The Dragon’s Throne 1

“Over here,” she heard a voice say in the darkness, and she almost screamed out in shock.

“Gabe, what are you doing here?”

“I came to save you,” he said, reaching out in the dark and grabbing her hand, pulling her to the left.  “Come this way.  There’s another trail.”

“I don’t know about a trail that way,” she said.

“That’s because you’re all turned around.  Come this way, hurry.  They’re coming for you and you’re going to die.”

Anna stood there, pulling her hand out of his, refusing to go the way he asked her to.

“Do you want to die, Anna?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then come with me.”

“How do I know I can trust you?”

“I’m the only one not with the mob trying to capture you?”

“Fine,” she said, following him down the trail that went off from the one they were on, picking up the pace when she heard the villagers getting closer.

They burst out of the trees and into a field, heading down the hill as fast as Anna’s legs could carry her when the clouds moved away from the moon and Anna got a good look at where they were.

“This is the wrong way,” she said in a loud whisper.  “I want to run away from Aman.  You’re taking me straight toward the river.”

She skidded to a stop then turned, heading back the way they came.  She felt his hand in her hair, twisting and grabbing a big chunk and using it to yank her off her feet.  Screaming out in pain her feet flew out from under her and she hit the ground hard. 

“Gabe, stop!” she cried out.

“I’m getting that bounty,” he said, his voice angry.  “It will be so satisfying to see you handed over to the king.  It’s the least you deserve.”

“What?” she said, incredulous. 

“You’re a stain on the village.  A worthless wh*re that doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as the rest of us.”

“You didn’t think that when you were trying to get me in your arms,” she said, twisting and striking out to no avail.  “Let me go!”

“I won’t,” he said. 

He pulled her up by her hair and onto her feet, propelling her forward in the dark field, just out of reach of her arms as she swung wildly behind herself.

“I’m not a fool,” he said.  “You won’t catch me off guard twice.”

“You don’t think he’ll kill you, too?  What do you think, he’s going to pay you a bounty and let you walk away?  You’re mad if you think that’s the case.  He’ll kill you, too.”

“I’m willing to take that chance,” he said.  “It’s a lot of money.”

He yanked upward, making her walk faster though she tried dragging her feet to slow him down. 

“Don’t mess with me, girl.  This has been a long time coming.”

Anna dropped to the ground, knocking Gabe off-balance and causing him to trip over her in the dark.  Instinctively blocking his fall, he let go of her hair and put his hands out.  She got up, giving him a good kick in the gut with the toe of her leather boot and knocking the wind out of him.  She turned, intent on heading back the way they came when she saw the villagers top the rise. 

“Oh no,” she said under her breath, searching the field for another way out and finding none.

Gabe was moaning on the ground where she’d left him, trying without success to get his knees under himself and get up.  Anna turned back toward the west, taking a shuddering breath and running headlong down the hill, away from the mob. 

She could hear the river in the distance and she knew that she was almost in dragon territory, but she had nowhere else to go.  The river had a foot trail on either side, and Anna hoped to get to the trail and head north, toward the Neutral Zone.  If she could get there before the villagers caught up, she knew she could find a place to hide until the sun rose.

Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest, body shaking from the adrenaline coursing through her veins when she finally saw the river up ahead.  She let out a quiet cry of relief, making a beeline for the head of the river trail, sure she would make it after all.

The villagers were still behind her, but many of them struggled to keep up and the distance between her and the villagers had grown substantially.  Older than Anna and driven by greed, they couldn’t match her body’s instincts.  Her body had put forth every ounce of energy and strength she had to ensure her survival. 

She slowed her pace slightly, trying to conserve her energy for the five miles ahead of her while she still had a significant lead.  If she pushed too hard now, she might fall or worse, and she would be in the same position she was trapped in her own home.

Her thoughts went to Eleanor, who had sat there against the wall, injured as Anna ran away like a coward.  Anna knew that she had done the smart thing, but she couldn’t help but feel like there was more she could have done.  She hoped that Eleanor would be safe, and she knew that Eleanor’s familial status would protect her.  If anyone had even noticed her there as they chased after Anna, they would think of her as a nuisance and nothing more. 

She’s safe, Anna told herself, and deep down, she knew that she was right.  It wasn’t Eleanor they wanted, it was Anna.

Anna’s hands shook as she continued running, her legs getting heavier with each step as the adrenaline slowed somewhat in response to her easy lead.  She pressed on anyway, afraid that they would catch up with her if she stopped to rest, even for a moment.

She saw the shadow ahead a split second too late, and just like that, she was face to face with Eli in silvery light of the moon, slamming into him roughly. 

She screamed, falling onto her backside and pushing herself back in the sand, trying to get away.

“Anna, don’t be scared,” he said with maddening calm.

“Don’t come closer,” she said, her voice shaking.  “I’m not yours, and I’m not a willing sacrifice.  Your kind already killed my father.  I won’t be the next victim.”

“Anna, listen to me.  It’s not like that.  If I wanted to hurt you, I could have hurt you any time.  I’m not going to hurt you.  I promise.   Come with me, please.”