Dawn of Hope by Amanda Briar

Author:Amanda Briar [Briar, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fun Size Publishing
Published: 2024-09-19T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Itry to move, try to do anything to reach back and grab the hilt, but I have no breath. All I can focus on is sucking in air, trying to breathe again. Pain sears through my wrist as a boot crushes it, preventing even my small movements from going any further.

“Ah, ah, ah, not so fast.” This is a new voice, different from the first. I mentally tally the number of people, so I know what I am dealing with.

The boot lifts, and hands wrap tightly around my wrists, squeezing and jerking me forward. “Give me that rope!”

A thick rope wraps around me, pulling tight and cutting into my skin. The dark spots are slowly disappearing, and my breath is returning. I can make out at least four people standing over me, all of varying heights.

This is bad.

I should have fucking listened to Dane and stayed put. Here I thought he was going to be proud of me for finding my way and getting back to camp safely, and instead I am here, hands bound, and at the mercy of these people.

Edmond’s hostility training immediately comes to mind. I never thought I would need it, especially never having left the castle, but now I am glad I listened to him. When I can’t fight, I have to be smart. I have to listen. I have to find out as much information about my attackers so that I can persuade them to free me, or at least get on their side and bide my time to escape.

“I’ve never seen her before.”

“Neither have I, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t one of them. Scum that thinks they run the island.” The speaker spits, not on me, thank gods.

“Bind her feet too. We’ll carry her if we need to. She can’t get away.”

I’m pulled to a seated position, hands bound in front of me as someone kneels next to me and begins wrapping a rope around my feet. I could kick and scream and try to get away with my hands tied, but who would hear me? The only people I know here are Dane and Storm, and one isn’t even on this island anymore.

I decide on a different tactic as soon as I notice who is binding my feet. A girl, slightly younger than me, at least by my world standards. She pulls tight on the knot, cutting it into my ankles just above my boots.

“Mara?” I ask.

Her eyes snap up to mine, a look of shock on her face.

“What did you say?” she sneers.

“Is your name Mara?” I try again. “Dane wanted me to meet you last night, but you didn’t come back.”

“Shut the fuck up, you filthy Castaway.” It was the first voice again. He leans down and yells in my face, finally giving me a good look at my captors. They are not at all what I expected. The youngest looks barely ten years old, and no one looks older than Dane. Mara is the only girl among them, which verifies what Dane told me last night in the sleeping quarters.

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