The Cursed Alpha’s Unwanted And Powerless Luna

The Escape

Chapter 17: The Escape

The word of Annabelle’s bounty spread across every tavern, village and outlaw in the kingdom.

Bounty hunters, mercenaries,cutthroats and desperate men began flocking the north in search of Annabelle all seeking the same prize, Annabelle’s head.

They all fought against each other just to get the bounty on Annabelle’s head, which led to the loss of many lives.

The news of the scramble for Annabelle’s head pleased Clara, letting out an evil, cold laugh “very soon sweet sister, very soon”.

At the convent other nuns secretly planned to also get the bounty, talkless of the mother superior. They planted poison, death traps all just to kill Annabelle.

Ember and sister Agnes tried their best to protect her from the danger within but the danger coming was more terrifying .

Sister Agnes devised an escape for Annabelle and Ember, but to their surprise the danger was already at their doorstep.

A group of six hardened hunters arrived at the convent gate at dusk. Their leader was a scarred merciless brute, Dorian.

He was known as a merciless brute who showed no mercy. Amongst his gang there was a hacker, a poisoner, two swordsmen and a silent archer.

They arrived at the convent disguised as pilgrims seeking shelter from the storm that’s what they told mother superior.

She let them in, though she was suspicious but couldn’t refuse hospitality to to travelers. She let them stay the night.

But unbeknownst to her, they already scouted the convent walls and marked Annabelle’s cell.

Ember sensed them before anyone else, growled in a low tone and his fur bristled. Annabelle who was now trained to read his signals understood something was wrong.

“What is it boy? What do you smell?” She whispered. His growl was like a distant thunder.

At midnight the strike began. The bounty hunters made their move, the poisoner slipped sleeping herbs into the nuns evening tea.

Making them fall fast asleep and unaware of what was happening. The tracker led the swordsmen through the servants corridor leading to Annabelle’s room.

The archer took his position on the chapel roof, arrow nocked watching for anyone who dared to escape.

A young nun sister Beatrice, who had betrayed Annabelle weeks ago to the mother superior, woke up to the sound of footsteps along the corridor.

She opened the cell door to investigate but was unexpectedly knocked down with her body falling down on the corridor motionless.

Ember hidden in the dark saw everything that happened, carefully monitored their movements like a prey.

As they approached Annabelle’s corridor he pounced on one of them, tore into the man, knocking him down with a vicious bite. The man screamed out from the endless pain.

The element of surprise was no longer an item and Annabelle woke up to the chaos. Alert and ready to fight, she rose up from her bed.

Her hands already glowed with a faint heat and when the second bounty hunter burst in front of her door, she raised her palm and sent a blast of scorching air into his chest.

Which sent him flying miles disappearing away into walls leaving him motionless. Sister Agnes came running into Annabelle’s cell with a little cut on her forehead.

Grabbing Annabelle’s arm “There’s no time. Follow me. There’s a passage beneath the crypt, an old smugglers tunnel. It leads to the forest”.

Sister Agnes led Annabelle and Ember through the chaos,past fallen nuns,past burning candles and the antagonizing screams of the fight.

She knew every corner of the convent, every hidden door, every secret path as she had familiarized herself with them for a long time.

At the entrance of the crypt, Dorian attacked them, blocked their path with his sword drawn and a wicked smile on his face.

“I’ve been looking for you and your dog my lady. I’ve looked forward to this moment” he said to Annabelle.

Just as he was about to grab Annabelle, sister Agnes steps between them, blocking his path.

Though old, frail and unarmed, she didn’t flinch but stared directly into his eyes. She whispered a prayer.

Then a chant that sent Dorian flying backwards as if pushed by an invincible force.

The spell drained her, she collapsed to the ground with her heart failing. Annabelle caught her “no! No you can’t! Come with us! .

Sister Agnes smiled” I’ve been waiting for years for a reason to fight back. Go, child. Live and when you face Clara do not hesitate “.

She pressed a small pouch into Annabelle’s palm and closed her eyes.

Ember nudge Annabelle, whining urgently. The bounty hunters were coming and she didn’t have the time to grieve.

She took the pouch sister Agnes gave her, kissed her forehead and ran with all her strength.

Annabelle and Ember descended into the crypt, through a door hidden behind the altar into a narrow tunnel carved into a cliff by itself.

The walls of the tunnel dripped of saltwater , the floor slick of moss with the only source of light coming from Annabelle’s glowing hands.

As they reached the mouth of the tunnel, an arrow flew past Annabelle’s ear. The archer at the top of the roof had spotted them.

For the first time ever, Ember barked at him and was about to lunge towards him but Annabelle pulled his collar and moved forward .

“No we don’t fight. We run. We survive. That’s how we win” she whispered. She raised her hand and sent a wave of heat back through the tunnel.

The entrance collapsed behind them and the archers scream was cut off by a falling stone.

They both succeeded in escaping but found themselves in the frozen forest. The wind howled. The snow fell in thick sheets.

The convent burnt behind them with orange flames licking the sky but Annabelle didn’t turn she only whispered “we’re not done. We’re only beginning”