The arrow slammed into the carriage with a harsh thunk, embedding itself into the seat beside me.
Liona reacted on instinct.
"Get down!" Liona shouted, dropping her fruit paste and yanking me down before I even had a chance to react.
Another arrow tore through the opposite window, shattering the glass with a spray of shards.
Then a voice called from outside. "Step out of the carriage. Slowly."
I glanced at Liona. Her eyes met mine for a brief second—a flash of fear and caution passing between us.
I took a slow, measured breath, then lifted my arms, hands wide, and stood. Then slowly, I stepped out of the carriage into the open.
Liona hesitated for a moment before following, her movements careful. When she finally emerged, she held something in one of her raised arms, but I couldn't make out what it was in the dim light that penetrated the forest.
Waiting for us outside was a loose circle of tattered beastkin men, holding daggers that caught faint glimmers of light. Behind them were more figures perched like vultures—archers, their bows drawn, arrows nocked and aimed at us.
A figure stepped forward from between the men—shorter than the rest, but no less menacing.
"Looks like your road... stops here," he said, voice rough and amused. "Isn't that right... coachman?"
For a moment, there was silence.
Then the sound of footsteps grew louder behind us.
I didn't need to turn to know who it was.
"Yeah," the driver said as he came into view, hands settling casually near the hilt of his dagger. "You ain't going no farther than this."
Liona stiffened beside me.
She turned halfway toward him. "What are you—"
She caught herself, breath tightening. "What is the meaning of this?"
The driver scoffed.
"Don't you have eyes, ma'am?" he said, irritation bleeding into his tone. "Can't you see what's goin' on around you?"
I let out a short breath through my nose.
"Can't say I didn't see it coming," I muttered. "You fit right in. Whole place looks like one big family reunion of broke bandits."
A few of the men shifted. No one laughed.
The driver frowned and drew his dagger partway, metal catching the light.
"Sharp tongue you've got," he said, stepping toward me. "Wanna see which is sharper—your mouth, or my blade?"
"That's enough."
The word landed hard, making the driver freeze. The leader didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.
The man's gaze swept over Liona and me, cold and calculating.
"You will remain silent until spoken to," he said evenly. "Anyone who doesn't comply…"
He tapped his dagger once against his palm.
"…dies where they stand."
The leader turned slightly. "Search the carriage," he said to the driver. "Take everything of value."
His eyes shifted to Liona. "You're going with him. You'll point out where you've hidden your things."
Liona's jaw tightened, but she didn't speak.
The leader added flatly, "If she tries to get clever—kill her."
He stepped forward and grabbed thick iron chains from one of the men. He fastened them around Liona's wrists first, then mine, before pulling Liona's chain tight, and dragging her back toward the carriage.
I didn't protest, or rather i couldn't.
Armed men were everywhere, and archers positioned farther back. The leader stood off to the side, watching everything patiently.
There wasn't a single opening—and even if there was, i wouldn't be able to do anything other than getting myself killed.
The driver shoved Liona into the carriage and the door slammed shut.
Silence followed.
I breathed slowly, forcing myself to think of something. Anything. My fingers flexed uselessly against the chain as my eyes remained fixed on the carriage.
Then—light exploded.
A blinding white flash burst outward, accompanied by a violent screech that seemed to drill straight into my skull. It was like a flashbang had gone off inside the carriage, disorienting everything around me.
I staggered a bit, my vision swimming as the sound echoed in the dense forest. Shouts followed—raw and startled—men cursing as they staggered back, their hands flying to their eyes.
Even through the ringing in my ears, I was sure—
This was Liona's doing.