, you can leave, but leave Lina behind. You have no right to take her away."
"And what else?" I said. "Treat her unfairly and let her be the punching bag of your ruthless children? I am taking her away because I want to protect her." I saw him dead in his eyes. "From you."
The air changed. Tension cracked like thunder between us.
"I won't say it again," Jacob warned. "You stay, and you can be with Lina. Or you leave and leave Lina with us."
I looked into Lina's eyes. She clung to me, silent, trusting. I turned back to him and saw only the arrogance and ego he had always shown. He knew I wouldn't be able to leave Lina behind. He knew that I would do everything for my daughter. Seeing that I wasn't moving, he signaled his men.
"Take the child," he ordered.
I moved before they did.
I flung the powder into the air. It exploded in a pale cloud that burned and stung upon touch. The warriors shouted, hands flying to their eyes, their skin blistering red. Jacob roared in pain, but I didn't wait.
I ran.
We tore through the trees, the wind biting at my skin, the leaves slashing across my arms. I didn't care. I ran until my lungs burned, until my legs screamed. Behind me, howls erupted. It seemed that Jacob was determined to drag me back. They were fast.
But I was faster.
We passed the outer fields. The scent of the border wall hit me like smoke. I didn't stop, despite seeing some of the wild wolves roaming around, not even when large piles of poisonous snakes threatened to bite me. Not until I found the edge of the forest where a high cliff was located.
I skidded to a halt, the edge crumbling beneath my boots. Below, the scenery was black, without a definite end, a strong gust of wind howling upward. One look was enough to tell that nobody would survive if they tried to jump. Then I heard branches crack behind me, and I turned to look.
Jacob stepped from the trees, his face bruised from the powder, his voice still calm but now laced with fury.
"This is your last chance," he said. "Kneel. Apologize. Come back. I'll forgive everything."
I held Lina tighter.
I looked at him. I had loved him once. But Jacob had not only betrayed me once but twice. I had been blinded by the love I thought he would give me. The bond we shared, despite not being blessed by the Elders, was a mark that had caged me in this damn place.
"No," I said.
And with determination, I stepped off the edge of the cliff.
