THE WITCH HE WAS SENT TO KILL

Running With The Enemy

*Chapter 2: Running With The Enemy*

Rain.

Mud.

And the sound of my own ragged breathing.

I ran.

Lyra was ahead of me, her bare feet barely making a sound in the forest. Green magic flickered at her fingertips like she was lighting the path for both of us.

Behind us, I could hear them.

Doren. The squad. Shouting my name like a curse.

_Traitor. Traitor. Traitor._

The word hit harder than any spell.

“Stop,” I hissed, grabbing a tree to steady myself. Pain shot up my side.

One of Doren’s men had gotten a hit in before I rolled away. Silver magic. It burned.

Lyra skidded to a stop and turned. Her gold eyes went wide when she saw the blood soaking through my cloak.

“What did you do?” she whispered.

Not _thank you_. Not _why_.

Just shock.

“I told you to run,” I said through gritted teeth. “You should’ve kept going.”

“I did.” She stepped closer. Careful. Like I was still the monster from 10 minutes ago. “Then I heard them. And I came back.”

Liar.

Or maybe not.

The forest was too quiet now. Even the rain had slowed.

They were tracking us.

I pushed off the tree. “We have to move. If they catch us—”

“I know what happens if they catch me,” she cut me off. “They burn witches.”

Her voice didn’t shake. But her hands did.

Something twisted in my chest. Guilt?

I was the reason she was running. I was the reason she might die.

“Then don’t get caught,” I said. Harsh. Because soft would kill us both.

We ran again.

Ten minutes. Twenty. My side felt like fire. The silver magic was eating at me from the inside. Order magic. Designed to kill witches.

The irony wasn’t lost on me.

Finally, Lyra ducked behind a massive fallen log. She pulled me down with her.

“Here,” she panted. “They’ll lose the trail in the water.”

A stream cut through the forest, black in the moonlight.

Smart.

I collapsed behind the log. The pain was worse now. I could feel it spreading.

Lyra looked at me. Really looked.

Then her eyes dropped to my side.

“You’re hurt,” she said. Obvious.

“Silver,” I grunted. “It’ll pass.”

Lie.

Silver magic didn’t pass. Not without a healer.

She hesitated. I saw the war in her face.

This was the man who walked in to kill her.

This was the man who whispered _run_ instead.

“The Order taught you that witches are evil,” she said quietly. “Why did you let me go?”

“Because you were healing a child,” I said. “Because the Order would’ve let him die.”

I met her eyes. “Because I’m tired of being wrong.”

Her breath caught.

For a long second, neither of us moved. Rain dripped from the leaves above. Somewhere far off, I heard Doren yell my name again. Closer now.

Lyra made her decision.

She crawled to me, ignoring the mud soaking her dress. Her hands hovered over my wound. Green light started to glow.

“Don’t,” I said. “If they sense your magic—”

“I don’t care,” she whispered. “You saved me. The least I can do is keep you alive.”

Her hands touched me.

Heat.

Not burning. Healing.

Emerald light sank into my skin. The fire in my side dulled. The poison receded.

Her face was inches from mine. I could smell herbs and rain on her.

I could feel her pulse racing. Fear? Or something else?

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, voice low. “I was going to kill you.”

“Because you didn’t,” she said. Her eyes flicked to my lips for half a second. Then back to my eyes. “And because… you looked at me like I was a person. Not a monster.”

The magic stopped. She pulled back, exhausted. Healing took it out of her.

I sat up. The pain was gone. In its place was something worse.

Need.

“Thank you, Lyra Ashbrook,” I said. Using her name. Her real name.

She froze. “How do you—”

“I make it my job to know things about my targets,” I said. A ghost of a smile. “It’s rude not to.”

A twig snapped.

Both of us went still.

Boots. In the stream.

Doren’s voice, closer than before. “Spread out. He’s wounded. She’ll be trying to heal him.”

Lyra’s eyes went wide with panic.

I grabbed her hand. Her skin was still warm from the magic.

“Run,” I whispered again. Same word as before.

But this time, we ran together.

Her hand in mine.

Me, the warlock.

Her, the witch.

Both traitors now.

Behind us, Doren roared. “FIND THEM!”

We dove into the trees.

And for the first time in my life, I wasn’t hunting.

I was being hunted.

With a witch at my side.

*END OF CHAPTER 2*

CHAPTER 3 COMING SOON IN TWO DAYS TIME