Chapter 189
In the next second, Niamh’s smug expression vanished. Ela had yanked her scarf, and the force of the pull dragged Niamh down with her.
“Shit!” Niamh wanted to scream, but the sound barely escaped her throat..
She caught sight of the sheer determination in Elara’s eyes, and in an instant, every hair on her body stood on end. Elara wanted to drag her down with her!
“Ahhh!” Niamh’s shrick was muffled as the tightening scarf choked her, cutting off her breath.
She tumbled down the slope, losing all control as she rolled over and over before her body slammed into the rough terrain. Pain shot through her from every angle as the friction between her clothes and the ground scraped her skin raw.
But the worst part wasn’t the impact–it was the scarf around her neck that was twisting tighter and tighter, threatening to strangle her. Her mouth gaped open, and her entire face flushed an alarming shade of purple.
Finally, Elara’s grip on the scarf slipped. The fabric slid through her palm, leaving behind a painful burn that stripped away a layer of skin.
With her other arm wrapped protectively around Xavier, Elara landed a few feet below Niamh. One foot managed fo catch the edge of the dirt slope, stopping her descent, but her body remained precariously sprawled against the unstable ground.
They were on the verge of falling further. Ignoring the dust coating her face, she immediately looked down at the boy in her arms.
Xavier clung to her as his small frame trembled uncontrollably. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his lips remained completely silent even through the terrifying fall
“Xav, are you okay?” Elara’s voice was as soft as a whisper, like a delicate veil brushing against his face.
She tightened her grip around him. “Don’t be scared, Xav. T’s okay. I’ve got you. I’ll protect you.”
Curled up in Elara’s arms, Xavier’s long eyelashes quivered as he slowly opened his eyes. The stark contrast of black and white in his pupils reflected sheer despair and fear.
His small hands still clutched a handful of golden chanterelle mushrooms, the ones he had picked for Merida. He parted his lips, and his mouth moved slightly, but no sound came out.
Even so, Elara understood that he was trying to say that he was sorry. Even in a moment like this, with danger looming over him, Xavier’s deepest sorrow wasn’t for his own safety but for causing trouble for Elara.
Strands of dust–covered hair clung to Elara’s pale face, but her voice remained steady and warm. “I’ll get you back
up.”
“Ack! My foot!”
Above them, Niamh lay sprawled on the slope. Her body was wracked with spasms as pain spread through her like wildfire. It felt as if her entire skeleton had shattered.
But the worst of it was her ankle. It was twisted when Elara had yanked her down with her.
Niamh frantically loosened her scarf while gulping down air in desperate, ragged breaths. Her throat burned as if it was filled with sand, making even speaking an agony.
At that moment, a small head peeked over the edge of the slope. Beau’s eyes widened in shock when he saw
→25 BONUS
Chapter 189
Niamh sprawled below. “Niamhl What are you doing down here?”
Niamh clenched her teeth so hard she nearly cracked a molar. She had only meant to push Elara–she never thought she’d end up suffering for it too.
She yelled at Beau, “Pull me up! My ankle is twisted!”
Beau panicked. “I–I can’t pull you up! I’ll go get the doctor
The parent–child event had emergency medical staff stationed at the campsite.
Just then, Niamh’s gaze flickered downward to where Elara and Xavier were. Elara was still mobile. Was she planning to climb back up with Xavier?
Niamh had surveyed this terrain earlier. The mushrooms Xavier had picked had been deliberately placed on that slope by her and Beau
They had even scattered a thin layer of loose sand over the ground–just enough to make anyone who stepped on it slip.
Chapter 150
