The Untold Forest by Elisa Menz (web ebook reader txt) 📗

small oil lamp, which she lit when she encountered no guards in the vicinity. When the heat of the fire warmed her face, the echo of heavy chains moving in the darkness paralyzed her with dread. Her breathing quickened.

Maeve gripped the lamp to prevent it from shaking. She could still leave. Walk away and forget about him. Be safe back in her bed.

“What the hell am I thinking?” she said for the last time before taking a step into the shadows.

The dim light shaped the man who sat motionless on the other side of the bars. His eyes held a spectral glow that froze her blood, but she discovered a note of curiosity in the half-breed’s gaze.

Hakken

Lying on the filthy bunk, he stared at the little girl approaching with caution, despite her apparent fear. He analyzed her, looking for some sign of danger. Nothing in her appearance made him think the girl came to hurt him. Are all human children this reckless? What was she doing down there?

The lamp light flashed in her frightened eyes. She was alone. Unprotected. She had to know her life was hanging by a thread, approaching him so foolishly. To his surprise, she didn’t turn away, and instead, she searched her pockets until she found a piece of metal.

She placed the lamp on the floor before kneeling in front of the cell door. Her deep, measured breaths revealed her discomfort.

Hakken couldn’t understand what she hoped to accomplish. Locked in that cubicle, chained against the wall and with his leg still trapped by the ridiculous trap, he posed no threat as long as no one had the stupid idea of coming close. Odd one, this kid. He thought.

His interest only intensified as he observed her delicate face grimacing with concentration. Her frown, her tight lips. She manipulated the piece of metal, digging into the door lock.

Did she want to open the cell?

No doubt, the child was stupid or crazy.

After a moment of working the lock, he heard a loud CLAC in the cell that startled the girl. Her concentrated face relaxed for a few seconds with a brief smile, and Hakken couldn’t hide his grin. What a cute little thing.

Despite having her head covered with that ugly hood and being so pale and skinny, there was no denying she would grow up to become a beauty. The mysterious girl intrigued him, so he decided not to kill her at the moment and see what other surprises she had in store for him. It had been years since he had fun.

Maeve

It had been years since the last time she forced a lock, and this one was rusty and covered in grime. She took longer than expected, but she had no time to dwell on the implications. The half-breed’s intense gaze made her already wavering confidence diminished. She ignored him, but focusing on the task at hand was easier said than done.

Once the lock gave in, echoing in the empty corridor, she couldn’t help to rejoice at the minor victory. Soon she realized the hardest part was yet to begin. Inch by inch, Maeve opened the gate, her muscles tense while she crept inside, not taking her eyes off him. The half-breed looked relaxed, amused even, and he didn’t move. She dared to advance until her entire body crossed the threshold. Failing miserably in controlling the violent tremors that shook her, she swallowed hard when she realized her mouth went dry. How did she expect to articulate a single word with her tongue stuck?

If she hoped to approach him and keep her life, she had to show him she meant to help—time to continue with the second part of her plan. After taking the bandages out of her pockets, Maeve pointed towards the injured leg. She had no response from the half-breed, so she cleared her throat. “I-I can take that thing... the trap, and heal you.”

Maeve held her breath, hoping he showed some kind of acknowledgment. The half-breed tilted his head, and a smirk appeared on his face. They stared into each other’s eyes for a few seconds, assessing. After a heartbeat, the half-breed pointed his leg and leaned back on the bunk. Maeve took the gesture as an invitation to approach.

“Breathe... be calm.” Her voice came out as a shaky whisper. She took the last steps towards the man and knelt, struggling to focus her attention on the trap and not on the deadly hand that rested on the injured leg. He could—without a doubt—crush her throat if he felt like it.

She placed the lamp nearby to illuminate the mechanism and pulled the knife from her pocket with a swift move.

But as she brought the blade into the light, the half-breed rose from his back and brought his face close to Maeve’s, looking at her with suspicion. He did not touch her, but she was so startled, she dropped the knife and covered her mouth with both hands to drown out a scream. Her body stiffened under his scrutiny, and for the first time, she understood her life was in terrible danger.

She couldn’t believe her stupidity! She had to get her bearings. Maeve removed her hands from her mouth, trembling, and raised her teary eyes to return his gaze.

“Please, trust me.”

Hakken

Why wouldn’t she run away? He didn’t understand her. A flash of light on her hand forced him to react out of instinct, and he straightened to face the girl. She trembled in fear, and tears gathered in her eyes.

Instead of screaming, begging for help, or running away, she remained still and asked him to trust her. Hakken couldn’t help his curiosity. He took the small knife and offered it to her. After taking one deep breath, she accepted it.

This close, he could not help noticing how small and delicate she was. As he waited for her to manipulate the trap, he drew near her to inhale her scent. A refreshing, pure perfume filled his nostrils.

In his youth, he watched human women from a distance, but he never imagined they would be