A trap. It had all been a trap. The warmth at the inn, the seemingly harmless directions – a carefully crafted illusion to lure us in.

  "Run!" I screamed, the word ripping from my throat. In the same instant, Caleb drew Oathbreaker with a practiced swiftness, the honed metal glinting under the dim light.

  "Go!" he roared, his voice a challenge against the overwhelming odds. He lunged forward, his movements a blur of trained precision as he met the charge of the closest soldier. The clash of steel echoed through the room as their blades met.

  With a surge of adrenaline, I grabbed Kass' arm, yanking her towards the door. We didn't have time to fight, not against three heavily armored Dusk Cloaks. Our only chance was escape.

  We didn't hesitate. At Caleb's roar, Kass and I bolted for the door, the shouts of the soldiers echoing behind us. Bursting out of the house, we were met with the harsh sunlight and a sight that tightened the knot of fear in my stomach.

  Another soldier, clad in the same black armor, stood guard outside. And in his grasp, wrists bound tight, was Abernathy. His eyes, filled with a mixture of fear and apology, met mine for a fleeting moment before the soldier shoved him roughly to the side.

  "Seize them!" the guard bellowed, pointing a gloved finger at us.

  There was no time for deliberation. Kass and I sprinted, our legs pumping like pistons, fueled by sheer terror. We didn't have a destination, just the desperate need to put distance between us and the pursuing soldiers. Every pounding footstep, every ragged breath echoed in my ears, a desperate rhythm against the thudding of my heart.

  We ran blindly through the quiet streets, twisting and turning, dodging startled townsfolk who gaped at the unexpected chase unfolding before them. Every few seconds, I threw a glance back, searching for any sign of Caleb. Was he following? Had he managed to fight his way free?

  Then, a deserted alleyway materialized ahead, a narrow gash between two buildings. Without a word, Kass and I veered into it, hoping it would offer some temporary reprieve. We skidded to a halt, chests heaving, lungs burning.

  "Caleb?" Kass gasped, her voice ragged.

  There was no answer. Just the echoing silence pressing down on us. Panic gnawed at the edges of my resolve.

  But then, as I fumbled for a plan, an impulsive decision formed in my mind. Yanking the satchel from my shoulder, I thrust it at her.

  "Here," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "Take this. I gotta help Caleb."

  Before Kass could even protest, I did something I never thought I'd do. Turning on my heel, I raced back out of the alley, the shouts of the soldiers a distant echo in my ears. I was running back towards the house, back towards danger, driven by a desperate hope and a loyalty that burned brighter than fear.

  Through the doorway, I saw Caleb, a whirlwind of motion as he fought off two soldiers at once. Two others lay crumpled on the floor, blood staining the worn wood.

  Panic surged through me as I watched Caleb fight. The guards, bulky and brutish, were relentless in their attacks, forcing Caleb back towards the open doorway.

  He could only defend, his movements strained. There was no chance for him to counterattack with two attackers bearing down on him. I couldn't just stand there and watch him get overwhelmed.

  Without a second thought, I drew my own sword and charged into the house. The guards, momentarily surprised by my sudden appearance, faltered. I saw my chance and seized it.

  "Hey, ugly!" I yelled, my voice laced with a bravado I didn't entirely feel. "Looking for someone a little smaller to pick on?"

  One of the guards, a hulking man with a shaved head and a sneer etched on his face, roared and turned towards me. Relief washed over me – at least I'd drawn him away from Caleb.

  We clashed, blades singing a deadly song in the confined space. Sparks flew as steel met steel, but the fight was unequal from the start. The guard was bigger, stronger, his movements honed by years of experience. My own attacks were easily deflected, my parries barely holding against his relentless onslaught.

  Sweat slicked my palms, the leather hilt of my sword growing slick in my grasp. Fear gnawed at the edges of my courage. I couldn't win this fight, not against someone this skilled. I needed a new plan, and fast.

  Disengaging with a desperate lunge, I turned on my heel and bolted out of the house.

  "Caleb, get out of there!" I shouted over my shoulder, praying he'd hear me above the clash of steel.

  A glance back confirmed my worst fear. The other guard had recovered and was now flanking Caleb, forcing him to fight on two fronts again.

  I hovered just outside, sword drawn but paralyzed with indecision. I wasn’t sure I could do much against soldiers like them. Caleb’s skill was unmatched, yet even he looked strained.

  Then I saw him twist, narrowly avoiding a heavy blow from one guard, and lash out with his sword. The blade sliced across the guard’s forearm, a shallow cut, almost insignificant in the chaos of the fight.

  But what happened next made me freeze.

  As the guard’s blood touched the blade, Oathbreaker’s surface shimmered like water rippling in a pond. The striations along its length pulsed faintly, and a low, resonant hum filled the air, so soft I almost thought I imagined it.

  The guard stopped mid-swing. His sword hand faltered, lowering slightly as if his muscles had forgotten how to move. His brow furrowed in confusion, his head tilting as he stared at his hand as though it belonged to someone else. For a fleeting moment, he looked lost, bewildered, as if he didn’t know where he was or why he was fighting.

  And then Caleb struck again, swift and final. Oathbreaker bit deep into the guard’s chest, and he crumpled to the floor, lifeless.

  I couldn’t breathe. My grip on my sword tightened as I stared, my heart hammering against my ribs. The hum faded as quickly as it had come, the ripples on the blade stilled, leaving Oathbreaker as quiet and dark as before.

  Without a second thought, I ripped a vial from my belt. It was a parting gift from Finn, a concoction he'd assured me could "get us out of a sticky situation." This was definitely a sticky situation.

  With all my might, I hurled the vial into the room, aiming for the center of the remaining fight. It shattered on the floor with a satisfying crack, and a thick, black smoke erupted, blotting out the struggling figures within. Violent coughs erupted from the smoke, the metallic clang of weapons clattering to the floor echoing through the haze.

  For a moment, there was only chaos. Blindness and choking coughs disoriented everyone. Then, a figure emerged from the smoke, coughing violently. Caleb, his face streaked with grime and sweat, his eyes searching blindly.

  "Kira!" he rasped, his voice thick with exertion.

  "Here!" I cried out, rushing towards him. The smoke was slowly clearing, revealing the incapacitated soldiers sprawled on the floor.

  Reaching him, I took his arm, bracing him against my shoulder. "You okay?" I asked, my voice trembling with relief and adrenaline.

  He coughed again, wiping a hand across his face. "Yeah," he croaked, his voice hoarse. "Just…winded."

  We didn't have time to waste. With one last glance at the groaning figures on the floor, we turned and fled. The smoke and gas would likely buy us some time, but not forever. We had to find Kass and disappear before the soldiers recovered.

  Heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs, I pulled Caleb towards the alleyway where I’d left Kass. Finding the way seemed to take an eternity, every rustle of leaves, every creak of a signpost sending a jolt of fear through me. Finally, we reached the mouth of the alley.

  "Kass?" I called out tentatively, my voice hoarse.

  "Kira!" a voice answered from within. Relief flooded me, warm and sweet.

  Hurrying into the alley, we found Kass huddled at the far end, her face pale but determined. She looked at us, relief washing over her features as he took in Caleb's battered but upright form.

  "We need to move," Caleb rasped, his voice regaining some strength. "They'll be on our heels."

  We didn't need any further convincing. With a shared look of grim determination, we turned and disappeared into the maze of back alleys, the weight of our stolen victory heavy in our hearts.

  Our lungs burned, our legs screamed in protest, but we pushed ourselves harder. Kass, carrying the weight of the books like a leaden burden, stumbled as she ran. The relentless shouts of the soldiers grew closer, a chilling reminder of the danger snapping at our heels. We were running on fumes, cornered animals with no apparent escape.

  Despair threatened to engulf me, but then, a spark ignited in my mind. A memory flickered, the map of Willow Creek etched into my brain.

  The river.

  "This way!" I roared, my voice hoarse. I swerved sharply, abandoning the alley and leading them towards the south, the direction ingrained in my memory.

  The river came into view, a wide body of churning water reflecting the harsh afternoon sun. Relief and a sliver of hope battled with the sheer danger of the rushing current.

  "We have to swim!" I yelled at my companions, the roar of the water nearly drowning out my words. "They won't follow! They'll sink like stones in their armor!"

  Kass' eyes widened as she understood my plan. Caleb, though still shaky, nodded in agreement. It was a desperate gamble, a last-ditch effort born of desperation. But it was our only chance.

  We reached the riverbank, the churning water a maelstrom of frothing white and swirling green. Fear warred with the rising tide of determination within me. This wasn't a gentle stream, this was a raging beast, and the thought of being swept away sent a shiver down my spine.

  But there was no time for second thoughts. I plunged into the icy water. The shock of the cold stole my breath for a moment, but then instinct took over. I fought the current, kicking and paddling with all my strength, aiming for the opposite bank where a thick stand of trees offered some semblance of cover.

  Behind me, I heard the soldiers reach the bank, their frustrated shouts echoing across the water. But just as I'd hoped, their heavy armor turned them into leaden statues. They hesitated, their gloved hands gripping uselessly at the slick bank, their helmets filled not with malicious intent but with the dawning horror of being caught between a raging river and their sworn duty.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The icy grip of the water numbed my limbs, but I pushed on, fueled by the desperate need to reach the safety of the other side. Finally, my fingers brushed against the rough bark of a tree. With a surge of relief, I hauled myself onto the bank, collapsing onto the damp earth, gasping for breath.

  The soldiers were gone, swallowed by the frustration of their pursuit. A watery barrier, a desperate gamble, had bought us some precious time. The bridge, a rickety wooden structure spanning the rushing river a mile downstream, was likely their only means of crossing. It would take them too long to get there, and by that time, we would already be long gone. We were safe, for now at least. I spun around, searching for Caleb and Kass.

  Kass was there, a few feet away, heaving herself up onto the bank with a groan, her face streaked with water and exhaustion. But my heart plummeted as my eyes darted across the churning river.

  Caleb was gone.

  Panic clawed at my throat. Had he hesitated at the bank? Had he fallen in? No. No, that couldn't be…

  Then I saw him. A dark form bobbing precariously in the middle of the river, his head going under water for a terrifying moment before resurfacing with a weak cough. He was struggling. Drowning.

  "Caleb!" I screamed, the word a raw, desperate plea ripped from my lungs. Adrenaline surging through me, I ignored the screaming protest of my tired limbs and lunged back into the water.

  The current was fierce, a relentless tug that threatened to pull me under. But I fought it, paddling with all my strength, my eyes fixed on Caleb's pale face. It felt like an eternity, each second an agonizing struggle against the unforgiving water.

  Finally, I reached him. He was barely conscious, his arms flailing weakly, his face contorted in a silent scream for air. With a desperate heave, I pulled him closer, wrapping my arm around his chest. He was dead weight, his body limp in my grasp.

  We were both being swept downstream at an alarming rate, the churning water threatening to pull us under. Panic clawed at my throat, constricting my airways. I spotted a large rock embedded in the riverbed, a meager hope in the face of the raging current. With a final burst of strength, I propelled myself towards it, managing to snag it with one hand.

  The rock held, anchoring us against the current's relentless pull. I gasped for breath, clinging to consciousness. Caleb's head lolled back, his face drained of color.

  Just then, I saw Kass on the bank. She must have understood the dire situation. She was fumbling with something at her waist. A flash of hope flared in my chest. Then, with a cry, she threw something towards us. It was a rope, its end frayed but sturdy.

  I used my remaining strength to secure the rope around Caleb's chest. Then, with a desperate yell, I signaled to Kass. She understood. Pulling on the rope with all her might, he slowly began to haul us both towards the safety of the bank.

  It was a slow, agonizing process, but inch by inch, we were pulled closer. Finally, with a final heave, Kass managed to drag us both onto the bank. I collapsed beside Caleb, my body trembling with exhaustion and fear.

  Checking his pulse, I let out a shaky sigh of relief. It was weak, but it was there. Caleb was alive. But alive wasn't breathing. His chest wasn't rising and falling, his lips tinged a worrying shade of blue.

  Panic gnawed at the edges of my relief. "Kass," I rasped, my voice barely a whisper. "He's not breathing."

  Kass scrambled closer, her face etched with worry. "What happened? Did he hit his head?"

  I shook my head, my mind a whirlwind of terror and the frantic echoes of Isaac's harsh instructions during training. Exhaustion, that's what it had to be. He must have been too drained from the fight to keep himself afloat.

  Desperation fueled my movements. Ignoring my own aching limbs, I rolled Caleb onto his back, his lifeless form a stark contrast to the raging river beside us. Time seemed to warp and stretch, every second an eternity as I placed my hands on his chest, mimicking the motions drilled into me by Isaac.

  "Come on, Caleb," I pleaded, my voice thick with emotion. "Breathe, dammit!"

  Pump after agonizing pump, I pressed on, fueled by a sliver of hope and a fierce determination to not lose him. My arms burned, my lungs screamed for air, but I couldn't stop. Not yet.

  Tilting Caleb's head back, I pinched his nose shut and sealed my lips over his. I blew a steady breath into his lungs, watching with agonizing hope for his chest to rise.

  The first breath was weak, but it was there. Relief flooded me as I repeated the process, forcing air into his lungs with each desperate breath I could muster. It was a clumsy dance, a desperate attempt to coax his body back to life.

  Minutes bled into what felt like hours. Just as despair threatened to consume me, a miracle happened. A faint gasp escaped Caleb's lips, followed by a choked cough that sent a jolt of relief through me. He coughed again, expelling water with a shuddering breath.

  His eyes fluttered open, unfocused and clouded with confusion. He looked around wildly, searching for something, his chest heaving with each ragged breath.

  "Shh," I soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're alright. You're safe."

  Slowly, recognition flickered in his eyes. Relief washed over him, a wave mirroring the one that had swept through me moments before. He coughed again, a weak chuckle escaping his lips.

  "Thought I was a goner for a moment there," he rasped, his voice hoarse.

  Relief morphed into a surge of anger so fierce it momentarily eclipsed the fear that still clung to me. I smacked Caleb's arm, not hard, but enough to jolt him out of his daze.

  "Don't joke about this!" I snapped, my voice laced with a raw fury. "What the hell happened?"

  Caleb coughed again, wincing slightly. Then, to my utter disbelief, he offered a sheepish grin.

  "Can’t swim," he drawled, his voice still raspy.

  My jaw clenched. "You can't swim?!" The words exploded from my lips, a mixture of disbelief and frustration bubbling over. Here we were, on the run, with the Dusk Cloaks hot on our heels, and he casually dropped this bombshell?

  "No," he admitted, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes despite the seriousness of the situation. "Never learned. Seems a bit redundant when you can fight your way out of most situations, wouldn't you agree?"

  I glared at him, my anger warring with a sliver of grudging respect. He did have a point. His fighting skills were undeniable. But that didn't excuse his recklessness, his complete disregard for his own safety.

  "This wasn't most situations, Caleb," I hissed, my voice low and dangerous. "This was a raging river! You could have died!"

  The amusement faded from his eyes, replaced by a flicker of understanding. He reached out, his hand hovering hesitantly over mine.

  "Look," he began, his voice sincere, "I panicked. I didn't think…"

  He trailed off, and for a moment, a vulnerability fell across his face, a glimpse of the man beneath the bravado. He may have been a skilled fighter, but he was still human, capable of fear and error.

  Taking a deep breath, I forced my anger down. We didn't have time for recriminations. We were alive, for now, and that was all that mattered.

  "Just… next time," I said, my voice tight with suppressed emotion, "let us know about your limitations, alright?"

  "Deal," he rasped, his voice weak but resolute. "Now, how about we get out of here before those soldiers decide to take another dip?"

  He winced as he tried to sit up, his body protesting the ordeal it had just endured.

  Regaining some of my composure, I turned to Kass, the urgency in my voice tinged with a sliver of hope. "The books, Kass, how'd they fare?"

  Kass, reached for the satchels she'd been clutching so tightly. Unbuckling them with shaking fingers, she gingerly retrieved the books. Relief flooded me as I saw them emerge, slightly damp but seemingly intact.

  "A little wet," Kass confirmed, running her hand over the leather covers. "But nothing a bit of drying won't fix. Looks like the water didn't breach the pages."

  "Good," I breathed, a weight lifting from my chest. "Then we find somewhere to hide, somewhere safe. We need to dry off and see what secrets these books hold."

  We pushed ourselves to our feet, muscles screaming in protest. Our clothes clung uncomfortably to our bodies, the weight of the wet packs a constant reminder of our ordeal. Following a barely discernible path, we ventured deeper into the woods. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig sent shivers down my spine, a constant reminder of the dangers that still lurked.

  Behind me, I heard Kass let out a snort of laughter. Glancing back, I saw her exchange a look with Caleb. He was dripping like a drowned rat, a sheepish grin plastered on his face.

  "You're an idiot," Kass said, the smile never leaving her lips.

  Caleb just shrugged, returning the goofy grin. "Yeah, I know."

  Thankfully, the relentless afternoon sun had managed to peek through the dense foliage in some parts of the forest, offering a sliver of warmth and drying the worst of the dampness from our clothes. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we stumbled upon a hidden clearing. Sunlight dappled the forest floor, illuminating a small, secluded area surrounded by a ring of towering trees.

  Exhaustion washed over me in a wave. Collapsing onto a bed of soft moss, I closed my eyes, the sounds of the forest a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. A sense of temporary security settled over me, a fragile haven in the midst of the storm.

  "Fire," Caleb rasped from behind me. "We need a fire to dry our clothes properly, and maybe for some warmth as the night falls."

  Hope flickered, then died. I glanced at the damp satchel slung over Kass's shoulder.

  "Our tools," I said, my voice heavy with disappointment. "They're soaked. We can't start a fire without a way to spark it."

  Nightfall descended upon the clearing, cloaking us in a cool, inky darkness. The forest sounds shifted, becoming a symphony of chirps, hoots, and the rustling of unseen creatures.

  The three of us, me in the middle, huddled together in our damp sleeping bags, the meager warmth of our own bodies our only defense against the encroaching chill. We'd stripped off our sodden clothes and flung them haphazardly over a low branch, hoping they might dry a touch before dawn.

  "Think you'll be able to stomach another turnip tomorrow, Caleb?" Kass drawled from my right, her voice barely a whisper.

  I snorted. We'd been surviving on those rock-hard root vegetables for the last three days, a meager supplement to the stale bread that made up the bulk of our rations.

  "If I have to," Caleb mumbled, "though something with a bit more… moisture would be a dream."

  "Don't even get me started on moisture," I chimed in, picturing the churning river that had nearly claimed Caleb just hours before. "At least the river water was…refreshing."

  A strained laugh escaped Kass. "Refreshing, aye. Right up until Caleb nearly drowned in it."

  Despite the grim situation, a smile tugged at my lips. We were soaked to the bone, lost in the woods, and living off rations fit for a starving rat, but the camaraderie, the shared hardship, held a strange sense of comfort.

  Silence settled over us, thick and heavy like the damp air. Kass huddled deeper into her sleeping bag. Finally, she spoke, her voice barely a tremor.

  "Kira," she began, then hesitated. I could practically feel the turmoil brewing within her. "Do you think... do you think the soldiers found us because of my letters to Leo?" she blurted out. "Do you think they were intercepted?"

  My breath hitched. The question had gnawed at me too, a persistent worry in the back of my mind. Sending those letters had been a gamble, a desperate attempt for Kass to connect with her brother. But was it a gamble that had backfired?

  I didn't have an answer. It was a possibility, a terrifying one, but there was no way to know for sure. The guards could have gotten word of Willow Creek from any number of sources.

  Kass' silence stretched on, heavy with unspoken emotions. Then, she spoke again, her voice a low murmur, "I won't be sending any more."

  My heart ached for her. I knew how much Kass missed Leo, how much those letters, even unanswered, meant to her. They were a lifeline to her family, a fragile thread connecting her to a life she might never have again.

  I reached out a hand, squeezing her shoulder gently. There were no words that could express the empathy I felt, the understanding of the sacrifice she was making. So, I said nothing, simply offering her the silent comfort of my presence.

  Exhaustion finally claimed Kass, her ragged breaths turning into a steady rhythm of sleep. Caleb and I lay in an awkward silence, the events of the day replaying in my mind.

  Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer, I broke the tense atmosphere. "I… I was really scared you would die today," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper.

  Caleb shifted beside me, and for a long moment, the only sound was the crackling of leaves beneath his movement.

  "I'm sorry," he finally said, his voice gruff. "I should have told you. It never occurred to me that…"

  He trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. I could sense his shame, the weight of his secret hanging heavy between us.

  "How come you never learned?" I asked gently, curiosity battling with the lingering anger.

  "Zilaran waters," he began, his voice low and distant. "They're… different. Most are freezing cold, some even permanently frozen over. Swimming just wasn't a skill anyone needed back home."

  A sliver of understanding flickered within me. His world, his upbringing, had been so different from mine. Survival in Zilara had likely meant other things, skills honed for a harsh and unforgiving environment.

  "And when I left…" he continued, his voice laced with a hint of regret, "there just… never seemed to be a time. Always training, always a mission."

  I nodded silently, the weight of his unspoken apology settling over me. He hadn't meant to deceive me, his recklessness born not of arrogance, but of ignorance.

  The silence stretched, punctuated only by the soft snores of Kass and the chirping symphony of the forest. In the darkness, my eyes adjusted, revealing the faint outline of Caleb's form beside me. A sense of peace, an unfamiliar feeling after the day's chaos, settled over me.

  "Well," I finally broke the silence, my voice a touch hoarse, "I'm glad you didn't die today."

  A soft chuckle escaped his lips. The sound was warm, filled with a hint of relief. Under the thin fabric of the sleeping bag, I felt a movement, and then, his hand brushed against mine. My heart stuttered, a frantic hummingbird trapped in my chest. He didn't pull away. Instead, his fingers intertwined with mine, his grip gentle but firm.

  "Thank you," he mumbled, the warmth of his breath tickling my neck. Heat flooded my face, and I didn't dare move, afraid to betray the blush I could feel burning there.

  He cleared his throat, the sound rough. "Don't get any ideas," he added quickly, his voice low. "This doesn't mean anything. Professional distance and all that."

  I could practically hear the smirk in his voice despite the darkness. Cocky asshole, I thought, a smile tugging at the corner of my own lips. Maybe I should have let you drown after all.

  The memory of his sheepish grin after admitting he couldn't swim fueled my amusement. He wasn't as good at following his own rules as he liked to pretend.

  And maybe, just maybe, that was a good thing.