Ruined (Ruined, #1)(67)
He barely nodded, and she let her hand drop from his arm as she walked away. She walked into the thick trees, making noisy footsteps as she jogged into the darkness. Then she stopped, silently doubling back.
She ducked under a vine, crouching behind a bush. Francisco, Koldo, and Iria were exactly where she’d left them. Miguel was gone.
She slowly removed her sword from her belt, casting a quick glance around her.
A cricket jumped across the ground in front of her, and she watched as it disappeared into the darkness. Rustling noises and chirps echoed from the jungle, making it difficult to hear if someone was nearby.
She waited several minutes, barely breathing. Finally, Miguel emerged from the trees behind Aren, making a slow and silent approach. A piece of cloth dangled from his hands. Probably for Aren’s eyes. If they blindfolded him, he wouldn’t be able to use his Ruined magic, and she and Cas were screwed.
Francisco had moved in front of Iria, standing over her and blocking her view of Aren. Em watched as Miguel took another step toward Aren.
“Aren, behind you!” she yelled.
Aren sprang to his feet and whirled around. Miguel’s arm swung straight up, the blindfold fluttering to the ground. The arm twisted backward with a horrible crunch.
Miguel’s scream echoed through the trees as Em darted out of the bushes. Cas scrambled to his feet, stumbling as his bound wrists threw him off balance. Francisco rushed at him, sword drawn. Cas barely jumped out of the way in time.
Francisco lifted his sword again, and Em ducked beneath it, planting herself between him and Cas. The warrior’s blade crashed against hers, and she quickly blocked his next attack.
Miguel’s screams made Francisco glance away for half a second, and Em lunged. She drove her sword into his side, aiming to wound, not kill. If she was ever going to make peace with the warriors, it was best not to leave them dead.
She grabbed Cas by the ropes around his wrists and sliced her blade through them.
“Aren! Sword!” she yelled, holding her hand out.
He turned away from Miguel, tossing her Cas’s stolen sword. She caught it and thrust it into Cas’s hand.
“The horses,” she said, jerking her head in their direction.
Cas’s eyes widened at something behind her. He slammed his hands down on her shoulders so hard she crumpled to the ground. He leaned back as Koldo’s blade sailed over Em’s head.
Em kicked Koldo’s knee, and the warrior went down with a yelp. “Go!” she yelled at Cas.
He ran past Iria. She stood a few paces away, her mouth in an O as she surveyed the scene.
Koldo scrambled across the dirt, his hand reaching for Em’s ankle. His wrist cracked suddenly, the back of his hand hitting the top of his wrist. He howled, cradling the arm against his stomach. Aren was slumped against a tree, his chest heaving up and down.
She took off after Cas. A body slammed into hers and she hit the dirt, hard. Two hands pinned her to the ground.
“Punch me,” Iria said in her ear. “Make it look good.”
Iria loosened her grip and Em wriggled free, springing to her feet. She whirled around and swung her fist, connecting with Iria’s jaw. The warrior hit the ground with a grunt.
Em winced and gave Iria an apologetic look before turning back to Cas. He’d just freed the second horse. Koldo sprinted toward them, and she took off running, grabbing the reins of the horse. Cas moved toward the third horse, but she shook her head.
“Leave it!” she yelled.
He jumped on the horse. Em mounted the other horse, aiming her boot straight for Koldo’s face as he tried to pull her off. He stumbled backward, landing on his butt as she rode past.
Aren still stood by the tree, and he reached his hand out as Em’s horse galloped his way. She grabbed his arm and pulled him up. His body was limp from the exhaustion of using his magic, and he slumped against her back as soon as he was on the horse. She kicked at the side of the horse and they took off at a gallop, leaving the warriors in the dust.
THIRTY-ONE
CAS COULD HAVE easily left Em and Aren behind as they rode away from the warriors, and he considered it as he stared into the black jungle. Em’s horse carried two people, and was far slower than his as a result.
Em slid off her horse, leaving Aren hunched over on the saddle by himself. He looked like he might be asleep. She walked to Cas, holding out her canteen. He took a small sip and handed it back.
He didn’t have a canteen, or any idea where he was going in the dark. Once the sun rose he could figure out which way was south, but he’d lost track of their position after being captured. He had a sword now, at least, but what chance did he really have by himself? If he’d come across Iria and the other warriors alone, he’d be dead.
He squinted at Em as she put the cap back on the canteen. Was this all part of the plan? Was she pretending to save him in order to use him further? Did she really want to take him prisoner and trade him for Olivia?
The dark jungle suddenly seemed like a better idea than staying with her. He must be at least halfway to the Southern Mountains. He could make the rest of the trip by himself.
“I won’t blame you if you take off.” She turned around and walked back to her horse. “We should be to Gallego City by morning. If you want to ride with us until then, I promise you’ll be safe.”
Gallego City meant Lera soldiers. It meant finding out if his mother and Jovita were alive, and having a guard to protect him. He hadn’t even realized they were close to Gallego.