𝐅𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄, Cassian

Chapter One

Chapter One

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          LEAVES CRUNCHED BENEATH HER BARE FEET AS SHE URGED HERSELF TO RUN FASTER. Gods, she was in pain. Her entire body ached with each step she took, and a silent wail escaped her throat when she tore the soles of her bare feet open on the sharp rocks pressed into the soil, leaving a trail of dark liquid in her wake.

Blood drizzled onto her torn dress as she clutched at her side, trying to ease the blood from dripping down her skin.

Willow dodged as many trees as she could, zigzagging through the rural area, trying to make it difficult for them to track her. Her lungs were on fire, burning each time she heaved a breath, but she pushed through it. The woman knew how to survive alone, but not how to fight and that hadn't been in her favour as she fled one of the Illyrian camps deep within the mountains.

Once she hoped she was far enough she paused her steps, clinging to one of the trees beside her. The pain in her side was unbearable and her vision went black for a second before she swore at herself to keep going.

Willow was no Illyrian woman, and these lands were all but unknown to her. The brunette had no idea which way to go, all she knew was that she needed to put as much distance between the camp and herself.

The flap of wings above her caused her to hold her breath, eyes wide as she tried to peer through the tree branches. Shadows slithered down the bark like a serpent and she pushed herself away as if they would burn her. Willow sprinted away, forcing herself harder than she had done moments before.

The girl had grown up with tales of The Night Court, and none of them had been good. Her mother had told her tales of the evil that lurked within the court, and she hadn't been wrong. Evil did lurk here, and she needed to get the hell away from it. The screams still sounded fresh within her mind and a silent sob escaped her.

Willow cried out when her foot caught on a branch and she hit the soil with a harsh thud, pain shooting down her back. Blood trickled down her nose and with shaky arms, she scrambled back to her feet and pushed forward.

They were closing in on her, she could feel the gushes of wind from the sky. Mother above. Willow wished she could just winnow away, but she held no such power and all she could do was run.

Willow let out a panicked gasp as the forest around her was cascaded into darkness. Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated as she tried to keep her footing. She couldn't see anything, it was all black and her heart hammered deep within her chest.

I'm not going to harm you.

It was as if talons caressed the edges of her mind, and she smacked the palms of her hands to her forehead. Get out. Willow had stopped running, feeling as if she had nowhere to go. 

There was a hint of amusement when those talons reached out again, but Willow snapped her shields back in place. The way her mother had taught her. She fell to her knees, covering her head as more darkness crept toward her as if trying to suffocate her.

There was a roar of fury not that far away from where she was crawling and she pressed herself further, nails digging into the mud as she squinted through the darkness. It was a type of darkness where it seemed to have taken all life out of the world. So black that she wasn't even able to see herself. It was just, nothing.

Another scream erupted from behind her, this time closer and as Willow scrambled away she felt the ground shake before her, as if something had crashed into the ground. Immediately the darkness dispersed and Willow squinted at the sudden light before she met a pair of hazel eyes.