A Court This Cruel & Lovely (Kingdom of Lies, #1)(16)

“N-no.”

I’d always looked pitiful when I cried. It was one of the reasons I hated it so much. I let my lower lip tremble, and the guard took his hand off the hilt of his sword.

“I was in the f-forest, looking for food for my f-family,” I sniffled, stepping closer. “I got lost. And then…”

“It’s okay.” The guard took in my torn clothes and the blood on them, and I saw the moment he came to the logical conclusion.

“There’s a healer in this town.” The guard leaned against the bridge railing and nodded toward Mistrun. Even as young as he was, he didn’t offer to take me there himself. Instead, he reached for the pouch hanging from his belt, pulling out a green trowth stone.

Fuck.

He would use that stone to contact his commander, who would immediately order my arrest.

My hand itched for the knife in my saddlebag.

And the hunter’s shocked, accusing face flickered through my mind.

Real tears spilled from my eyes. I didn’t want to hurt this young guard.

“Please don’t,” I said, nodding to the trowth stone. “I…I’d prefer privacy.”

He frowned, but his hand drifted away from the stone.

“I would escort you to the healer myself, but I can’t leave my posting.”

“I think I would prefer to find a healer in the next village.” I nodded to the other side of the river, still inching closer to the guard.

He frowned, clearly wondering why I would continue walking in my condition.

He looked at me again. Realization flickered through his eyes, and his hand landed on his sword.

But I was already launching myself at him.

If he’d been a woman, it wouldn’t have worked. We had a lower balance point. And if the guard had been standing a single step farther from the railing, he would have used that sword to run me through.

But I dropped into an almost-squat and pushed up and forward.

He let out a cry as he fell.

Splash.

Regret instantly froze my every muscle.

No. I’d survived. He would too.

You survived because one of those brutes fished you out of the river.

No. The guard was bigger than me. More body weight meant it would take him longer to freeze.

I didn’t have time to make myself feel better about his odds of survival. The noise he’d made had cut through the night, over the rushing water below, and anyone within hearing distance would likely come to investigate.

Turning, I thundered down the bridge toward the forest on the other side. When I didn’t hear an immediate shout, I sucked in a deep breath but continued running anyway, at least until the canopy above my head blocked out the stars.

It was dark, I was so exhausted I was stumbling, and I needed to find somewhere to hide. But the guard’s disappearance would be noted. If he survived, that little green stone could lead to my death.

So I kept walking. I knew when I strayed from the path, because the undergrowth would scratch and tear at my ankles. Time lost all meaning, until I fell to my knees.

“Just a little more,” I mumbled. Pushing myself up, I scanned my surroundings. It was so dark, all I could do was step off the trail and crawl through the undergrowth until I found a spot to lean against a tree trunk. Wrapping my cloak around me, I waited for dawn.





CHAPTER FIVE





As soon as the sky lightened the next morning, I was on my feet once more.

If you’re ever lost, look for higher ground. From there, you can more easily navigate. And you’ll have a better chance of finding water. Tibris’s voice sounded in my head, calm and sure.

Where was he right now? Had he spent a terrifying night out in the cold? Was he hiding in someone’s barn or loft?

I refused to think about the other option. That he was already dead. Instead, I scanned my surroundings. No mountains to be found, but to the right was a small hill. I trudged up it, attempting to stay as quiet as possible. My efforts were useless, though, as I stumbled over branches, slammed into a tree, and grunted when my bleeding foot hit a rock. I paused with each misstep, flinching at every noise, my gaze darting around me as I strained my ears for the smallest sound.

I surveyed the area below me. To the north was the river I’d crossed last night. My heart rate quickened at the memory of just how close I’d come to death.

Turning to face the opposite direction, I looked south. Another river—much narrower than the Dytur River. I would need to cross it.

My palms began to sweat at the thought of more freezing water. I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus. If I’d stayed on the road that led from the bridge, I would have followed it southwest, eventually finding my way to the kingdom’s capital—Lesdryn. There were larger towns dotted along that road. Towns where I would have a greater chance of blending in until I could steal a horse and get to the city. But I was a mess. My feet were bleeding, I was limping, and my condition would only draw attention.

So, I’d keep to the forest until I was closer to Lesdryn. It was the only real choice I had. Hopefully by the time I was forced to use the road, I would have come up with a plan to keep myself safe.

I could do this.

After all, against all odds, I was still alive. I just had to keep reminding myself of that.

The river was only about knee-deep, but it was flowing fast.