What did they miss? Or who? Rahn was eager to put this entire thing to rest, but somehow felt like it was never ending. As she ran, her mind raced between what Butok had to show her and what Kahal had just asked of her. She couldn't think straight. In fact, she was a mess. Maybe she did actually need that break the King and Queen were insisting she take. But not before she finished this.
As she ran further into the woods, she took in a deep breath of the fresh air. She would go for two long runs a day during her break to make up for all the time she'd missed by being cooped up in places during this assignment.
As she neared the location she slowed to a stop and thought for a moment. Why would Butok want to meet her out here? She had run this portion of the forest many times and knew for a fact that there was nothing out here. Unless it was hidden extremely well, or perhaps underground. Neither would surprise her at this point. But still, her gut was telling her to be cautious.
She turned and looked around her, not seeing anything immediately out of place. But instead of jogging the rest of the way like she had been, she turned and circled around to come in slowly from a different direction.
As she approached the general area, she spotted a figure on the other side of a tree from her. She quietly crept up, keeping the tree between them to block their view of her. But the closer she got, she realized they were incredibly still. Dread dropped into her gut like a lead weight. She closed the distance and gasped in surprise as she rounded the tree. "Butok, what happened to you?"
His head slowly crept up as if he were trying to wake from a fog while mumbling something incoherent to her. She looked around but didn't see anything or anyone else surrounding them. So she turned back to Butok and began untying him from the tree.
"Do you have any injuries or were you just drugged?"
Butok mumbled again as he struggled to hold his head up.
"Can you walk?" Rahn asked him.
He shook his head and then dropped it as if the weight were too much.
Rahn cursed under her breath and then lowered him as gently as she could down to the ground.
"You've undone all of my hard work."
Rahn swirled around at the sound of a female voice directly behind her.
"Over here." The voice called out again.
She looked out and found the female was fifteen yards away, holding up one of Daielle's weapons pointed straight at Rahn. Suddenly, recognition dawned on her. "Niva?" Rahn asked.
Niva smirked. "Please tell me you didn't actually think I was that fool's assistant. You're entirely too smart for that."
Rahn simply watched her, silently running through everything in her mind.
"Too smart for your own good, in fact. Now, be good and tie Butok's hands back for me. I can't have him getting away."
Rahn turned and glanced at Butok, who seemed to be sound asleep. "It doesn't look like he's going anywhere anytime soon." Rahn responded.
"I don't like to take that kind of chance." Niva responded, her face unreadable. "In fact, I've spent the past five years planning out and patiently implementing every single tiny detail of my revenge. Only for you to show up and ruin it all at the last moment. "Now, the ropes. I won't ask again."
"What exactly do you plan to do? Blow me up and alert every guard within hearing distance that we're out here? I take it you know how loud the blast from those weapons are."
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Lavender & Fire
Fantasy*Sequel to Lavender & Ice* - *Read Book 1 first!!!!* Following the attack that hit too close to home, Kahal brings in Grand Hall guard Rahn to go undercover and find those responsible. Meanwhile, his mother is hounding him to find a life partne...
