The Princess Trap by Kirsten Boie

Author:Kirsten Boie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2007-10-15T16:00:00+00:00

Once the shooting had stopped, Nahira hid for a while in the bushes. She couldn’t go to Lorok, who was waiting for her in the pickup — that would have put him in danger, too. She just had to hope that he’d turned the truck around and drove away as soon as he heard the shots. But he was such a young hothead, she was afraid he might try to play the hero.

She listened to the sounds that were coming from the clearing. Mainly shouted orders, but at least no screams of pain. Then, very quietly, she climbed to the top of an oak tree — something she had not done for years. Up there she made herself a seat out of a fork in the branches and waited, in the hope that she would be safer where she was than down below. Only if they sent a search party with dogs would her hiding place risk exposure. Her trail ended at the foot of the tree, and a glance upward would be enough to deliver her into the hands of any pursuers.

But when dusk fell, she began to have doubts. Why hadn’t she heard anything for so long? Why no voices, no footsteps, no shouts, even in the distance? Where had all the soldiers gone?

They couldn’t have given up the hunt so easily, thought Nahira, trying to flex her limbs in her uncomfortable perch. One of her feet was threatening to go to sleep. No one followed me. It was just bullets. But why didn’t they come looking for me after that?

She looked down. There was an almost inaudible rustling in the dry leaves. A mouse. Or maybe a rabbit. They tried to shoot me, but after that they stopped searching.

I’m safe.

Before lack of light made it too difficult, she slowly let herself down, branch by branch. I was better at this when I was younger, she thought, and couldn’t help laughing. But then, who’d have imagined I’d need to climb trees again? She jumped down to the ground and stretched her limbs. She’d been living in hiding for so long that her whole body, eyes, ears, nose, were alert when there was even the slightest chance of danger. Sometimes her heart would start beating faster even before her eyes and ears had perceived the approach of trouble.

But now her heart was calm, and her breath was even. They’re not looking for me. I’m safe.

Not until she reached the road and still had seen no sign that she was being followed did she take out her cell phone. “You can come and get me,” she said softly. “As agreed. See you soon.”

She looked up at the blue-black sky. Up here in the remote north of South Island, there were so few settlements, and so few streetlamps or houses or lights of any kind, that the night belonged entirely to the stars.

But at home on North Island, the sky is even more lovely, thought Nahira, leaning against a tree while she waited.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.