drawl, still convinced there is no way out of this without the bird seeing us.
“We run to the forest and don’t get hit by the bird.”
I wait for the rest of his plan, my eyebrows rising at his expectant expression. “That’s your plan? Run and don’t let it attack me?” I inquire incredulously. When he nods, confirming I heard his terrible plan correctly, I laugh. I’m laughing so much that my stomach hurts and I have to bend at my waist to breathe.
“Clarissa?” Vaeril sounds concerned, his hand landing on my shoulder, and I instantly sober, straightening and turning to face him.
“Did you bash your head on a rock?” I whisper shout, still aware of the bird flying above us. He frowns at my insult, crossing his arms as I continue. “That might be fine for you, but not all of us have elven speed.”
I remember running through the fields of the farm when they were testing the magic in the bands. They would release us, give us a head start, and then free the falcon, and it would hunt us down. I still have the scars on my arms and shoulders from where the birds would gouge my skin with their razor-sharp talons.
Hands shake my shoulders and I hear Vaeril’s voice calling to me.
“Clarissa? Alina!” Frowning, I look up at him, brushing his hands from my shoulders and ignoring the tingling that settles over me when he calls me by my ‘true name.’ “Where did you go just then?”
“I was here the whole time,” I reply, wondering what in the Mother he’s talking about. Maybe he did hit his head on a rock after all.
“Your body was here, but your mind was elsewhere.” He watches me with knowing eyes. I won’t share these memories with him, there are some parts of my past I won’t share with anyone, especially not him.
“That’s none of your business.” What is it about the elf that makes this argumentative side of me come out, the part of me I can usually keep hidden? I feel touchy and frustrated, and I can’t figure out why, but everything Vaeril’s doing isn’t helping.
“Clarissa, Alina, I won’t leave you behind, the bird will not get you.”
How did he know, especially when I didn’t even know what was upsetting me? Now that he’s said it, that he won’t leave me behind, something settles within me. I know I’ll still have abandonment issues, it’s something I’m sure will follow me for most of my life. However, as I look up into his silver eyes, I know he’s telling the truth. Whether it’s this bond between us, or something else entirely, I know I can trust him.
“Okay, let’s go.” I know we’ve wasted too much time talking while the guards could be gaining on us with every moment.
Movement catches my eye, and as I look down, I see he’s holding out his hand. I stare at it for a second before glancing up and seeing his determined expression.
Taking a deep breath, I put my hand in his.
Without another word, he darts out from behind the rock, pulling me behind him. We sprint, dashing around rocks as we go, so fast that if he wasn’t guiding me, I’m sure I would trip and fall. I know I’m holding him back, but unless he picks me up and runs with me, we are limited by how fast I can move. I stop worrying about the ground, trusting him to guide me, and just concentrate on running as fast as I can.
This morning he tried to pick me up to run with me, but panic had taken over me, my nightmare kept replaying in my mind. I felt trapped, and in the end I demanded he put me down. Guilt fills me. I’m the reason we are having to go slower, I’m holding us back and could be why we’re caught.
A loud, high-pitched caw fills the air and I know we’ve been spotted. Vaeril curses and drives us faster, my feet screaming as we manoeuvre around the large rocks, weaving between them to make it more difficult for the bird to attack.
A screech, much closer this time, makes me look over my shoulder, and I see the falcon diving straight towards us, talons stretched out and ready to strike. Tripping on a rock, I feel my ankle suddenly turn over, throwing me forward. Vaeril catches me, stopping me from smashing my face into the stony ground.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his eyes scanning