Targeted

Chapter Three

     ~Arabella~

     I tense when I hear them get closer and look around for a place to hide. I see a big tree across the trail and run towards it; I start climbing and only stop when I feel like I'm high enough up to not be seen. I look down and take deep breaths, trying to calm myself down.

     "How close are you to the target?" A deep voice says.

     "I'm getting close." The voice sounds familiar. Really familiar.

     "Well hurry it up, I want her gone." I tense at the words. That voice sounds familiar too, and annoying. There are two guys and one girl by the sound of it. One of the guys and the girl sound very familiar.

     "Hey, she's not going to be gone, she's going to be mine." My breath catches in my throat. I need to find out who they are.

     "Ugh, I don't know what you see in her. She stole Adrian from me." She sounds furious. I take a deep breath and release it silently. I have to get out of here.

     "Shut up, both of you. You'll both get what you want soon." The deep voice talks again. "We need to find a way for her to find out that her father really is dead." I hold in my gasp, so they were telling the truth, my father really is dead. Unsurprisingly, I'm not sad, I'm happy. I lived too long with his abuse. "You go find a guard and tell them, make sure to sound out of breath and scared, as if you were taken by the rebels and threatened. Got it?" I take deep breaths, trying to stay quiet.

     "Got it. Ok, we've been here too long. Guards could come at any time, you need to get out of here." 

     "I'll be back in a couple weeks, that's when we finish the plan." I hear leaves rustle as they all walk away. I stay in the tree for 10 more minutes until I feel it's safe to come down. As soon as I hit the ground, I start sprinting back to the castle, not stopping until I reach the gates. I see Adrian talking to a guard, looking worried. He turns and sees me running and runs to meet me halfway. He scoops me up in his arms and holds me to him tightly. I struggle to even my breathing and look up at him with wide eyes. He looks down at me, worriedly.

     "You were gone for three hours, Ara, what happened? Are you ok?" I shake my head and try to even my breathing enough to talk.

     "I was on...the trail. I was starting to come back, but I heard something..." I look up at him, fear showing in my eyes. "I heard rebels." His eyes widen, then narrow in anger. His jaw clenches as he takes deep breaths. "But that's not all. They were talking about a plan. There were two guys and one girl. One of the guys and the girl sounded really familiar, really familiar." I shudder as I think about what they said.

     "What did they say, Arabella?" I close my eyes and when I open them, tears blur my vision.

     "The guy said that I would be his, that he was going to take me from you," I whisper, looking down. Adrian slides his fingers under my chin and tilts my head up. Tears streak down my face as I look up at him.

     "And what did the girl say?" I swallow, anger consuming me when I remember her words.

     "She wants me dead, so she can have you to herself." Adrian clenches his jaw again as he tightens his grip on me.

     "No one is going to take you from me, no one." I nod and take a deep breath.

     "I know." He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down and pulls me to him again. I bury my face in his chest and tighten my arms around him. "Where are the kids?" I mumble against him.