The Vow (Black Arrowhead #1) - Dannika Dark Page 0,101

me to run, and to his credit, he was right. I’d run a good distance in search of an ideal spot to lure him to me.

Once I found the perfect clearing, stars shining, I scaled a tall tree with sturdy branches. Crow’s owl was an innocuous creature, so if he was going to kill me, the only way would be to climb after me or land on a branch and shift. Either way, I had an arrow with his name on it.

I selected a secure bough high in the treetop. Once in position, I pushed my vocal cords to the limit. “Somebody, please help me!” Of course I didn’t need help, but those were undoubtedly the words he was listening for—words that were probably music to his ears.

The stars glimmered through a gap in the trees. I stilled when I heard the flapping of wings and a rustle from across the way.

Gotcha.

I paid attention to every sound, mentally pinpointing his location and distance. When a sharp light pierced the darkness below, I held my breath and hid. Indistinct whispers came from below, but I couldn’t risk looking. They might have been with Crow, but if not, they could spook his animal. This was my only shot, so I relied on the light from below to help me scan the surrounding trees.

There you are. Peering around the tree trunk, I spied the owl perched on the edge of a branch across the clearing. He had turned his head away to blend in with the leaves. I planted my right foot on the adjoining bough, my left shoulder pressed firmly against the trunk to steady me. With the bow in my left hand and the arrow in my right, I mentally rehearsed every step—the exact pull of the bowstring needed to clear the distance, my aim, finding balance, and how fast I could retrieve another arrow if I missed.

The light swung toward the trees to my left. Ignoring it, I kept my attention locked on Crow’s location, though I couldn’t see exactly where he was. I remained utterly still. As my vision adjusted to the light, I centered my eyes on only one thing—that damn owl.

A hawk flew out from his nest and startled me enough that my foot slipped.

Stay calm.

The light abruptly swung back to Crow, and someone shouted. My heart skipped a beat when the owl suddenly ascended from the branch. A knife spiraled through the air and clipped the tip of his wing before it disappeared into the shadows. I couldn’t discern what was happening below, nor did I care. At first I thought Crow might fall, but his owl was struggling to process the injury and make his escape.

I stepped onto the bough facing the clearing, my left leg in front to steady my balance. With careful precision, I pulled back the bowstring and released. The arrow sliced straight through his wing—right where it connected to his breast.

When I swung my gaze downward to assess the threat, I saw Lakota. The way he looked at me put goose bumps on my arms, and when he howled, it made my heart flutter. The person next to him aimed a flashlight in my eyes, and when I took a step back, my foot slipped.

Panic shot through me as I fell like a stone. A branch scraped my arm, and another below snapped in two when I struck it with my back. It happened so fast. One minute I was balanced and in control, and the next, I was spinning through darkness in what must have been a forty-foot drop. If my neck broke, that was it.

Realizing I might be falling to my death, I screamed. It didn’t sound like me. None of this was real. Branches slipped through my fingers like icicles, and I squeezed my eyes shut before slamming into the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of my lungs, but I felt no pain.

When my eyes snapped open, I realized that Lakota had somehow caught me. We went toppling over, and he fell onto his side, taking the brunt of the impact, but he never let go.

We looked at each other.

“You okay?” he asked. An inexplicable light sparked in his eyes.

“You keep saving me” was all I could say.

The corners of his mouth hooked into a smile. “You act like that’s a bad thing.”

Kaota’s flashlight darted to the treetops, pulling us out of the moment. Lakota sprang to his feet and turned around. Confusion swam through me