Chapter 54

Aicha

I screamed when Sara burst from the trees. Even in my wildest dreams, I had never imagined our meeting would look like this, but I didn’t have time to ponder it because at that moment I saw the Queen’s Whip on her back. She jumped to the ground and pulled her sword at me.

“Get away from them!”

I froze, but Kim ran between us, saving my life.

“She is with us, she came to warn you.”

The Whip spat on the ground and then ran to Silvi, and I dared to glance at the majestic Unicorn standing so close that I could see the flames dancing in her eyes. She straightened herself, and I shivered under her gaze as she cleared her throat.

“Welcome, child, it…”

“Stop acting like a stupid horse! We need to go!”, the Whip screamed, pulling Silvi to us.

“We are ready!”, Kim shouted back, and Sara turned her head, looking towards the trees.

I followed her gaze, but the forest was empty.

“What happened?”, I asked, but no one replied.

“Let’s go!”, the Whip yelled, pulling the reins of their horse.

“Wait!”

Sara turned to her.

“It is a trap! They will find us. They must be waiting.”

The Whip spat on the ground.

“So we will kill them!”

“No, he planned it!”, Sara cried. “He is ready for it. They will ambush us and shoot us.”

“They will die!”

“Don’t be stupid! You cannot fight if you cannot see it. You will die, and they will die with you!”

I froze as she pointed at our group, and I felt Silvi’s hand reaching mine.

“What then?”

The Whip moved closer, putting herself between us and the forest. Was she really protecting us? I couldn’t believe it at first when Kim and Silvi had told me she was with them, but I recognised her. She had passed through our valley once with my uncle.

“We will take the main road and ride hard”, Sara said and turned to look at us.

“Main road… But…?”, I murmured.

“They will not expect it.”

The Whip nodded and looked at me.

“Can you ride?”

I froze at first, and only her glare told me she was speaking to me. I managed to shake my head.

“Take her, Cat, and I will carry Kim and Silvi”, Sara said.

I blinked, but before I had time to understand what was happening, the Whip forced me onto the horse and climbed up behind me.

“Don’t fall, okay?”

I shrieked and closed my eyes as the horse started to move, but the Whip’s arm wrapped around me, pulling my body against hers.

“What’s your name?”

“A-Aicha…”, I managed to mumble.

I opened my eyes. Moving without seeing where we are going was even worse. The Whip kicked our horse into action, and we burst through the trees and hit the main road. Sara was galloping in front of us with the others when suddenly, flames ignited around her and shot ahead, and the screams and smell of burning flesh hit my nostrils.

I howled as we passed the burning corpses of the Queen’s soldiers that had stood in our way. I wanted to shut my eyes at their screams still echoing in my head, but I forced myself to look ahead.

Was this the rebellion I had hoped so much to join?