The Deadly Trials

6 | Royal Gardener

// royal gardener // 

"How?" She shook uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her chin and onto her lap.

"Let me think," I barked. Acidic fear clogged the back of my throat.

Arrows flew by, just shy of hitting us. I kept one eye on the threat of another arrow, the other on number eight.

"Just go," she begged, her trembling worsening. "It's not worth it."

My lips pursed and I scowled. "Yes it is." Without another thought, I ripped my shirt, turning it into a near crop top. I snatched a twig off the ground and shoved it at her. "Bite."

"Wha—"

I put the stick between her teeth. I cradled her hand and let out a slow breath. "Don't move. Here goes."

Grunting, I broke off the tip of the arrow and then yanked the shaft out of her palm. She yelled around the twig, biting hard enough to splinter it. Hoping it would be enough, I wrapped my ripped shirt about her bleeding hand. I tied it as tight as I could.

She blew the stick out of her mouth and shrieked, "Just go, damn it!"

"I can't leave you here." My hands hovered about her.

"You have no choice!" Eight pushed me with her good hand. "Go, before you get an arrow in your heart."

The pleading eyes and angry brows persuaded me. I jumped to my feet and bolted away from her. Tears stung my eyes and I whispered, "I am so sorry, eight."

The arrows kept coming. I had no other option but to scale the shrubbery to get out of this. I had to move quickly.

As I sprinted, memories from the few rock climbing lessons I'd taken several years ago replayed in my head. Foot and hand holds. Leg and arm. I didn't have time for proper form.

I swerved to the left side of the path, stray boughs whipping my legs and arms. Adrenaline provided a final explosion of power and I ran toward the right. I leapt, flinging myself at the wall of vegetation. My hands reached out and latched onto whatever they could hold. My feet sunk into the plants from the force.

With no time to lose, I removed a foot. I placed it back in the shrubs and reached as high as I could. Breathing hard, I scrambled up the plants. So I didn't trap myself in them, I jumped across the top and fell to the pathway beside it.

I rolled and stopped on my back, groaning. I had landed wrong, and painful twinges wound up my right arm. "Ow."

"Great Behram, are you okay?" a sultry voice exclaimed from above me.

My eyes fluttered open and gazed upon the most beautiful thing I'd seen since coming to Eternity. My jaw went slack.

He looked human enough, with dark, sun-kissed skin, emerald eyes, and golden hair. He looked like the human equivalent of a piece of the sun: warm and beautiful. He was tall and lean. His skin was flawless, with not a single blemish, spot, or wrinkle to be seen.

"Yeah," I responded dreamily. "I'm great."

He frowned at me. "I don't think you are, dear maiden. Here." He set down pruning shears, removed a pair of gardening gloves, and extended a hand.

I took it, lost in his expressive eyes outlined in thick, long lashes that would have made any woman jealous. "Thanks," I breathed.

When I tried to brush the dirt from my pants, pain shot through my arm and I released a yelp. I grabbed my right elbow, sucking in a breath through my clenched teeth.