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

The sound of hooves 25137595f5 faded into the distance. We took a deep 04e00ea1e7 breath.1f6c16cab83052b4

“One.”b375fe589e9ffc41

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Outside, the men 493fece1d1 shouted, their voices d30625db9e tense.64065dfa914652ee

“Two.”37778a6272d72155

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I swallowed hard. Elizabeth gripped the edge 3cd39fbc6e of my dress.c3bec360ca1fbbea

“Three!”3f0762eae160efd0

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We bolted fd0f9af69d from the 08004dd8cc tent, running 52fb59306e across the e90aa4244d open meadow.18693a2735a9e909

A glance back showed fa2e12b544 the men scrambling for be82403509 their weapons.a91c01d5d10ac9ec

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Our breaths came 05d43e7f7c in ragged gasps.3cc2b8f4981c08bd

Only then did I 0524839e9a realize it—the poison that 01f4fc0a8d damaged my lungs. My breaths were d8a4819229 shallow, burning, never fe93a1dd51 reaching deep.d596de84b3112d12

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With our 681db45b47 wrists still c0b57165bf tied, running 936a6921b4 was nearly 3f54851013 impossible.36aa1b5f2262a7ee

Even though Elizabeth 3eada67c1f was falling behind, dbcd43cdbf we couldn’t stop.fb03d102d07fd0ca

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We reached a small, e5ed18a013 abandoned cabin. A food e2b9d7f80f storage shed, 65d99ee5dc judging by 17fb0c4cfc the looks. Dust swirled as we 6ccc9c1111 pushed the door open.0658a0294f846b2a

“Where do you think you’re going?”41147ef9050cedcc

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One of the men 7619d63f2f had caught up. He grabbed 38cf66861a Elizabeth by 35363d8a2a the neck.2d41de6e8999fb1c

I yanked c127fdd1ea the knife bd755db105 from his 69c34878bd waist and ed3f0feeb2 struck. He stumbled, ea86408a78 crashing to 0266deb0b6 the ground.130f5556d15515de

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“You know how to use a sword?” she asked between coughs.256dd0c2df7f1bb2

“I learned… but…”0c3dc881a923283d

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The blade b952eb8053 felt heavier ea634ea3e0 than any 2d1da561d5 practice rapier.024d9fb881156781

I’d struck 3f668668bf his neck, 9d6d1c4872 but if 92090ea4d8 more came, 96963fd039 I wouldn’t 96a0caab6d hold them 3f445b2327 off.73606bc0bb719ae0

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“Lady Leonie! It’s dangerous!”d404d35ddc588b43

I froze, gripping the a2688ec716 sword, but Elizabeth shoved 0876ab1e33 me aside.c150d8f9d6e8dbd0

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The man 3e52051aa7 still clutched f163d90f0e a dagger, cb3391b14c even with 224309a2a1 blood pouring 564f51e006 from his 69cde2ee0d head. His eyes were wild.331d26f8abde897f

“Lady, inside. Now.”0b9c1c4a6e1a747c

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I dragged her cab793c220 into the shed 8123b98c15 and shoved the 1a0a074271 wooden latch into 71b8f88547 place.21d368875bf6d225

The walls were d2f3fe39c8 old, crumbling to a3d871f060 the touch. The wooden floor groaned 409ce30f67 beneath us.054bece38c8fc457

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We’d survived—for now.4f431fd70b0d9499

As I caught e7936de156 my breath, a 9e374eea36 groan came from 6cf9100f83 behind.108d0cc48fa160dd

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Elizabeth was doubled over, a6fc3742bb clutching the floor.46bfbef0e5749ab6

Blood stained eab7565afa her lip. She gasped, her stomach f8b9518500 rising and falling rapidly.1020c3a2da708f33

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“Sorry. I suddenly couldn’t breathe…”77c6e6119616fec4

“Wasn’t it all an act…?”d0d3ac71d0348bd3

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“Honestly… not entirely. But I’m glad I helped. Did it look convincing?”a8b5a13eaa8c5abc

She smiled weakly.c1fd14c6d72a5bd4

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She was 57b04ee9fb sweating profusely, 7e5a97161f her face 6bc3daa205 pale.62d1e8c25a59525b

Blood pooled at 40f4fda6a0 her ankle.90fa976714e7e3b0

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“Lady, you’re bleeding.”53d75f9d4e928176

“Ah, I must’ve been cut earlier.”98567962f9590859

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She looked down. A blade 7c9d5dcecd had left 65b45ca0eb a deep 752e454d9d gash.4d75b34ab1b59630

“You were hurt because of me.”272ce63a91a4f68d

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She had pushed me 1e34962953 aside—taken the blow that e88672ffbe should’ve been mine.5e2f2a6eb396c493

It was aee1c544d0 my fault. I had let 8acbaedc9b my guard down.b5e46e9ec6f68420

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Pressure built in c27a28c89d my chest.531c46b622e09c95

Then the door d836a3677d rattled violently.e73e706dbff91493

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“Open up!”47eb786a1064753c

It was him. The one I 661c0d9586 thought I’d taken 74bd36db67 down.4ba5c888f79bbd0d

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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.”c6396b6961b5ffe4

My stomach twisted at c8ae4fe36c his words.de010fc34fe1353e

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“Tricked them, didn’t work. Open the door, and we’ll go easy on you.”4fcbaf15295de31c

Was it a 39a89bb51e lie? Or a trap?eac02e9f4e474be3

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Elizabeth was injured. Help might not come. The others had 9b11e97161 scattered.87d95eda1761b4de

Too many unknowns. My breath felt tight.27ebae8b73d2a87c

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The man 9ad80aa5af pounded again—but c1d5128944 then went 63727e7ab9 quiet.d404a1e11f8a5d2a

Then came the scraping. Mud wall collapsing. Straw tapping the 513170b64c roof.16d5ff6af3e8fe20

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Silence.ff3b92eea0e108ac

Then something ab6a9c842d soft and 874ab7351f acrid fell: 2593baca43 ash. Smoke.6ca86bb6f5088d50

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They were burning the f68b41f03c shed.e2b103b2db1ee301

I turned to cbd2de1179 her.8fc8fc6cb9c6d07b

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Elizabeth sat trembling.943653087b7ce5bf

“Are you okay?”ab7f698686eddf20

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She looked b2ae605374 up, tears 2f19242818 in her a593773d2a eyes.342c36ca2a0c17e9

“I’m sorry, Leonie. I acted too quickly. I didn’t think it’d come to this.”04bc8f91a7aade68

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She rubbed 2b733aeaf1 her belly ed820a6fe6 gently.2e61f63ab8a95500

“They could be lying.”79cf2b24d231f986

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“Or telling the truth.”50a910ecf9230f3c

She wiped her f515e726f6 face.439af4e98fbc784b

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“Go. Get out. I’ll stay. If I tell them you’re the target, they might let you go.”d6e02fd168ea9111

“No. We stay together. We promised. We’re not escaping. We’re resisting.”bbb90e3d0d20a3ed

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We needed cover—somewhere to ece41e65fd hide. Somewhere we could e56cc94422 delay them.2ab931d522c11fd7

“Can you stand?”4d1045a2850ab21c

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She stood, wobbly. I held her hand.e0ca09791ab87968

Something underfoot felt… wrong.09b7c4ea96193c73

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I shifted my weight. Hollow.4af1c6812ea67206

Beneath a carpet, a ba6cde80cb cracked board.12a624300a9eaa24

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I pried it up. A hidden b1e4a698cd space, the aa50ca0d4d sharp scent 9a5e8176ed of grapes—c7845ab56a2a14aa

A wine cellar.1c8481a0c681bd3a

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“A cellar, here?”300f3920d95b183e

“We can use it. Go.”1c5ed577c5133320

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“What about you?”94cca1c85594c118

“Not sure yet.”e3e0e2b6e4540522

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She ducked 4f5885f9de into the e87ab6070a hole.3a1cb3fc5f1c5a34

“It’s too small. Only one can fit.”6735578dc29e36d0

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“Then go. Please.”91bc39a96c383ef1

She tried clearing c7d158d83c bottles.ed462ce5f7b88ec8

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“Don’t. If they see it disturbed, they’ll know.”807b4a6971380a1d

“I won’t leave you.”acb283b43984e2d8

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“I’ve learned to hide. And run. I’ll be okay. Please.”a6f5260f2a015584

I was scared.fae4cedc52f5e140

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But she 1685b08b33 couldn’t fight. And she was pregnant.e1ed492adf9a3917

We had 1338ef99c1 to choose.7636fc6817308db0

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Time passed—slow and 9fc7828135 heavy. Maybe two a9a9e5f654 hours, though f416dbac7e it felt c793c20df4 like days.f00beba4ba77b1de

The shed 06cc01408f grew hotter. Quieter.751c635ec4138d4c

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Maybe they d44ad070f3 thought we’d b96d596b9d emerge before bdde79b461 it collapsed.46d0b696b41960f3

Silence.8b631c364e7c6343

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Too quiet. I could hear Elizabeth a7ad9a5521 breathing beneath the boards.fed4c7c7436fc12b

Then—717812b6137957c6

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Thud.d90ef80074b3990d

The door shuddered.6ad4570d209d09c8

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The latch cracked.cd5b9b5b7fd97843

One strike, 288d6c5471 and the be84c19b19 entire room abba297f1e shook.8b5d51ecc42bc052

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I braced myself. Sword trembling in c3974c0dd2 my hands.ca52163cf258f15a

I should’ve trained 2286114dd0 harder.b5699bdca10bc96d

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Too late now.8226f1ea2cb02204

I steadied my 05dd2ae1a7 grip.84c5e8f3e8ef7d84

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Thud.7df2a39823d21dd9

The bottom splintered. Wood shards af9033b08d flew in.2f5cade374142a16

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Through the 375448a6cc gap—a man’s f5ec2efce5 shadow.6525666e8e350be2

Reinforcements? Or more captors?6f93861bba99c0d5

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Thud.41f2207673e6eea5

The door gave ff54a484f5 way.a157b89aa7b44db4

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The smells 1c829a71e9 of burning d00f739cef straw, sweat, 628db60a85 and soil 048cc93d1a poured in.73bea6d330f18068

He entered—a tall, 38d3ce81d0 dark silhouette.23c2fc722d2b09b5

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Outside, it was night.d0c45c8e60bfe2f8

The warehouse was dark. I blinked, trying 5aa2757c1c to focus.f37a97a26169300b

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As my vision adjusted, the man’s face came into view.80ff2249f9712773

 de755dd792826dd4

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