Cursed in Love by Bryony Rosehurst

Author:Bryony Rosehurst [Bryony Rosehurst]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rachel Bowdler
Published: 2023-04-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“I need… to stop,” Luce gasped out. They’d gone straight from running to climbing uphill, and while she had no desire to run into the men after them again, she could no longer find enough strength in her legs to carry her forward.

Ophelia glanced around and then gestured upward, past a scattering of pines. “I can see some rocks up there. Just a bit more.”

“Ugh.”

She grabbed Luce’s hands roughly and yanked. Apparently, Luce’s dignity had dwindled with her energy, because she let her — all the way to the top of the incline, where a cluster of rocks and boulders sat beneath a craggy cliff top.

Luce collapsed onto the half-frozen soil and slumped against the rocks, sucking in as much cool air as she could. Her entire body protested against the amount of work it had taken her, the aches only settling into her joints as her adrenaline ebbed.

Ophelia fell next to her, unzipping her backpack and pulling out a bottle of water.

“Do you happen to have a gurney in there?” asked Luce. “You’re going to need one if you want to take me any further.”

Ophelia wrinkled her nose and gulped down half of the water before handing it to Luce. “I believe that’s one of the few things Enid didn’t think to pack.”

“Shouldn’t we call the police or something?”

“Well, we don’t have a phone for starters. And what would we tell them, anyway? ‘Two con men have been chasing us through the mountains, but it’s okay because they only want a hundred-year-old artifact I stole from a museum.’”

“Fair point.” Luce nodded, unzipping her coat slightly to cool herself down. “So what do we do now?”

“They can’t be far behind. We have to keep going if we want to make it to the lake before them. Come on.” Ophelia wobbled back onto her feet slowly and extended a hand.

Wide-eyed, Luce almost choked on her own disbelief. “Sorry, what?”

Ophelia frowned and let her arm fall to her side. “What?”

“I’m not coming with you, Indiana Jones! You promised me you’d take me back to the lodge, not drag me on the run with you — again.”

A flicker of something solemn, something like disappointment, passed across Ophelia’s features with the low winter sun. “But that was before!” she stuttered. “And they think you have the ring! They’ve seen your face clearly now. Even if you go back, you’re not safe.”

“No.” Luce shook her head and swallowed down her rising panic, somehow managing to hoist herself back up onto her jelly-like legs. “No, I’m not doing this again. I’ll find my own bloody way back.”

“Luce.… ” Ophelia sighed as Luce began to stride away. “Luce, hang on. Think about this.”

“I am thinking about this! I’ve been thinking about it nonstop since you took my canoe on a bloody joyride! I have things to get back to, Ophelia.” Luce’s mouth turned dry and gritty, the taste of something rotten clinging to her tongue. “I’m not cut out for your silly little quest! I have

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