The Border Trilogy (Book #1) Enemies to lovers, Forbidden love

Part 3

Using my abilities to my advantage, I ran as fast as my gifts would allow me toward the border. At this speed, it wasn't hard to avoid the Watchers. I moved from tree to tree, occasionally stopping to look around me. Avery would've gone toward the darkest part of the woods to avoid them as well.

The river stretched almost the entire length of our border, but some sections were more heavily watched than others. Most people stayed closer to the tribe where the trees were thinner and the moonlight could actually reach the ground.

The southern stretch was different.

The trees grew thicker there, their branches tangling together overhead until they almost blocked out the sky entirely. It was darker, quieter, and usually avoided because nothing was ever out there.

Which made it the perfect place for a fifteen-year-old girl to sneak off to.

I picked up my pace, the woods eventually began to thin and the sound of rushing water reached my ears.

The border.

I slowed to a stop, Avery would've had a much harder time getting here than I did. She would've had to sneak out of the stone house, avoid the Watchers, and somehow make it all the way to the river on foot- she couldn't be that far ahead of me.

At least, I hoped she wasn't.

I walked toward the river, it wasn't massive, but it wasn't small either. Moonlight glimmered across the moving water as it wound through the forest. Large rocks jutted out from the riverbed, creating an uneven path from one side to the other.

You couldn't simply stroll across it, but if you were a decent enough swimmer and didn't mind getting wet, it wasn't exactly difficult either. My sisters and I spent a lot of time in the ocean growing up. Avery's swimming would be as good as mine.

My eyes scanned the riverbank for any sign of disturbed moss, logs, anything that would show she was here.

Nothing. No Avery.

I took a few more steps forward when something caught my eye, half-buried in the mud near the water's edge was a sneaker. I walked over and picked it up. Black with pink flowers drawn on the side.

Avery's shoe.

You've got to be kidding me.

She was here.

I looked up, across the river, the woods looked almost identical, except for one thing- the rocks. The stones near the opposite bank were covered in black moss, moss that only grows on the shaded Theon side because the trees are denser there and the rocks stay damp. We learned about it in Science and Biology classes growing up.

I looked back at the sneaker in my hand, then toward the other side. If she'd crossed back, she would've grabbed her shoe. She's still there.

"Oh my God."

She crossed the border, and she's still here somewhere. I looked back at the woods on our side and then toward Theon.

I have to go after her, I have no choice. And then I'm going to kill her myself.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the freezing water. I sucked in a sharp breath as the current immediately pushed against my legs, stronger than it looked from the shore. I carefully stepped onto the nearest rock and then another. Halfway across, my foot slipped.

I yelped quietly and plunged knee-deep into the water.

Perfect, just perfect.

I pulled myself back onto the rock and continued crossing.