Shea moved away, careful to keep her movements silent and not disturb the bushes around her. She needed to find a way to deal with this. She slithered into a natural indent in the land and under an upraised tree root.
Her hand landed next to a vine with purple tracery on it. Shea froze, eyeing the vine with a hint of fear. As she watched, it slithered across the ground, much as she had, weaving back and forth as it sought its prey.
She held her breath as another vine slithered next to her, up and over one of her hands. A sleeper vine nest. Of all the luck. Her assailant wouldn’t need to do anything to her. She was going to get herself killed all on her own.
She carefully turned onto her back. Above her a deep purple flower opened and closed. There were other flowers intertwined with it, each a varying shade of purple. Some were tightly closed, the bud bulging in odd places on the side. She had a guess as to what was causing that, and it was enough to make her break out into a cold sweat.
Voices reached her. “I think she came this way.”
“Are you sure? It could be another false trail. She’s been laying them all afternoon.”
“She didn’t have time to lay one this time. She would have been fleeing for her life.”
“If you say so.”
The vines perked up at the voices. They snaked across the ground, barely causing a rustle against the dead leaves, their movements as sinuous as they were graceful.
Shea held her breath as one moved across her stomach. They must be attracted to sound and movement. Otherwise she’d be dead already.
All she could do was wait as her hunters came closer. They could be part of the game, hunting her as the beast. Something told her to wait. Something in the way they spoke made her think they were the ones who had shot at her.
She waited.
Two men stepped around a tree and exclaimed when they saw her on the ground. The smaller of the two raised a bow and arrow and started to point it at her. Guess that answered that question.
All the while the vines crept closer. From above another vine dropped down.
Shea waited.
The man drew the arrow. The vines attacked. Shea moved, exploding from the ground and sprinting away from the men.
There were twin screams behind her as she fled. She didn’t hesitate. There was nothing to be done anyway.
She ran until she couldn’t run anymore. By sheer instinct, she had managed to run toward camp instead of away. The forest around her began waking up again and the air lightened as if a cloud had passed.
Finally, she slowed and then stopped. She needed to catch her breath and figure out where she was. A twig cracked behind her.
Shea froze and then sprang away.
Her hesitation cost her. Arms wrapped around her before she could even take a step.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
SHEA LANDED on the ground with a body on top of hers. She twisted and turned, using her elbows to strike at the person behind her. She kicked back, gratified when she heard a grunt behind her.
“Shea, it’s me. Fallon. Quit fighting.”
Shea stilled. She turned her head to see an irate pair of whiskey colored eyes looking down into hers.
“Fallon.” All of the fight left her. She collapsed onto the ground, her body boneless with relief. Her limbs had a fine tremble in them, a remnant of the adrenaline that had driven her body until now and the fear from when Fallon had grabbed her.
He looked down at her with puzzlement and then looked around them. “Where’s Trenton? Tell me you didn’t ditch your guard again.”
“We got separated after someone shot an arrow at us.”
Fallon’s attention swung back to Shea. His body went from relaxed against hers, to hard as granite. His gaze swung to the forest around them, taking on a watchful look.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet before setting off into the woods with her towed behind him. One hand rested on the long dagger at his waist.
“How long ago was this?”
Shea tried to think. Time had gotten away from her while she’d been playing cat and mouse. “An hour maybe. I’m not sure.”
“Did you see them?”
Shea winced as his words reminded her of the last time she’d seen those two. With sleeper vines wrapped around them, screaming in pain and fear.
“You could say that.”
His stride didn’t hesitate, covering the forest floor quickly. Shea kept up easily. He still hadn’t let go of her hand.
“They’re probably dead right now. They followed me into a nest of sleeper vines. I don’t think they made it out.” Because of Shea.
“Good.” Fallon’s words were curt as they moved through the forest at a quick clip. “That saves me from having to kill them. When we get back, you can give us a general idea of where you left them, and I’ll send some men to retrieve their remains if there are any. It would have been nice to be able to interrogate them.”
Shea’s reply was faint when it came. “I’ll endeavor to remember that next time.”
Fallon looked back and flashed her an amused look. “You do that, and Darius will worship at your feet.”
“What every girl dreams of.”
“More women than I can count have expressed that desire,” Fallon said. “He’s considered one of the best catches in my army by man or woman.”
“No wonder he’s so arrogant,” Shea said. She was beginning to feel better. Stronger and less shaky. She felt more herself again.
If she remembered correctly, they were close to where Clark and she had stashed the tools to make the beast tracks. They shouldn’t be more than a few minutes from the field where the game had started.
They entered the clearing at a near run. Several of Fallon’s Anateri, including Caden, waited in a clump next to the table of refreshments that had been set up for the end of the game. Trenton was among them, his clothes disheveled and stained with dirt and blood. He had a bandage wrapped around one arm.
The Anateri were armed and looked like they were organizing a search party.
Fallon hailed them as he and Shea came out of the forest. Caden whistled and his men surrounded them, providing a barrier. Anyone attempting to shoot an arrow would not find Shea an easy target.
“Get men into the forest to perform a search,” Fallon ordered as soon as he was in hearing distance of Caden. “Shea said her attackers disturbed a nest of sleeper vines, but there may have been others. I want everyone still out there rounded up and questioned.”
Caden turned and made a few gestures to his men.
Trenton stood straight, relief in his eyes at the sight of Shea. “When I realized we’d been separated, I returned to organize a search. It’s my fault she was in danger. I’ll accept any punishment you deem fit.”
Shea rolled her eyes. The gods save her from arrogant nitwits who wanted to fall on their swords.
Trenton saw her and frowned, his expression stern.
“Oh please, you were in no way responsible for us getting separated. If anything, I know you stayed behind to try to cover my escape,” Shea told him, ignoring the frown he aimed her way.
Trenton ignored her and straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin. “Nevertheless, she was my charge and I failed her.”
Shea narrowed her eyes on him. The stupid idiot was going to get himself into unnecessary trouble for something he couldn’t control. If anyone had been at fault, it was Shea. After those first few arrows, she had run without paying much attention to anything but escape. It was a stupid mistake that a daisy would make. She should have kept her head and wits about her.