The frigid mountain air was heavy in my legs as I ran. The crusty snow-covered forest floor tore at my bare feet, I glanced behind me to see my bloodied footprints leaving a trail.
Crap. So much for being stealthy.
A hound's howl pierced the air, throwing me back into my sprint. My lungs burned, and my legs ached. But I had to keep moving.
'Soldiers of Spring seek to spill blood of Night'
The Suriel's warning echoed in my head. It confused me at first but when I ran back to my mother, I watched in horror as the High Lord of Spring cut down my mother with a single thrust of his sword. A scream tore my lungs before I could stop it, and the High Lord's guards looked up in the direction of where I hid in the brush.
"Get her! Do not let her escape!"
I scrambled back, my boots slipping from my feet as I fled. I weaved through the trees. 'Always maintain the upper hand at all costs. There is no such thing as a fair fight, dear sister.' Rhysand had once told me.
I kept my wings tucked in tight, tears blurring my vision. The trees were too close together and knew I would break them if I tried to get airborne.
Silently I prayed to the Mother that my brother would notice if we had not showed up to our meeting spot and come looking.
An arrow embedded itself in the tree in front of me with a thunk causing me to skid in the snow before changing directions. The soldiers were close enough that I could hear their boots crunching in the snow and the baying of their hounds as they closed distance on my position.
I kept my eyes on the light of the sun as it shined through the trees, aiming toward the mountains.
Another arrow flew by, this time grazing my arm. I whimpered in pain but maintained my pace despite more and more of my blood leaking into the snow as I desperately fought to escape.
The trees finally cleared, and a cliff outlined brightly by the noon-day sun gave my heart a faint glimmer of hope.
I poured out the last of my strength into a desperate charge toward the freedom of the open air. I was paces away from the edge of the cliff when an arrow found its mark, piercing my calf.
The force of the arrow threw me to the ground. I landed on my face with a grunt, my stomach threatening to push out my breakfast at the sight of the arrowhead sticking out of the front of my leg.
With it still in my leg, I crawled on my stomach to the edge. 'If I could crawl to the edge, I could throw myself over the edge and fly away to the camp where father was last seen' my mind repeated frantically.
"Found her!" a guard shouted before another arrow flew into my shoulder, tearing easily through my membranous wing. I could not stop shrieking in pain as the realization that I would die here dawned on me.
Darkness started to cloud my vision as three Spring Court soldiers came into view. A thunderclap erupted in the air behind me as something large landed, launching snow and debris skyward. Swords clashed and someone was swearing as the darkness pulled me under before I could identify my protector.
I hoped it was Rhysand.