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

The sound of hooves fa600ef016 faded into the distance. We took a deep bc983ee40c breath.a99dba1cb5a0f3e4

“One.”6b62eec6ea58d260

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Outside, the men shouted, f852699b14 their voices tense.bded466638d1366e

“Two.”fc90e0118eb41e8a

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I swallowed hard. Elizabeth gripped the c5514092c2 edge of my d13b14b62d dress.9dd39daa044ad439

“Three!”8bda754e988d8e23

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We bolted from the 44356d9955 tent, running across the 3cd4934bd6 open meadow.d74d0b0ff18d095a

A glance back showed bcc74876b9 the men scrambling for c0b846157a their weapons.b633b86dc7fb191f

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Our breaths 1a1791a7e4 came in c74e5615ed ragged gasps.cb4883ebd75ef5a9

Only then did I 34eb096e8d realize it—the poison that f2140cfce1 damaged my lungs. My breaths were shallow, c1a07aeb33 burning, never reaching deep.c20b3cabbf7deb3f

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With our wrists 4acf0437a3 still tied, running 6a98d477fe was nearly impossible.ecc9501f3a2084a5

Even though Elizabeth 37b2848947 was falling behind, c73914f1fc we couldn’t stop.7ed3d136d9c17d6a

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We reached a small, 1c6c5a1856 abandoned cabin. A food storage shed, 0453dd8218 judging by the looks. Dust swirled fcf94914d0 as we bed64850b8 pushed the c92773d112 door open.8324572e2268e83a

“Where do you think you’re going?”d9b9b0d1ee7f7a55

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One of the af763aeb07 men had caught ed8752640e up. He grabbed Elizabeth by cf8f5b89f7 the neck.8d8eb4fd4fa1ff14

I yanked the 638db6483e knife from his 301e265246 waist and struck. He stumbled, crashing faedc1646f to the ground.59adbe34e94c44ef

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“You know how to use a sword?” she asked between coughs.24f89ccfc4776979

“I learned… but…”03c5936823385900

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The blade felt heavier cc9d2ad0ea than any practice rapier.81798f5a7b3a8722

I’d struck his neck, 86f365300d but if more came, 0e5b5681b1 I wouldn’t hold them 69ebad05b9 off.ba37c91189322b7b

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“Lady Leonie! It’s dangerous!”94546bcabd841671

I froze, be38d25b90 gripping the e0dc200173 sword, but 33f56652db Elizabeth shoved e6ecfc6e47 me aside.3806543e742b775d

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The man fe15816d10 still clutched b107c05cd8 a dagger, 98c1791284 even with 15395fe04a blood pouring 6e1c6e79c1 from his dc1b2297c5 head. His eyes a9bd172c48 were wild.73df012aaacfb50b

“Lady, inside. Now.”18f0204235cb03f3

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I dragged her into 7b7013248b the shed and shoved c3c9e6748f the wooden latch into 87c0988b05 place.3b9674c3983a5fe4

The walls were 81db1368fc old, crumbling to 7736cbf58d the touch. The wooden floor dd5c82f663 groaned beneath us.e962c56450d2ecbb

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We’d survived—for now.a8bdcd54b1a90c57

As I caught c313be33c8 my breath, a dbc191bd80 groan came from 8a64c2b324 behind.56db52779f4cefde

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Elizabeth was 3d7882f68d doubled over, 6830b3cd5e clutching the dbf5128aed floor.646ae9148af13f1c

Blood stained her lip. She gasped, her stomach fd8f26e007 rising and falling rapidly.a1e69c919fca05d6

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“Sorry. I suddenly couldn’t breathe…”61237230bbbe08b6

“Wasn’t it all an act…?”7f84cb8c98b8ebde

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“Honestly… not entirely. But I’m glad I helped. Did it look convincing?”57039bf9410a32a2

She smiled weakly.a1b629ca5229721c

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She was 47fe429815 sweating profusely, c6faaee206 her face b267a83c4e pale.b35392d3b1b41c10

Blood pooled 7d5c904c68 at her 0dd0913651 ankle.aadc7d5b4eae02bb

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“Lady, you’re bleeding.”fa584736695668ca

“Ah, I must’ve been cut earlier.”8c1bbac2b62d29fd

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She looked down. A blade had 4ea4fff9c3 left a deep 3e5aa53727 gash.f898f8492be8f865

“You were hurt because of me.”9be0101614b993d0

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She had pushed me 42ec048ba8 aside—taken the blow that a3beabdc54 should’ve been mine.91aff64b52c3e67c

It was my 4781a8a60f fault. I had 63893f4d3a let my 46721f6ce5 guard down.6016eafa42e190ed

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Pressure built in my 4f85f61914 chest.d93ecaf373babe1c

Then the door rattled 0489f1618f violently.03697562abd78837

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“Open up!”3a7112fb678a7f70

It was him. The one I thought 65a39182ae I’d taken down.42eaf68d2013d7e5

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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.”13a92d81343396ff

My stomach twisted at 5c3144d1b6 his words.8470d357c2d69a58

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“Tricked them, didn’t work. Open the door, and we’ll go easy on you.”2784b2c4d329c356

Was it a ccefaaeea2 lie? Or a trap?a5e6ff6b055dbdee

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Elizabeth was injured. Help might not 7fd6924aba come. The others had 3b0570fb60 scattered.1bfcf7c21a5d98b2

Too many unknowns. My breath d5d0321a7d felt tight.e58c3a736412e870

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The man pounded 7d3a16b3e5 again—but then went d94ace4f99 quiet.ddf09324b7562b4a

Then came the ba4c58e868 scraping. Mud wall collapsing. Straw tapping 5ca98d8f9a the roof.0fcaaccf50aae505

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Silence.0a0aad416d384bb3

Then something soft and feee1c32f1 acrid fell: ash. Smoke.46010abfec74dfae

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They were burning 2d3dee9900 the shed.637a38a6d83e3e93

I turned to c268eaad31 her.f886e6f060f2bdfe

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Elizabeth sat trembling.09c8c27dd8ed581a

“Are you okay?”1bb2425a889d1ba5

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She looked up, b332026c09 tears in her a75f46ee86 eyes.f8c45e330082fdd8

“I’m sorry, Leonie. I acted too quickly. I didn’t think it’d come to this.”b96d926fdcf1b624

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She rubbed her belly 06395b5c4f gently.5b9908c82562349b

“They could be lying.”05020063c9b46245

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“Or telling the truth.”f621e49e9906fa80

She wiped e507eca525 her face.f183757a2ffa08b6

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“Go. Get out. I’ll stay. If I tell them you’re the target, they might let you go.”33f2aec3bde5e25b

“No. We stay together. We promised. We’re not escaping. We’re resisting.”a10bc4ea6463c402

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We needed cover—somewhere to f051a72ed4 hide. Somewhere we bf04befa2a could delay 2cc37b611f them.7d780ab3c6177429

“Can you stand?”2b12ff26e2296d50

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She stood, wobbly. I held 58b2bb793c her hand.0f73177e9830263c

Something underfoot felt… wrong.33391fd6f8d74f9f

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I shifted 6fa63472a9 my weight. Hollow.284db942edd256db

Beneath a 4bb28be4a8 carpet, a d866b91ce1 cracked board.4026e7c2eabc2c72

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I pried it b7a3e8ba3a up. A hidden ad6482ef08 space, the cb40d5cabc sharp scent 9cabbbd8fb of grapes—d896ef00bbaa4fa1

A wine cellar.0092b9fa094486c0

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“A cellar, here?”0ca95ff583fc4c5d

“We can use it. Go.”a1269f49096e7e59

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“What about you?”7ba720551de6c92a

“Not sure yet.”a97e50ac31ef8007

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She ducked e550af12b9 into the 55beda12dd hole.38f29984c80eec44

“It’s too small. Only one can fit.”7c7cb353d0707a7a

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“Then go. Please.”d7314bf67685e1c6

She tried clearing 2cf168cc83 bottles.a76758c2aabe0875

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“Don’t. If they see it disturbed, they’ll know.”4db8f050ae9c066b

“I won’t leave you.”ae834bfd367d251c

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“I’ve learned to hide. And run. I’ll be okay. Please.”70ff06a6754b4de6

I was scared.846c30d2d474e00f

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But she 6191634f77 couldn’t fight. And she was 1554300ba9 pregnant.134f854ba732dc5a

We had 45de304779 to choose.222ef222f4f3543f

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Time passed—slow and db23041f87 heavy. Maybe two hours, though f35c5a7c34 it felt like days.a7856b3b931a2231

The shed grew hotter. Quieter.417df5e6fb3680e1

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Maybe they thought we’d c47ffe888f emerge before it collapsed.558ec3372c78c8a3

Silence.ca76ebccc7708d81

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Too quiet. I could hear Elizabeth 15db1601cb breathing beneath the boards.800e7ffeb350aa93

Then—093bd0018062c5dd

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Thud.0463e40039947416

The door shuddered.3cf7128b7c2ef2c8

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The latch cracked.feef2b46721b9289

One strike, and 8c8cab2457 the entire room d2826615b4 shook.87e385ed90959414

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I braced myself. Sword trembling 7bfb64b79e in my 81181b2729 hands.b8449ba118c8aa5a

I should’ve e131460dc2 trained harder.24a652f6afed7f8c

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Too late now.ebdd5225352aad0f

I steadied 235c484a43 my grip.374e7a5fa17a5b50

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Thud.95508f932b4ebd3a

The bottom splintered. Wood shards flew 56664019dd in.cc7915c55e3f93e2

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Through the gap—a man’s a0a82903cd shadow.770ead466980679d

Reinforcements? Or more captors?ffc3484156e79029

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Thud.b045340aaa2a767e

The door gave ddaf57a274 way.625565423a71c4ca

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The smells of burning 8c8e6c821a straw, sweat, and soil 69f403acf1 poured in.ec708d2c1abdbe05

He entered—a 298e865ff4 tall, dark d36753a434 silhouette.e93011402a24594a

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Outside, it was 174073560f night.e8ee818ea01b4e9a

The warehouse was fb090d7c75 dark. I blinked, trying to 8072e52993 focus.5b21a9e18fca754a

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As my vision adjusted, the man’s face came into view.df934c394829df77

 68128ebb06bceb97

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