Page 64 of Dark Elf's Good Girl
A sudden sense of alarm comes over me as I realize something dire.
Returning home will only attract questions from Mother and Father about Calix, who'll return home himself anyway. It’ll be far too dangerous for both Isla and I.
“Fuck,” I mutter to myself in frustration. From the corner of my eye. I spot a worried Isla looking my way, considering whether or not to intervene.
I realize that it’s far too late to return back to the manor, leaving no other safe option for us. Then again, the manor was never all that safe for Isla to begin with.
That leaves me only one choice, I think as I glance toward the carriage. I look then to Isla, then to my unconscious brother inside the cabin. I know now what must be done.
“Aiken,” calls Isla. “What’s happening? Are we going back to the manor?”
“No, that’s exactly what we’re not going to do,” I reply, much to her surprise. “Going back there would be a death trap for the both of us.”
“But… What are we going to do then?” she asks.
I turn to face my equu, stroking his chin. In the animal’s eyes I see my family home, plagued now with the fact I can never return to it.
“We must leave,” I tell Isla. “You and I will flee to start a new life, free from my brother, free from my parents, free from anyone who’s always had control over our lives.”
Isla peers up at me then rises to her feet. In her eyes is a wave of hope that restores my confidence.
“As long as I’m with you then I’ll go anywhere,” she says.
I pull her in for a kiss then hold her tightly. I close my eyes, seeing my family home in my mind. It’s not just the manor but my family that I will never see again. Although I had never gotten along with them, I still feel the empty void in my soul that they occupied for years.
It does not hurt but I cannot deny how strange it feels. An urge to refill it arises within me, to make a new life for myself where I answer to no one.
Lorien, you were the only person that was good to me, I think as the image of her pops into my head. I will miss you.
“Come then,” I say to Isla, pointing to the carriage. “We’ll take that out of here.”
“Where will we go?” she asks.
I look to the Darkwood Forest, drawing a deep breath in anticipation.
“Wherever the road will take us.”
She grips my arm tight, gazing softly at me.
“I think Calix was intending to keep me in the cabin for a while. I saw some supplies in there when he dragged me in.”
“Let’s raid the fuck out of this place. I don’t know when we’ll get the chance to restock, and gods know how long we’ll be on the road for.”
Isla returns to the cabin while I take a look at the carriage, clearing it out of any useless junk such as my brother’s torture devices. I feed the equu at the front, ensuring they’re fueled for the journey ahead. I then remove any registration documents inside tracing the carriage back to the manor and burn it with a fire spell.
I head inside the cabin, joining Isla as she empties a storage cabinet. There, we find tins of dried food and water as well as medical supplies and a small stash of weapons. We take everything and haul it into the carriage..
“I think that’s about it,” she says as I load up the last of the supplies.
“Not everything,” I reply. “There’s one more thing I must do. Get ready to leave and I’ll be right with you.”
She nods and climbs up onto the front passenger seat. I walk back inside the cabin, stooping at Calix’s side.
“In another universe, we could have been best friends,” I say to him. “But not this one.”
I perform a healing spell on him, then another to keep him asleep. I sheathe his dagger and strap it to my waistband before hauling Calix over my shoulder. Leaving the cabin for the final time, I amble over to the equu and sling him over its saddle.
“Take him home for me,” I ask of the animal before slapping it into motion.