24. The Rising Storm
The shrine was silent, save for the ragged breathing of Yue Rin and Ao Ling. The metallic scent of blood lingered in the air, mixing with the damp earth beneath them.
Yue Rin pressed harder against Ao Ling's wound, her fingers slick with blood. The fabric she had used to stop the bleeding was soaked through, but there was no time to find better medical supplies.
"Stay awake, Ao Ling," Yue Rin murmured, her voice tight with urgency.
Ao Ling's eyelids fluttered, her breathing uneven. "You should have let me fight alone," she whispered, her voice weak but stubborn.
Yue Rin let out a humorless chuckle. "And let you die? Not a chance."
She could still hear the distant echoes of footsteps retreating into the forest. Han Feng had fled, but he wouldn't stay gone for long. The Emperor's enforcer was relentless—his failure tonight would only fuel his determination to capture them.
"We need to move," Yue Rin muttered, glancing toward the shrine's entrance. The shadows beyond felt alive, waiting, watching.
With a grunt of effort, she lifted Ao Ling onto her back. The woman was lighter than she looked, her frame weakened by blood loss.
"Hold on," Yue Rin said.
Then she ran.
The forest was a blur of motion as Yue Rin pushed forward, dodging low-hanging branches and uneven ground. The weight on her back slowed her, but she refused to stop.
She could feel the storm brewing—the Emperor's forces wouldn't let them escape so easily.
Suddenly, the faint glow of torchlight flickered ahead. Yue Rin skidded to a halt, pressing herself against the rough bark of a nearby tree. Her breath came in short bursts as she listened.
Low voices. Armor shifting. The distinct click of a crossbow being loaded.
They were waiting.
Her jaw clenched. Damn it.
She lowered Ao Ling carefully against the base of the tree, tapping her cheek lightly. "I need you to stay awake," she said. "No dying, got it?"
Ao Ling managed a faint smirk. "I make no promises."
Yue Rin stood, unsheathing her blade. She could hear the soldiers murmuring among themselves.
"The General was injured."
"Orders are to bring them in alive. The Emperor wants to make an example of them."
Yue Rin's grip tightened on her sword.
Alive?
That meant they were in for something worse than death.
A soldier stepped forward, unaware of Yue Rin's presence just beyond the trees. His torch flickered, casting eerie shadows along his face.
Yue Rin moved.
Fast.
She burst from the darkness like a phantom, her sword slicing through the man's throat before he could even cry out. His body crumpled, torch falling to the ground, embers scattering.
The other soldiers barely had time to react before she was upon them.
She dodged a wild swing, ducking low before ramming her sword into another man's gut. His scream was cut short as she yanked the blade free, spinning just in time to deflect an incoming attack.
Three more.
Yue Rin pivoted, knocking one soldier's sword aside before driving her elbow into his jaw. He stumbled back, dazed.
The second man lunged.
She sidestepped, using his momentum against him as she tripped him forward, slamming her knee into his spine.
The third soldier, realizing the odds, hesitated.
Yue Rin didn't give him a chance to decide.
She surged forward, her blade flashing in the firelight. The soldier raised his sword to block, but she feinted at the last second, driving her weapon into the gap between his shoulder armor.
He gasped, eyes wide with shock before he crumpled.
Silence.
Yue Rin exhaled, wiping her bloodied blade against her sleeve. She turned back to Ao Ling, who was barely conscious.
"We need to keep moving," she murmured.
But before she could lift Ao Ling again, the distant sound of galloping hooves sent ice through her veins.
More were coming.
And this time, there would be no escape.
Yue Rin tightened her grip on her sword, eyes blazing with defiance.
"If they want a war," she muttered, "then I'll give them one."