Gaia Evans trudged up the worn path, scowling as she kicked a stone across the dirt.
She hated the woods.
The girl would much rather be training new recruits at the rebel camp, but she hadn’t gone on a mission for nearly a year now. She needed some excitement and yearned to see something other than the drab, grey walls of her tent.
It wasn’t enough to fight in the background and try to destroy the government from the inside. Isla - the Uniques’ General and promised Queen of the New Era- had assured her that they would see some action soon, but the girl doubted it. Gaia had been living in a secluded area in the middle of a hidden island for too long. She was thirsty for blood - all the rebels were - and she couldn’t wait to see the government’s downfall.
But, Isla had warned that they would have to be patient. ‘Baby steps’, she had said. So, the rebels found other ways to satisfy themselves. Some picked up nursing or farming, others worked in the factories or helped out with the many chores at the camp.
Gaia had found a love for archery. She brushed a hand against her cloth sheath slung over one shoulder and fingered the soft shaft of an arrow lovingly. There was something about the string of the bow strung tight against her cheek and exhilaration of watching the deadly point fly towards its target. She had a talent for it too and she supposed her skills with the arrows was the only reason she had kept her rank. She had expected to be thrown out or at least demoted after her devastating failure.
She winced at the memory of her last mission. She had been sent into the castle disguised as a servant in hope that she would be able to steal confidential documents. It had not gone well. Something had gone wrong. Someone had sold them out. She had narrowly escaped and security had tightened, making it harder for the rebels to try again.
She had lost something personal too. Her heart squeezed at the thought of her accomplice. Her best friend.
Ash hasn’t been so lucky. They had been separated in the chaos and he had been captured. He was most likely dead. Possibly imprisoned in one of the castle towers. She hoped it was the prior - capture was a fate worse than death.
It hurt to think about and Gaia shut out the memory, focusing on her current mission. Isla had sent her to one of the safe houses bordering the North Woods. She was supposed to report to Frank Bridges to help with one of the Unique rescues. To her knowledge, the man hadn’t been warned that Gaia was coming to help. Isla said that he was stubborn and determined to do things himself, and that he would have refused the offer.
Isla had been so worried for the man’s well-being that Gaia hadn’t hesitated to volunteer to help him out. The girl had long suspected that the General had a soft spot for Frank.
It had been a long journey from The Azure Isles all the way to Imogen. One of the rebels had used his powers to teleport Gaia across the ocean, but she was on her own for the rest of the trip. She had taken a carriage into the woods until it had become too rocky to travel by wheels and then decided to walk the few miles left. If she kept at the same pace, she should reach the safe house in under a couple of hours.
Gaia wiped the sweat beading on her forehead and glared at the harsh sun beating down on her. It was much easier to travel by the cool air of night, but Gaia didn’t like how she couldn’t see her surroundings in the darkness.
Gaia rolled her shoulders back and rubbed at her aching neck. She lifted the heavy pack strapped to her back for a second to relieve the pressure. She had stuffed most of her meager belongings into the backpack, not knowing when she could go back home. Most of the stuff was food and necessities for the trip, but she had packed one of her own possessions. A picture of her mother that she had stuck into a locket that Isla had given to her on her thirteenth birthday.
The girl wasn’t big on jewelry, but she did love the silver necklace. She didn’t like how tight the chain was around her neck, however. She supposed it reminded her too much of her past - especially with the photograph of her mother inside.
The woman had left her when she was five, but sometimes she could remember tiny bits and pieces of her. Their relationship was confusing and complex and thinking about it made Gaia’s head hurt. But, it hardly mattered now that she was dead.
Gaia felt her heart squeeze at the thought of the loss. It was strange. Her mother had never been more than a stranger to her. It didn’t make sense to grieve a loss she barely had a connection to.
Shaking her head, Gaia pushed it out of her mind. Another reason why she hated the woods. There was nothing better to do than dwell on her thoughts. Though it was different from what Gaia was used to, she had found that she didn’t quite enjoy it. She had learned early on to stuff her emotions and feelings deep inside where no one would be able to find them. She couldn’t show weakness. It was the first step to surviving this bitter world.
She ran a hand through her thin, auburn hair and frowned as she came to a crossroad. She glanced at the two paths and then back at the sign standing in front of the separation. The messy scrawl on the thin wood was impossible to make out and Gaia bit her lip.
The sudden noise of a wagon made the decision for her and Gaia quickly headed down the opposite path. She heard a howl and then a shout, followed by the crack of a whip.
Her heart sank as she glanced over her shoulder. She had thought that she had made it far enough that anyone in the wagon wouldn’t see her, but the horse-drawn cart was headed quickly towards her.
Gaia forced herself to take deep breaths. They didn’t know anything about her. They didn’t know she was a rebel. She didn’t have a reason to run away and they didn’t have a reason to chase her.
The girl jumped as she heard a growl. A tan-coloured dog had run ahead of the wagon and had crept up silently behind her.
She had no doubt that it was the hunters’ scouting animal. There had been rumours that the beasts could detect Uniques through their blood, and though Gaia didn’t believe them, her breath caught in her chest at the thought of capture.
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“Easy,” she whispered, clucking her tongue. “Easy, boy.”
The dog merely bared its teeth and advanced on her. Gaia slowly backed away, drawing an arrow.
“Get back here!”
The dog’s ears flattened against its furry head and it whimpered as one of the hunters started to run towards them. The girl’s first instinct was to shoot the hunter, but she held her ground and kept the bow steady, not knowing if she should aim at the dog or the man.
The hunter’s eyes narrowed as he saw her and Gaia didn’t miss how his hand went to his pocket, where she was certain a weapon of some sorts was stored.
He stared her dead in the eye as he picked up the dog, who cowered in the man’s hold. The girl couldn’t help but feel pity for the small animal. She couldn’t imagine what the man had done to it to make it whimper at the mere presence of him.
“You’re good now. He’s not going to attack.”
Gaia ignored the hunter’s words and remained in her aggressive stance. She bit her lip as the hunter moved towards her.
“Drop your weapon.”
She hesitated and locked eyes with the man. After a moment of tense silence, she slowly lowered the bow.
“I’m sorry, sir. The dog scared me, that’s all.”
She would much rather insult and stab the tall man before her, but she held her tongue and forced herself to be polite. It wouldn’t be wise to get the man angry.
He stared at her for a second and then nodded. “A young maiden like you shouldn’t be alone in these parts. Who knows what could happen.”
Gaia swallowed. “I’m perfectly capable of defending myself, but I appreciate your concern.”
She could see a flicker of anger pass in the man’s eyes and she silently cursed to herself. He was getting suspicious.
“Where are you going?”
“Imogen. I have an apprenticeship in the city.”
“Where are you from?”
“Cadence.”
“You’ve been walking that far?”
“No, sir. A friend drove me a few miles into the woods. I only started walking a few hours ago.”
The lies came easily. Gaia had years of experience. But, this man was smarter than most of the hunters. She could tell that he wasn’t fully convinced with her story and she was scared of what would happen if he decided not to believe her.
“You should come with us, rest your feet for a little bit. We’re also headed into the city.”
Gaia shook her head instantly. “I’m grateful for the offer, but I will be alright. I wouldn’t want to interfere with your journey.”
“It wouldn’t be a disturbance,” the hunter replied. “Come.”
By the man’s sharp tone, Gaia could tell that he wasn’t offering her a choice. He suspected that something was off. She hadn’t done a good enough job deceiving him. She knew that once she got into that wagon, she wasn’t getting out without cuffs slapped around her wrists.
“Again, I appreciate the offer, but I really should get going,” Gaia finally said. “Please, excuse me. It was a pleasure meeting you.”
“I’m not stupid,” the hunter growled. Gaia flinched as he grabbed her arm. “No one walks alone in the woods, especially not a young girl like you.”
“I wouldn’t have gone if I could have avoided it,” she replied, forcing herself to stay calm. “But, unfortunately, my parents are old and sickly. They have no one else. I have to make sacrifices and take risks to provide for them.”
“Why not seek a job closer to home?”
“I couldn’t find good enough pay. Believe me, I would stay with my parents if I could, but I’m sure you know that there isn’t a place as rich as Imogen.”
“You sure about that? I wouldn’t put it past you to be lying through your teeth. I have great instincts and they’re telling me right now who and what you really are.”
The girl stayed silent for a second before shaking her head. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re hinting at, sir.”
“Don’t play dumb!”
“I-”
“Where’d you get that bow?”
Gaia’s hand instinctively went to touch her glossy, wooden bow protectively. “It’s been in my family for centuries. It was passed down from-”
Her head snapped to the side as he slapped her. Her cheek stung, but she refused to let tears form in her eyes. She would not give the man the satisfaction of knowing that the blow hurt.
“Don’t lie to me, or you will regret the consequences.”
His breath was hot on her neck.
She felt her heart speed up.
His grip was too tight. He was going to hurt her. He wouldn’t stop till she was dead. She couldn’t move. She was vulnerable. She was a freak. She was nothing. She was no one.
Gaia shook her head and refocused on the man before her, refusing to let the memories of her past overwhelm her. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and opened them.
“I’m not going anywhere with a bastard like you.”
She spat in the man’s face before he could process her words and drove her leg up between his legs.
He buckled instantly and sank to the floor with a pitiful whimper. The dog in his arms tumbled out of his hold and onto the dirt path.
The hunter stared at the dog and then back at Gaia before sputtering in pain, anger clouding his face. “Get her.”
The mutt bared its teeth and snarled. It lunged at her, but Gaia had already turned around and started to flee down the path.
She risked a quick glance over her shoulder. The dog was gaining on her. Fast.
Gaia crouched behind the dense brush, where the animal would be sure to get thorns stuck in its paws, and held her breath, her chest heaving. The dog barked and stuck its wet nose into the leaves by her face. She bit her lip and drew an arrow, not knowing what else to do.
Her hands were slick with sweat as her fingers grappled with the bow until the string was tight against her cheek. She took a breath, her eyes narrowing on the target, and let the arrow fly.
Gaia closed her eyes, trying to block out the dog’s agonized cry before it went limp. She could hear the other hunters’ faint shouts as she jumped over the animal’s limp body and began running in the opposite direction before they could figure out what had happened.