Cursed | Book Two of Chosen

Chapter One: Scarlett

We'd been traveling for about two days without stopping. We had to emergency evacuate the camp after it was completely taken apart because we could hear the hoofs of a small group of attackers lighting the trees on fire.

We barely had time to sleep, and if we did, it was one at a time on the horses while everyone else kept watch. It was hot, especially during the day, and especially since I had to wear layers upon layers of thick fabrics to keep my skin from the sun. I didn't complain, though. I prioritized my life over my comfort.

Athena sat behind me on the horse, holding on, and occasionally falling asleep against my back. Julian rode beside us, always watching and never sleeping. He always held a loaded bow in his hand, and sometimes he shot a rabbit for me to eat.

Athena and Julian ate nuts and berries they had packed from the castle and in bushes around springs that we stopped at to get water.

Nobody talked; by now, everyone was too exhausted. The horses refused to run anymore, so we were all moving st a slow walking pace.

Jazmine, the white-haired warlock who was at the lead, stopped in front of us. Besides Athena and my horse, Julian's and Rosalie's horse, and Jazmine's, there was two others, one with the two oldest girls from the campsite, and one with the boy. We all stopped.

"The horses are all tired. We are all tired. We need to rest," Jazmine said.

Athena lifted her head up from my back. It was nighttime, and the forest was silver in the moonlight.

"We can't stop," Athena mumbled wearily. "We'll get caught."

"We'll get caught with as tired as we are, anyway," Jazmine said. "We might as well sleep and have the energy to fight than get caught and just let them take us."

Julian nodded. "We probably should, Athena," he said quietly.

The other three nodded.

I slipped off the horse and helped Athena down. I stumbled backwards with her in my arms and almost fell, bracing myself against a tree.

The four other warlocks set up wards that should keep us safe during the night and tents to sleep in while Athena, Julian, and I leaned against a large tree. Julian's eyes drooped.

When the tents were set up, five in total, Julian slipped into one, presumably to sleep, and Rosalie in another. Jazmine announced that she was off to hunt. The brown haired boy, who's name was Jay, and the taller girl, who was Lillith, crawled into another tent. The smaller girl, Myra, stayed out, tending to a fire.

"Athena," I whispered. "You should go in a tent and rest."

"You need your rest, too," Athena murmured.

"I'll come with," I said gently. "I'll read to you."

Athena seemed too tired to protest. She crawled into an empty tent and I followed. There was a large, fluffy blanket and two soft pillows. I tossed our packs in a corner and grabbed a book out.

Rosalie had given me the book the first day when we set off. The cover was bloodstained, but the pages were mostly untouched. I opened the book to the first page and read aloud.

I recognized the book as one that Rosalie had read to me when I was younger. I read softly until Athena's breathing evened, and even after that I still read out loud.

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I was warm, I felt safe and comfortable in Athena's arms. But I also felt a twist of hunger. Not for normal food, but for blood. Fresh blood. I hadn't eaten properly in a long time. I sat up, but I was too dizzy. My head swam and it was much too bright. I groaned and fell back on the pillow.

Everything was much too loud. I could hear every footstep, every dead leaf fall.

Athena sat up next to me and whispered, "What's wrong?"

"Hungry," I croaked, squeezing my eyes shut against the pain.

"You can bite me," she said without hesitation.

"No," I said. "Just...rabbit...or something..."

Athena left the tent for a few minutes, and when she came back, I smelled rabbit blood. Not the best, but it would work.

She handed me a cup and I sat up amd drank it. The pain went away the slightest bit.

"Let's go back to sleep," I said, and Athena nodded.

But as soon as I fell asleep, Julian came in the tent and announced it was time to leave. Athena helped me up and to the horse while the warlocks packed up the camp. She got up on the horse, in the front this time, and I got up behind her.

Once all signs that we had been here were gone, we pushed the horses to run as fast as they could so we wouldn't be caught.

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We rode a long time after that without stopping. I don't know how long, all I know is that everyone was, again, exhausted, and the horses incapable of much more than a slow walk. The air was filled with smoke, and all the animals had fled the forest because of it.

There was not a single drop of water to be found, and everyone was hot, sticky, and overall annoyed.

I had fallen asleep, my head resting on Athena's back, when the horses suddenly started to squeal and run faster. And I heard the sound of voices, gravelly voices that didn't seem to be speaking the same language we did. The voices weren't human.

And they were approaching quickly.