Follow the Arrow

Chapter 19

A cry comes from within the crowd of villagers and I think I have a pretty good guess who it came from. In a moment, a path has opened up and Poppy is running over to her father's corpse. Carina and Alex chase after her and try pulling her back, but the girl is desperately clinging to his body.

"Poppy. Poppy, you need to move," Carina grunts.

The hysterical girl manages to push over Alex. "Poppy! Move your butt," she snaps.

The wizard laughs. "Oh, silly girls. I'm not going to kill her." She smiles a wicked smile. "I only killed him because he was my example." Then her dark purple eyes look around the circle. I gulp when her gaze passes over me. "I came here for something. And if I get it, no one else will die." She looks down at Poppy and her friends again. "Okay?"

I ask in a shaky voice, "Who–who is that?"

I feel Zane's hands squeezing mine. "Sydelle," he hisses from behind me. I look back at him, shocked. His fiancée? That's his fiancée? That dark girl is who he was almost forced to marry? That girl is the one who insisted I was tortured? Before I can ask these questions aloud, he's pulling me out. "Come on. Before she spots us."

Dazed, I let my friend lead me away from the anxious atmosphere. My mind is reeling at the situation. I thought we'd be safe here. I thought once I made it to this village, all of my problems would evaporate, but it seems only more keep appearing. I just brought all my problems with me and forced them on all these unsuspecting people. The guilt is overwhelming. I abruptly stop.

"What are you doing?!" he shouts. "We have to keep going!" I start running back. "Orchid! Have you gone mad?! You can't go back there!"

"Maybe I am going mad, but I have to go back!" He catches up and grabs me around the waist, lifting me off the ground. I kick and claw at his hands. "Let me go! Let me go, Blue! I have to go back!"

"I can't allow you do that! Do you realize what you'd be walking into?!"

"I know exactly what I'll be walking into!" I lash out more and snarl as I try to get the wizard to drop me, but it's no use. "Do you realize what just happened?! She killed a man! He is dead! Poppy's father is dead!"

"Yes, and she didn't even know him! I don't even want to think about what she'd do to you. She has something against you! She's already done horrible things to you!"

"But she's looking for me! She said no one will die if she gets what she wants, so she'll keep killing until she finds me! You know that! I can't let that happen!" I stop fighting and let my body go limp. "That man is dead because of me. I–I can't let that happen again."

"I can't let you die," he says fiercely. Zane sets me back on my feet and turns me around to face him. He blushes. "You matter too much for me to let that happen. Not again. I won't let it."

Sheepishly, I place my hand over his. "Zane, I can’t be selfish. There are other lives at stake."

"Fine! I'll be the selfish one!" I arch an eyebrow. He knows we can't do that. It wouldn't be right. I try to pull away, but he snatches up my hand and tugs me all the way to our cabin, taking the long way. He throws open the door and slings me in. "Stay in here." Then he slams the door and I hear a click. I run to the door, but it's locked.

I bang on the wood. "Zane! You can't do this! This is unfair use of magic! Let me out! Let me out! Right now!" I look out the window and see he's no longer in view. I return to banging on the door. "Help! Somebody, anybody! Help! I've been locked in my room!" For several minutes, I scream and holler out, but no one comes to my aid. "Damn wizards and their spells!" I say kicking the door, but I stub my toe. "Ow!" I squeak, holding my foot and hopping around. "Ow, ow, ow!"