Kidnapping The Princess (Editing For Publication) (lesbian, girlxgirl)

Chapter 21. Reclaimed

Chapter 21. Reclaimed

"Brooke," I whispered. Dead silence answered me. The wind blew, making the small hair at my arms and nape stand to attention. Though it wasn't snowing yet, the biting cold was a lot harsher than anticipated. Maybe because it was in the wee hours in the morning, or perhaps it was due to the amount of blood I was losing.

Staring at my right shoulder, the blood stained cloth taunted me. That deranged Vanessa would have to pay. The nerve with that girl, hurting the future queen and attempting to sell the current princess. It was a crime punishable by death. But I wouldn't kill her. Not yet anyway.

"Brooke," I murmured again. This time there was a faint reply.

"Iris, I'm over here."

Following the sound of her voice, I made my way on the field, taking care to lighten my steps while looking left and right. The tall grass that went even higher than my head served as camouflage for me. However, it also hid the enemy. Brooke was a few meters away, crouching low. I was behind her in a beat.

"Why did you stop? Where are Vanessa and Talia?"

 Brooke looked over her shoulder to me. "First things first, are you okay?" She bit her bottom lip.

"Don't worry about me. It's just a scratch. Answer my questions first." I didn't tell her that I was beginning to get dizzy, and the wound made me want to scream. Talia's safety should come first.

"They ran past here," she said, pointing to the distance where the entrance to the dark forest looms. "I stopped because there's a gunner. The one who escaped earlier." Following her hand, I saw a tall guy with a rifle, perched on top of a tree several branches up. He was scouting the place, probably looking for us, while standing guard for his associates. "If he sees us, he'll shoot." Brooke turned to face me. "We can circle the place and find another path to the forest if you want."

I shook my head. "There's no time. We have two choices- sneak past him and get shot eventually, or kill him right now before he extends the same courtesy. I choose the latter Brooke."

She gave me a nervous laugh. "I know you're the definition of hot Iris, but hearing that from you gave you extra points for being a badass."

I kissed her on the forehead quickly, earning a small squeak from her. "Stop being afraid." Gesturing to my own rifle I said, "This weapon can shoot about a thousand yards. But the wind is crazy right now and it will make us miss the target. We have to get closer."

Brooke nodded. "You'll make our shooting teacher proud," she said, referring to the time we took private lessons back in college. But she always preferred blades over guns.

Without saying another word, I started to crawl forward. It was too difficult, considering that my right shoulder was raked with unbearable pain each time I moved it. We had no other choice though. Moving nearer to the gunman exposed us to his line of vision. Besides, the grass was thinner in his direction, and since it was our only cover at the moment, we become more vulnerable with each step we took closer to him.

"Okay this is close enough," I murmured. Brooke moved to my left, mirroring the prone position I was in. "Get ready. If I miss, the gunman will know our location." I gave her a meaningful look. "He can only target one of us at a time. Run to the forest as fast as you can and save Talia."

Her face fell. "What about you? I can't leave you here. I love you!"

I gave her an encouraging smile. "Don't worry. I'll be right behind you. Now let's do this." Moving to a kneeling position, I placed the rifle just in front of me and stared at the scope. The gunman who was partially hidden by branches and leaves came to my view. Wishing that everything would work according to plan, I squeezed the trigger. At that moment, a strong gust of wind blew, making me miss the target. Bloody hell!