Chapter 214

Bound to the Ruthless Elven Prince

Chapter 66 Chapter 66: Specters and arrows

Prince River

I had lost track of how long I had been running. The belladonna lingered thick in my blood, dulling my senses and smothering the sweef power that had always answered my will. I reflexively tried to summon it, as if reaching for a sword that was no longer there, but found nothing. The emptiness was more devastating than fear; it was humiliating. Without my sword or my power, I was little more than human, running from figures that did not belong in this world. I had spent days trying to understand those figures, but I never gained any knowledge. Judging by how things were going, that knowledge would come far too late.

I could not see them, but I could feel them. They were a constant presence, like a breath that was not my own.

I was afraid to eat anything in this forest where these creatures breathed and moved. I found no water, only anguish, loneliness, and urgency. I ran, searching for a place to hide. After a few moments, I found peace, my body already accustomed to sensing the specters. I moved an inch and could tell if they were far or near. They were looking for me.

Branches tore at my skin, and the pain came late, delayed by the poison. When it arrived, it burned with a sickening intensity. Dawn brought no relief. It was a gray, diseased light that only exposed me. I hid in a low, damp cave, my chest tight, telling myself that a prince does not tremble, though my body refused to listen. I had never imagined myself so vulnerable. At times, I wondered if anything of me would remain after seventy-two hours. Whether I would even make it a few hours more.