Isla’s Escape Plan
Isla sat cross-legged on the small cot in the hut, her hands resting on her lap as she stared at Kael. He stood near the door, his body tense, his hand never straying far from the dagger at his side. The earlier encounter with the intruder had rattled him, but Isla could see the cracks forming in his confidence.
“You can’t keep me here forever,” Isla said, breaking the silence. Her voice was calm, but her eyes burned with determination.
Kael turned to her, his jaw tightening. “I can keep you safe.”
“Safe?” she repeated, her voice rising. “Kael, you’re delusional if you think this is about my safety. You’re trying to control me—again.”
Kael flinched, but his expression quickly hardened. “You don’t understand. Draven will destroy you. He’ll use you until there’s nothing left.”
“And yet I chose him,” Isla snapped. “I chose him over you because he’s strong. Because he doesn’t lie to me or betray me.”
Her words cut deep, and Kael’s face twisted with anger. “You think he’s better than me? You don’t know what he’s capable of, Isla. You’re just a pawn in his game.”
Isla stood, her body trembling with rage. “And what am I to you, Kael? A trophy? Something to lock away when it doesn’t go your way? If you really cared about me, you’d let me go.”
Kael stepped closer, his voice low and dangerous. “I can’t let you go.”
Isla’s breath hitched, but she forced herself to stand her ground. “Then you don’t love me,” she said quietly. “You’re just afraid of losing.”
The silence that followed was deafening. Kael stared at her, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to control his emotions. Finally, he turned away, his hands gripping the edge of the table so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Isla’s mind raced. She needed to act, and quickly. If Kael wouldn’t let her go willingly, she would have to find another way. Her eyes flicked to the window, the sliver of moonlight reminding her of the freedom just beyond these walls. But she couldn’t do it alone—she needed a distraction.
Her voice softened, calculated. “Kael,” she said gently, stepping closer to him. “You’re right. Maybe I don’t understand everything. But if you want me to trust you again, you have to trust me too.”
Kael turned his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying,” Isla said carefully, “if you really want to protect me, you’ll take me somewhere safer. Somewhere Draven won’t find us.”
Kael studied her, suspicion flickering in his gaze. “And why would you agree to that now?”
Isla forced a small smile. “Because maybe I’m starting to believe you,” she said, her voice soft but steady. “But not here. This place isn’t safe—not after what happened earlier.”
Kael’s eyes darkened, but he nodded slowly. “Fine,” he said. “We leave tomorrow night.”
