I leap up into the tree, swing on a rickety branch and land behind one of Andrew’s men. I slip the dagger from my boot and inpale the man. He falls limp at the moment Andrew lands inground of Jake. Can’t a prince take a hint?

I tossed the body to the ground and hoped to the spot where Andrew had been standing. Imidiatly ten crossbows and twelve bows and arrows point to me. Really? I thought. Clans are never loyal. If anyone knows that it’s me. I know it a little to well. “Ever met someone like her before,” Andrew teased to Jake.

“No,” he answered.

“You should be grateful for that,” he said. I grinned at their admiration. I also laughed.

“Step away from the man or a stab him first,” I yell. Everything in the woods stop. It’s only the river and the faint rush of the village that continue to make sounds. Everything was painfully still. Then I threw my dagger and the arrows soared through time like lightning.

I felt like I was dead. Blood poured from my body. Each crevice realinsing blood. Flesh tearing away. Sharp arrows lingering in their places. I fell from the tree. I smashed into the dusty forest floor. Thousands of feet shuffled around me. Muffled screamed and voices. Then a wagon rattled.

I pushed myself and felt the little blood renewing in my body rush to my skull. I shrug my eyes and dipped into my sleeve where I pulled out a dagger covered in my blood. With my other hand I did the same. Then I ran right into Andrew, sinking my blades deep into his chest. We both tooled beside the other. Half dead, half alive. Both fully aware that the battle was not over a d that one of us could still win. Then it all went black.