Blood Red (53 page)

Vivi Anna

From her spot behind the bushes, Rapunzel watched in horror. She gasped as the horses charged.

She closed her eyes as the animals flanked Red.

Red advanced her sword and struck one man in the leg. He screamed. She swung around and sliced the sword over the back leg of the other’s horse. The horse buckled, and reared its head. The horseman lost his grip and fell off his mount backwards. The horse tumbled sideways, its ligaments cut.

Red was on the man instantly. She stabbed him in the side twice between his armor. She took his sword.

She ran with it to the clear. She searched out Wolf.

He rolled underneath a horse and sprang back up.

He had to duck swiftly as a sword swung at his head.

“Wolf!”

He turned to her; an open cut on his face.

She threw the sword to him.

A horseman was bearing down on him quickly; his sword pointed right at his heart.

Wolf caught the blade and pivoted toward the charging horse. The blades clashed against each other.

The sound resonated through the trees. Birds flew up in the air as the pitch echoed through the foliage.

Rapunzel could watch no more. She began to move through the woods.

The other horseman advanced on Wolf. Wolf jumped up and grabbed the man around the torso.

They tumbled off the horse and onto the ground.

Wolf immediately slid his knife into the man’s throat.

Wolf rolled off him and was on his feet before the other horseman could turn around.

Red ran from her horseman. He was gaining on 104

Blood Red

her. She could not escape. She ran toward the trees.

She threw her dagger. It stuck solidly into the tree trunk. She ran to it and jumped, using the knife as a foothold, and bounded up the tree to the overhanging branch. She caught it and swung herself up. The horseman passed beneath her.

She turned on the branch and launched herself into the air. She came down on the horseman. He was taken by surprise as they fell off the horse. He landed heavily on top of Red knocking the air from her lungs.

She thought she heard a bone crack.

The horseman pushed off of her. He stood up warily shaken from the attack. He glared down at his quarry and smiled. Red tried to move but found she could not. Her ribs had been busted.

The man raised his sword above her, the blade pointing to her chest. “Lord Drake will reward me well for this.”

Red took in a breath. This would be her last. She regretted to die like this. She looked to Wolf and regretted it all. She wouldn’t get a chance to find the man inside The Wolf.

The man’s eyes bulged then closed. His knees gave and he dropped to the ground, the sword falling away from his limp hand.

“You will have your reward in hell.” Rapunzel held a large tree branch in her dainty hands.

Red closed her eyes and let out her breath.

Rapunzel tossed her branch aside and held out a hand to Red. She helped Red to her feet. Red swayed and grabbed her side.

“You are hurt.”

105