The King's Cursed Bride

Abandoned: Part 3

Carissa cursed more profusely than she'd ever dared as she sprinted downstream. "Go back! Go back to camp!"

A woman was kneeling by the river, her child tugging at her skirts. She glanced up just as an arrow pierced her head.

Carissa steps faltered as blood streamed onto the woman's face. "No!"

The rest of the people exploded in a panicked flurry, leaving behind baskets of clothes and pots and pans. Several more crumpled to the ground, arrow heads buried in their spines, their legs, their heads.

A fury tore through Carissa, unlike any she'd ever known before. A Reaper crossed the stream, and Carissa lunged for him. Her dagger slid in and out of his chest with ease. She stabbed him once more in the head, to ensure he wouldn't be revived any time soon.

Another Reaper lunged forward, swinging his Scythe down. She caught it against her dagger. The other Reapers surged past her, and she was helpless to stop them.

Heat flared against her skin, almost hot enough to burn her.

Carissa fended off the Reaper's attack. She retreated a step and cast a glance at the source of the heat. The wedding ring on her finger. How was it—

The ring flared with heat again. The air whistled past her ear as a Reaper's Scythe narrowly missed her head. A Reaper was attacking her from behind.

She backed away, now fighting two Reapers. She managed to slash at one's forearm, and its grip on its Scythe loosened. She batted the Scythe away and stabbed the Reaper's chest. The ring grew hot just before pain sliced through her back.

Carissa suppressed a cry before whipping around to face the remaining Reaper. Though she suffered another cut to her shoulder, she eventually managed to kill it.

Carissa stared at the fallen Reapers before her gaze caught on the gold glinting on her finger. It seemed the ring was warning her. She recalled Elon's words, after she'd discovered the burns on his chest as they sat by the stream: ...promise me you'll keep track of this. Was that why he'd asked her to keep it? Because it had some sort of magical properties?

A shrill scream made her glance up. Carissa's blood went cold. There were no more Reapers in the forest. They'd all rushed past her—to the camp.

Carissa turned and sprinted, the forest clawing at her limbs and face. She broke into the clearing. Fire swept over the tents as a wave of Reapers swept over the people.

For a moment, she forgot how to walk as dread poured through her. Steel rang out to her left. A quick glance revealed a man fighting a Reaper—and losing. His family huddled behind him.

Carissa charged to his aid, but before she could reach him, the Reaper slashed him through.

No.

But even as despair tempted her steps to slow, determination pushed her onward. She would not allow the man's family to meet the same fate.

She stabbed the Reaper's back and ducked as he swung his Scythe and turned to face her. She plunged upward into his chest and beheaded him.

Carissa turned to face the family. The mother had her arms tightly wound around the shoulders of two boys—one at least ten years and the other four. The smaller boy glanced past Carissa and sucked in a breath.

The ring flared hot once in warning before the boy escaped his mother's grip, sprinting into the fray. Carissa lunged for him and caught the hem of his shirt. It ripped, leaving her with a fistful of the coarse fabric.

"Chade!"

Carissa ignored the mother's screams as she chased after the boy. What had he seen? Had he forgotten something? Seen a family member in trouble?