Whirlwind Redemption by Raine Winters

Author:Raine Winters [Winters, Raine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-06-28T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

WE’VE BEEN HIKING for a while. Our newfound and temporary friendship lingers between us, creating a much needed bridge. “So you gonna tell me?”

“Tell you what?” She doesn’t look at me. But she knows exactly what I’m asking.

“How am I, of all people, your mortal enemy?” I can’t believe the words even as I say them out loud. I knew she hated me, but I never could have imagined how deeply her anger ran.

She sighs, and I know she doesn’t want to tell me, but her resolve against me is crumbling. Even if it’s breaking just the slightest amount, I’ll take it.

“Do we really need to open Pandora’s Box?” She’s wary of telling me, and I understand why. I really do. But the need to know outweighs my need to keep the peace.

“We really do.” I say the words without hesitation. My desire will not be satisfied until I know every reason she hates me.

“Can we take a break?”

I stop, eagerly awaiting the answer to my question. She doesn’t know how patient I can be. Glancing around us, I looking for a place to rest. Raven doesn’t stop. She veers off the trail, leading us down a barely visible path with knowing feet. “Where are you going?”

“I know a place.”

She knows a place? Trepidation fills me as I step off the path and follow her into the trees. “You’re not going to murder me, are you?”

Glancing over her shoulder, she flashes a stunning smile in my direction. “If I was going to kill you, do you think I’d warn you first?”

A laugh stumbles from me. She has a point. “I suppose not.”

Even though I should be frightened to follow this woman into the unknown, I’m not. It’s almost natural to trail behind her, even though I can’t explain why.

Over the cracking of sticks beneath our feet, she calls out. “Besides, if I killed you, I’d never get away with it. Our entire staff knows we are up here together.”

My eyebrows raise in surprise. “Well, that’s reassuring.”

We walk for another few minutes before we enter a clearing. There are a few logs acting as benches circling a makeshift fire pit. Just beyond that is a small pond. It sparkles in the early afternoon sun. We can’t be more than a half mile off the path, but this oasis is every hiker’s dream.

“How did you find this place?” Stepping up to the ring of logs, I remove the pack from my back and lower it to the ground. With the weight gone, my shoulders relax.

Raven sets her pack down as well and moves towards the fire pit. With expert hands, she gathers everything she needs before starting a small fire. I watch her movements in amazement. I never would have guessed a girl like her could build a fire with her own two hands. The more I get to know her, the more often she surprises me. I should know by now that Raven is capable of anything she sets her mind to.

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