ISLA KUNAY'S POV

I stood still in the forest. I was suddenly aware of my own breathing, of my own heartbeat. There was someone here. I could tell. I could hear their quiet footsteps. I could hear their hushed breathing, over my own.

They weren't trying to be heard. They were attempting to be silent. They, whoever they were, were failing.

The average person wouldn't have been able to hear them. The average person wasn't blind. I wasn't the average person.

The figure stepped through the trees. I turned to face them, glaring slightly. I was shifty, prepared to run.

"What do you what?" I hissed.

"Isla, it's me."

I froze, falling perfectly still.

"W-What do you want?" I repeated, stumbling for words for only a second. I didn't care it was him. He had made me leave. He made sentenced me to death.

"Isla don't be like this," Nicholis Strenam 

I clenched my fists, using his voice to pinpoint his location.

"Is Adyson with you?" I asked stiffly.

"Yes, she is," Nicholis admitted. I don't care that he wasn't lying.

"It isn't safe here. You can come back with us. Back with me," Nicholis tried to coax me.

"No."

"Oh, come on. Lets just leave her, she can die, we'll tell--" Adyson started.

"Shut up, Adyson!" Nicholis interrupted.

One.

My eyes widened, "Tell who? You guys aren't--! No..."

"Isla, it isn't what you think it is," Nicholis said, softly.

"You're working with Her! You--"

"No! Isla it isn't that!"

"Then, how do you know who I'm talking about!" I snapped, tears beginning to form in my eyes.

"Isla!" Nicholis stepped closer. A felt his hand touch my shoulder warmly.

"Don't touch me, you--" I hissed, forcefully pushing Nicholis' hand off of me. The tears were gone, replaced by anger.

"Well, you're coming with us. Whether you want to or not." Adyson's voice said, suddenly right in front of me.

Two.

"W-What?" I asked, trying to sound intimidating, and failing.

Nicholis was silent for a moment.

"You have to Isla..." Nicholis finally said.

"You want me to die for your lives..." I finally realized. They obviously weren't doing this because they want to. They were doing this because Zaila was forcing them to. Zaila would easily kill them if they didn't cooperate. 

"Isla..." Nicholis was at a loss for words. He came up with, "I'm sorry."

"You're not sorry..." I mumbled under my breath, "You're not sorry at all..."

Three.

Suddenly, a pair of hands were grabbing me. And dragging me against my will.

"Let go of me!" I snapped angrily. 

"No." Adyson's voice said plainly. 

It wasn't her pulling me though.

I struggled to get out of Nicholis' grasp, but he was stronger than me. I tried dragging my feet, but he pulled me along anyways.   

"Nicholis!"

Nicholis didn't say a word. I knew he didn't want to do this. If only I could get through to him. I knew he could hear me, but he was tuning me out.

I thought about what might happen if Zaila got her hands on me. I thought about a way to get through to Nicholis.

With a minute of effort, I felt tears forming in my eyes. Part of me felt they were fake, and part of me felt like they were real.

I had always been good at making myself cry. I used it to get pity, but as I started getting older it didn't work as well as it did when I was nine years old.

I sniffed loudly, attempting to get Nicholis' attention.

"Nicholis...please...don't let her get me..." I said quietly, sniffing again.

Nicholis didn't stop walking.

I had tears streaming down my face. I was crying now.

"Nicholis... please... I don't want to die..." I was begging. I really didn't want to die. I was just a poor, frail girl with a cruel hunter...