The wind bit at my cheeks, and my horse kept going, hooves pounding the cursed forest floor, but I could hear something else now—behind me.
Another rider.
The sound of hooves not my own.
My heart stuttered. I looked back, just for a second—
A branch lashed across my face.
Pain burst behind my eyes, and the world spun sideways. I cried out, tumbling from the saddle. My body hit the earth hard, bark and dirt scraping my skin. My breath knocked out of me.
The horse kept running, panicked, but it slowed and stopped further down the trail, pawing the ground nervously.
I couldn't move for a moment.
Everything hurt.
And then I heard it.
The crunch of boots in dead leaves.
I rolled onto my back, gasping.
A man dismounted, slow and deliberate. His silhouette loomed over me, blocking out what little light filtered through the trees.
I scrambled up, knees shaking, mud clinging to my dress. My hands fumbled under my cloak—ripped, torn, barely hanging on—and found the Fairbairn knife still tucked against my corset.
I pulled it free, raising it with trembling hands.
The man stepped closer.
Then pulled off his helm.
His face was a ruin of scar tissue—twisted flesh, one eye clouded, the other gleaming with something worse than hatred.
Berserk.
He saw the knife. And laughed.
It was low. Mocking.
He lunged.
I screamed and threw the blade.
It struck his shoulder with a sickening sound, sinking deep. He jerked back, growling, yanking it free and letting it fall to the ground with a curse.
"Little rat," he hissed. "You'll regret that."
He lunged again—faster this time.
I tried to dodge, but he caught the edge of my cloak and yanked hard, tearing it from my shoulders. His other hand ripped at my skirt, tearing fabric away as I stumbled backward, falling onto the forest floor.
I kicked.
Clawed.
But he was stronger.
He pressed me down, pinning my wrists to the ground, his weight crushing the breath from my lungs. His hand wrapped around my throat, fingers tightening.
"You don't deserve to live," he growled. "Daughters of light like you should die... so something better can rise from your bones."
Blackness crept in at the edges of my vision.
No.
No—
I reached beneath the leaves, my fingers scraping for anything, anything at all—
And found it.
A rock. Smooth, flat, heavy.
I gripped it hard.
And swung.
It hit his temple with a crack.
He reeled back, snarling in pain, his grip loosening just enough for me to twist away, coughing violently as I dragged in air.
YOU ARE READING
Echoes of Dark Curse
FantasíaThe Empire of Light was destined to illuminate the world. I was born to be its beacon- the sun incarnate, the sacred heir of Thornhaven's golden throne. From my first breath, I was taught to embody purity, virtue, and light. A princess cloaked in pr...
