Guardian (Sequel to Fearless)

Chapter Thirty Four

It was the next night when Azabela was in the woods again. She'd left from her grandmother's house to go hunt for some more food. Usually, it relaxed her to do so. It set her mind to work when Rhalla wasn't home, but that was when the game was good. Tonight? No matter how hard she looked or how long she waited, she saw nothing. Something had likely disturbed all the game that night because there wasn't an animal in sight.

What a waste. Azabela looked up at the moon to see how high it was in the sky. She cursed... it had to be well past midnight now. Shaking her head, the huntress strapped her bow back to her back and reached down to her satchel to find some rope. Azabela decided it would be best to just set some rabbit snares and call it a night. She'd have to come out again tomorrow night and try again for something larger that she could preserve.

It took about twenty minutes to set the snares, and once she did, she packed up all of her things. For a moment, she thought about whether or not she should go back to her grandmother's to get Dane. He'd stayed to have dinner with her while Azabela had hunted. After a few seconds, she just headed home. Both Dane and her grandmother were sure to be asleep by now. She'd have to go get him in the morning.

With a deep breath, she trod through the undergrowth, taking care to remain silent. As she walked, she remembered the dinner she'd had the night before. A small smile played on her lips. She truly liked Iris. There were no words for how excited she was that her betrothed finally had someone to go to besides herself --someone that knew that Rhalla was different from everyone else and still accepted her.

That went for herself too. Iris was still as genuine to her as she'd been the last time they'd met. Gods, she might have another real friend as well. Azabela sighed, wishing they'd have both stayed just one more night instead of rushing back to the sanctuary earlier that day.

But one couldn't always get what they wanted.

She finally moved completely out of the woods and into her yard, a grin still present on her face despite the fact that she'd be alone tonight.

And then her smile fell. Azabela stopped in her tracks, almost immediately after the front door was in sight.

Something was wrong.

She didn't know why it was... it just was. Her house looked normal enough; it looked just like any other time she'd come home late at night. But tonight, as soon as she stepped into her yard, a sickly feeling came over her... just like an instinct deep in her belly. She hadn't gotten this feeling since the night her mother had died. Azabela's eyes narrowed and found that her door looked as if it hadn't been tampered with.

But still, her senses screamed run.

Her hand hovered near her bow, and she took a few steps toward her cabin. It was when she took the fourth step that some movement caught her eye. She whipped her head to where it had come from and watched as someone slowly stepped from the tree-line. It was a man --a man with greasy hair and a disturbing look in his eyes.

He was alone... or appeared to be. Azabela's breath died in her throat and she wondered only for a moment if she was seeing things. Her nerves lit themselves on fire. This... this situation was too much like...

No no.

He grinned at her with teeth made of rotting banana peels, but said nothing. He just got closer, little by little.

Azabela unfroze and her lips drew a scowl. Anger coursed a steady stream of blood through her heart. The next words were a snarl. "Get out of my yard."

He took another step, but then stopped at the wild look in her eyes. He cocked his head to the side, and Azabela watched as a look of honest to gods confusion came over his eyes... like he hadn't expected her to talk. Or maybe he hadn't expected her to stand her ground. Whatever the case, she watched as he surveyed her.