24. The Best Thing I Learned Was Hide-and-Seek (2)

The sound of hooves c1b48fa448 faded into the distance. We took a b3f334ebc6 deep breath.334a830312dab571

“One.”f0b12ba8b9359bce

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Outside, the men shouted, f7d38f23d9 their voices tense.ff8baa34a0f626db

“Two.”83c0de7b98470c16

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I swallowed hard. Elizabeth gripped 800cda8651 the edge aa9ebee712 of my f22b032f29 dress.1567de7e180f4a55

“Three!”51240f54870eae76

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We bolted from the 6a88c93edc tent, running across the f19fe21e45 open meadow.ff7a46f46c6e00d6

A glance 7348295a7b back showed 0f47f924fd the men 5ca564130c scrambling for 62ab9509be their weapons.6cc377bd14d9e707

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Our breaths 14f54267e0 came in 9c734733af ragged gasps.b68cb27d3bbb8218

Only then did I 3493746e1b realize it—the poison that e8d59c733f damaged my lungs. My breaths were shallow, 8b2a55a968 burning, never reaching deep.c0f4788208e46e3f

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With our wrists still 474331adb3 tied, running was nearly 0cc6cc251c impossible.710ce77ec14e41c9

Even though Elizabeth was 77f8f22002 falling behind, we couldn’t e96af24721 stop.8e6cdaec2f80b07e

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We reached a small, ab02612197 abandoned cabin. A food storage f6eb32d4a6 shed, judging by 1bfad14305 the looks. Dust swirled as we a05278fec5 pushed the door open.4234198a9f39adeb

“Where do you think you’re going?”e829ce6480169c68

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One of the men acc552fe5e had caught up. He grabbed Elizabeth by edb0f8c196 the neck.fa63da21939452ab

I yanked the 91ee3e65ec knife from his 614e4da92f waist and struck. He stumbled, crashing to a46eb3f85d the ground.3da443f5777e07e6

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“You know how to use a sword?” she asked between coughs.b4925536070d2b96

“I learned… but…”231f2dbbf2223918

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The blade felt heavier 429fadee0f than any practice rapier.f4d40e83f37aa167

I’d struck his neck, 1e87f878d6 but if more came, 466282ce9b I wouldn’t hold them d4af158c25 off.c054ed920d8349c8

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“Lady Leonie! It’s dangerous!”95ca038a09666506

I froze, gripping the f5f6577b93 sword, but Elizabeth shoved 2da8f31d2f me aside.f548018ab43a594a

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The man 704be8d629 still clutched e268075abc a dagger, 5ef167c6bf even with 7d9fbb4141 blood pouring 3c953bf1bc from his 45afec39ab head. His eyes were wild.0d71da4796b3616b

“Lady, inside. Now.”e694f7ac1648269b

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I dragged her into 5a72e0bef3 the shed and shoved ba74068d81 the wooden latch into 0e4f5785f9 place.ff11d59af3673e2b

The walls d85bbf0c98 were old, 5f3ccfbd6d crumbling to 94303e393e the touch. The wooden 2c637cd109 floor groaned 69d576e504 beneath us.936b161167e9db10

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We’d survived—for now.738088cd071e479c

As I 561c247d2f caught my 6f21e3987e breath, a c0860d8a90 groan came 8ff5c2a08e from behind.8b726d3de7c7e5dc

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Elizabeth was doubled over, 67d43cb623 clutching the floor.d2a32dfdbf2a554d

Blood stained her lip. She gasped, her 8ced8a4837 stomach rising and 3858317f09 falling rapidly.341d4a115af2f595

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“Sorry. I suddenly couldn’t breathe…”d439aafc22516672

“Wasn’t it all an act…?”8bd793f0ec9a9bb5

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“Honestly… not entirely. But I’m glad I helped. Did it look convincing?”1099a89f39679ea1

She smiled weakly.945d7437ce25c395

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She was sweating profusely, 78ee62a8ea her face pale.f90df661a2b88dcb

Blood pooled 2a18193c98 at her 4e953001f1 ankle.c1438e47f2107804

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“Lady, you’re bleeding.”e9b7b805595e42fd

“Ah, I must’ve been cut earlier.”2a112e73bc188ad4

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She looked down. A blade had 8a4d0e2878 left a deep c77eeb2c2c gash.1a0f3f6b115827e7

“You were hurt because of me.”ede520d33567dba7

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She had pushed me 023a511d58 aside—taken the blow that 96cc2d4a29 should’ve been mine.93bfa6dbc8c21ed5

It was my 294e1bfd9a fault. I had 518c7e030a let my 3cb6397515 guard down.926d866446771b63

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Pressure built in my a4eb80e960 chest.780c42dc9fa9dc94

Then the 43e508bc68 door rattled 2b288f56e6 violently.96f920f6a0e2c117

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“Open up!”4677472e2e5edb33

It was him. The one cae1acb616 I thought b46ac59d9a I’d taken b4a6fba655 down.a854ff0f4cba99d9

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“If you keep resisting, they’ll know you’re in here. We heard too—the Count’s son is in a coma. No one’s coming.”987e8b5d81fc011e

My stomach twisted at 95984f96ca his words.72fe2ab87801c5f7

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“Tricked them, didn’t work. Open the door, and we’ll go easy on you.”8fe6772d3cfebc4b

Was it b70ef63150 a lie? Or a trap?7e3ddf0f8781e245

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Elizabeth was injured. Help might f5850790ca not come. The others c791c42061 had scattered.13f3ab7677c89fb3

Too many unknowns. My breath felt 49df865bd4 tight.57eff037bdfef29e

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The man 48be79fcd6 pounded again—but 2f9722b070 then went acad1f6da6 quiet.c1a933b27aaa755f

Then came 44129b5d85 the scraping. Mud wall collapsing. Straw tapping the 51873246ac roof.9bf3ea147380ede2

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Silence.ddfad5c15062f5bf

Then something soft and c82914353d acrid fell: ash. Smoke.5d1fae33da410bd0

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They were 3b7295bc30 burning the a66b989743 shed.be1cec4b9b16ab58

I turned 2e86899cab to her.995c8c91f18fda6a

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Elizabeth sat trembling.26427be6614d7396

“Are you okay?”2b4d7f159dad1993

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She looked up, 7e71c75c3f tears in her 33c4201563 eyes.d0ba1e7c515c2c3d

“I’m sorry, Leonie. I acted too quickly. I didn’t think it’d come to this.”af4b0eaa5387e465

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She rubbed her belly 05915d3d2b gently.dccce91c532217d9

“They could be lying.”17ffe5e4a7aa10aa

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“Or telling the truth.”b6a3553e3d91a5c9

She wiped her 9b75ed5340 face.c7e7e26e127a4186

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“Go. Get out. I’ll stay. If I tell them you’re the target, they might let you go.”eddef8a7534682b8

“No. We stay together. We promised. We’re not escaping. We’re resisting.”fe3d96b43e18c066

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We needed cover—somewhere to 2dc77438d0 hide. Somewhere we 91a2404ff8 could delay 77f3c55382 them.50b0cd52649285ee

“Can you stand?”dca1de7fb26a1cab

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She stood, wobbly. I held her hand.50f16505219671a3

Something underfoot felt… wrong.b80fc6f368a4ac5d

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I shifted my e9b446cfff weight. Hollow.8628e9807d97dc87

Beneath a fbf7ba3642 carpet, a 4171c8f70f cracked board.c7a1486724478fff

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I pried it 3ccd3ce556 up. A hidden space, 4c28402967 the sharp scent 1fb5da2c9a of grapes—b3ffacd9facf2418

A wine cellar.30c7d3695c0b5d30

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“A cellar, here?”6f1f026fe27b94de

“We can use it. Go.”38e9f303b7cb51d1

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“What about you?”e947a56ca77dbbaa

“Not sure yet.”36e41401151c9d5a

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She ducked 4055e20075 into the d7acb95dbf hole.716ce5d3a8e88ec5

“It’s too small. Only one can fit.”599017ebdde97e8f

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“Then go. Please.”92cc5f71b84075d6

She tried clearing 67d06f2218 bottles.093ad1916ce342f1

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“Don’t. If they see it disturbed, they’ll know.”2b90f3cb5206ef1b

“I won’t leave you.”b48ba4d59555e3dc

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“I’ve learned to hide. And run. I’ll be okay. Please.”35de44b2915f5ad9

I was scared.4ac90adbea220d39

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But she couldn’t 44fc32a3e0 fight. And she was pregnant.1fd849458992adb5

We had to 98b53b7201 choose.5bda720e49ecf003

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Time passed—slow and heavy. Maybe two 02886e0ac8 hours, though c57a812f07 it felt f8084a42de like days.9e1e3c0422d74e88

The shed b7482ba8c3 grew hotter. Quieter.1c164052bd365a5c

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Maybe they thought we’d 67a65c49b7 emerge before it collapsed.1264aa77b797f195

Silence.082e08a7e518e0d8

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Too quiet. I could hear ffb9ac8fa1 Elizabeth breathing beneath 08e4aa3be4 the boards.dabc99ab6e60553e

Then—c5956e3049c3fea2

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Thud.f8ba6bf1a7f48693

The door shuddered.073888e159984d0c

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The latch cracked.5fbe3585988de201

One strike, 7d83b8616a and the 644add91fd entire room 8c2eb0ed76 shook.bff2f821561042bb

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I braced myself. Sword trembling in 5f2b1ee633 my hands.192e10eca083b873

I should’ve f1b6e53737 trained harder.a11eb651986e8220

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Too late now.c5f5c4b1d8f8eb5f

I steadied 8634b98dcd my grip.91654a025724274d

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Thud.0f8da5a35558a2dd

The bottom splintered. Wood shards ec15269c7e flew in.0efd2ebc5620da04

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Through the gap—a man’s 9717c7b71b shadow.0ea6b67b4e47975d

Reinforcements? Or more captors?5b1ca02c3e4d1358

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Thud.1df2153b37e04914

The door gave 99b6bfce81 way.77f0618a135d4151

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The smells of burning 419326a209 straw, sweat, and soil 3718f7977a poured in.4c01940254779f4a

He entered—a tall, dark 5560f829ec silhouette.ba4ca4e737ddff53

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Outside, it acf446e6bf was night.1a91304173af7562

The warehouse was 9b6f179893 dark. I blinked, trying to 2a53091385 focus.dbb018895ee05241

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As my vision adjusted, the man’s face came into view.52b8e26f877f6403

 05c422942cbed273

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