The Crown cannot Help You

Chapter 30: The Plan

Lily stomped down on one of the arrows that had been scattered randomly throughout the grass.

She let out a loud laugh as it snapped underneath her foot before turning to face where the rest of them stood.

"It's so cute." Lily sang as she reached down to pick up the broken arrow. "Our little princess is learning how to shoot arrows."

She let out another laugh which Max decided to join.

"That's fine with me." Max hissed, stepping forward towards Lily. "It's more fun when they try to fight back."

At his comment, Lily's face seemingly lit up. She gave Max's shoulder a light shove as she playfully teased him. "Don't be such an animal, Stevens."

Flynn clenched his fists tightly, hiding his hands behind his back. "Yeah, Stevens, don't be such an animal." He repeated Lily's words in a much less playful tone. "As you know what we do with injured animals."

Max's face dropped at Flynn's comment, and he didn't even try to hide the anger that flashed in his eyes.

"It's doesn't matter," Tabitha stated loudly, quickly moving to put herself between Max and Flynn before Flynn decided to break their cover too early. "She still doesn't stand a chance against us."

"Us." Lily mindlessly repeated, dropping the arrow back to the ground. "Yes. She doesn't stand a chance against—us."

Tabitha frowned at Lily's resistance around Tabitha's attempts to reassure her that they were a team.

But before she could say anything, Flynn suddenly kicked another arrow. "She's not here."

Max let out a chilling laugh which made all three of them look in his direction. As they turned, Tabitha saw that Max was gripping a different arrow between his thumb and his index finger. He stared at it intently, twisting it around with a roll of his digits before looking up at them.

"No, I guess she isn't," Max said with another chuckle.

"Something funny?" Flynn immediately asked.

"No, there's nothing funny at all." Max snapped, his eyes not deviating from Flynn's.

"Well, sorry for bringing you out here, T." Lily piped up. "I truly thought she'd be here."

"That's okay, Lils."

"I don't know how we keep missing her." Lily continued, ignoring Tabitha. "It's like she's right under our noses, but we are just never in the right place at the right time."

"We'll get her," Flynn added, taking a step towards Lily as he intended to let her cling back onto him. He was more than happy to play into the role again, seeing as though Audelia's life was no longer in the balance.

Yet despite Flynn moving closer, Lily did not attempt to re-attach herself to him, something both Flynn and Tabitha immediately noticed.

"Yeah, I can keep helping if you want," Tabitha assured her. "Maybe we should spread out now and try to find her. She couldn't have gotten too f-"

"No," Lily yelled, cutting Tabitha off. "That's okay, T. You should probably go back to the inn." Lily proceeded in a sweeter tone.

Tabitha nodded slowly and watched as Lily gave her a large smile before grabbing onto Flynn's hand.

"If you're sure," Tabitha had already begun turning on her heels to head back. She desperately needed to warn Audelia that something was happening, and if she wanted a shot at giving Lily and Max a second chance, it was now or never.