Anastasia (The Bolton Series Book 1) by Heaven Lyanne Flores

pointing at but failed. Arabella quickly painted his face with frosting startling him and causing him to fall backwards onto the grass.
    We all erupted in laughter. The sound was beautiful in my ears. I rarely had the chance to hear it now a days so I cherished it when I could.
    The next few hours went by quickly. Arabella and Emilie kept everyone occupied with playing games and making jokes that we barely noticed when the sun had started to set. We hastily packed away our things and saddled the horses before we made the way back to the palace.
    The walk was peaceful in the cool air. The only sound came from the horses as they walked down the path. It was a little odd though. No sound came from the other animals that usually filled the air with their music.
    “Yelson, does something feel off to you?” I asked him when I saw him looking around as well.
    “It’s like you read my mind.” He motioned for everyone to stop as he looked around. Nothing seemed to be hiding behind the thick tree line but I could not shake of the feeling that something was wrong. It felt as if someone’s eyes were on me but as we looked into the forest around us no one was there.
    “Maybe we should keep going,” Emilie whispered in a scared voice. Her eyes moved franticly around. She could sense the same thing we did and she did not want to face it.
    “She’s right. We are almost back to the palace anyhow.” Weldon motioned for his horse to start walking without waiting for Yelson’s reply. Emilie followed him with Arabella in tow. Yelson still looked into the forest trying to see something that was not there.
    “Yelson?” I asked him when he didn’t move to follow the others. His face looked strained as he tried to look for something that wasn’t there.
    Without a word, he continued down the path. I knew we both were feeling the same sense of uneasiness but Weldon and Emilie were right. We were close to the palace, which was our safe place. If we got there, we would not have to worry about it anymore.
    A high-pitched scream echoed around the trees coming from in front of us. The other half of the group had already turned a corner on the path so we could not see but it had to be them. Without hesitation, Yelson and I motioned for our horses to run towards the sound.
    Emilie was sitting by a tree emptily staring into the forest. Blood gushed out of a gash on her left arm, bleeding into her shirt. Weldon and Arabella were nowhere in sight and all three horses were gone.
    “Em, what happened?” I asked getting off Mary. I ran to her side and gently checked on the cut. It was a small gash but deep, like a stab wound. Yelson took off his jacket and pressed it to her arm. I was about to tell him to heal it for her but he would just cause her more pain. That was the last thing he wanted to do to Emilie.
    “Where are Weldon and Arabella?” Yelson’s said threw closed teeth. His eyes scanned the area while he kept pressure on the wound.
    Emilie shook her head back and forth. Her purple eyes were glued to the forest. “I-I don’t know. T-they came out of nowhere. Grabbed Arabella off her horse. Weldon ran after them. I-I didn’t know what to do.”
    “Shh, Emilie it’s okay.” I pushed back her purple hair, wiped away the tears that were on her cheeks, and helped her up to her feet. “Okay you need to go back to the palace. Come on.”
    I guided her to Mary. I helped her on and told her to run home.
    “You are going too.” Yelson grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me onto his horse.
    “No,” I replied to him. “Not until we find them.”
    Mary ran off toward the house and I motioned for his horse to follow leaving Yelson and me alone once again. His gray eyes pierced into mine showing me how enraged he was for my staying. It didn’t matter to me, I was not about to leave him alone out here with who knows what trying to get us.
    “You stay by my side,” Yelson ordered before turning around and entering the forest where Emilie