Chapter 61: On The Run
Evanna deflated, releasing a slow breath and leaned her head against the wall, enjoying the cold feeling it left on her burnt skin. While the princess was left gaping at the prince’s sudden actions in the dank cell she now resided in, further away from the palace and deep into the forest, Ger, Ronan and Axel were still moving.
Their footsteps crunched into the dirt and leaves of the forest floor, their breathing ragged as they continued rushing through the woods. There was no point in hiding at this point, the Flori knew they were in Direwood, but once they were in the clear, they would begin to be careful again. But for now, their heavy footsteps was a necessity as they fled.
Although Cilv already informed them climbing through the trees that they had lost the Flori, it didn’t stop them from moving. Their bodies were on high alert, the paranoia kicking in, any little sound made the trees appear to be the woodland elves, and they jumped on the spot, weapons ready. Ger led the way with Ronan and Axel trailing behind. Axel’s pace slowly exacerbated, his limp increasing from his injuries.
Hours had passed since they left Evanna and had been on the run. Ger slowed their pace down to a walk after glancing back at Axel and seeing the apparent pain he was in. He clutched onto the gem in his pocket every few minutes. It was his only motivation now for continuing on and not turning around to bust Evanna out of the damned place.
His mind kept replaying the moment he abandoned his best friend. He abandoned Evanna. His hands fisted together as guilt and loathing consumed him. He should have been there to protect her; he should have been the one to get captured. Not her. Or at the very least, try and fight for her.
But he turned his back on her, prompted by Axel. The man who would be dead right now if it wasn’t for her. The man who Ger noticed Evanna looking up to and cherishing as a dear friend.
"We’ll camp here," Ger barked to the others. He didn’t bother looking at their surroundings, the shapeshifter was among them somewhere, and for once, he gave her an ounce of trust to be diligent in checking for danger. Ger didn’t like her, but the woman always looked out for herself, meaning her survival was a priority. She would not let them get captured or killed.
Ger sat down and rested against a tree, looking at the others in disdain before shifting on the spot. Axel stayed standing, dropping his bag on the ground along with his shield and axes, while Ronan collapsed on the floor with a huff. Ger glanced to his side; the little bundle of joy who had taken up a permanent spot next to him was missing.
He stared ahead; the images of their fight from earlier kept flashing through his mind again. The moment where Evanna stupidly sacrificed herself for the gem and the others to get away.
The moment where she dropped to her knees, a sword pointed at her head, and that white-haired elf looking smug and acting like he won her, as though she was a prize. Ger wrinkled his nose at the arrogant prick. He should have known the elf had an interest in her after she was temporarily missing when the elves ambushed them.
He clenched his teeth together as another image flashed across his eyes, the moment where Axel grappled with him and pulled him away, yelling in his face to go. That the gem was their priority. Ger’s eyes gleamed with the burning rage that had been slowly eating at him since they left. He looked at Axel. Their eyes met, and Ger looked away, not wanting to see his face; it only angered him more.