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well tonight. Jackson had actually opened up to me about his life in the shadow world. But the walls were back up now.
    “Why bring me out here, then?” I asked. “Why kiss me and open up to me about your homeland if you don’t think there’s any hope for us? If you don’t think there’s something between us that’s worth fighting for?”
    “We should get home,” he said. He turned and walked off into the woods.
    “Jackson, I’m not purposely trying to make this difficult,” I said, trying to catch up. There was no worn path out here and the woods were thick. “I just don’t think we should sit around and wait for the inevitable. I think we should fight to find a way out.”
    “Is that what you think I’m doing?” he said, walking faster. “Just sitting around doing nothing?”
    “No, but I do think you’re still trying to do this alone,” I said. “I’m a part of this too, like it or not. I know you’ve carried this burden all by yourself for a long time and you haven’t found the answers yet, but that doesn’t mean-“
    “Shhh.” Jackson stopped abruptly and held his hand out, motioning for me to be still. His eyes grew wide and he snapped his head from side to side.
    I froze, instant fear paralyzing my limbs. I listened hard, but the only sounds I could hear were the crickets and frogs and the slight breeze whispering in the trees. On instinct, I looked up, searching the slivers of light for the flapping of crow wings. But the sky was empty.
    “What is it?” I said so quietly I hardly heard myself.
    If Jackson could really see in the dark, he had a huge advantage out here in the woods. If someone was here, he would be able to see them right?
    We stood together in perfect stillness. The forest around us seemed to move in circles and everywhere I turned my head, the shadows stretched out into infinite black.
    A twig snapped to my right and something whipped past my face so fast, I could feel the heat of it against my cheek. A bright arrow landed just a few feet away. Jackson grabbed my hand tight and pulled me forward.
    “Run!” he yelled.
    Beside us, purple flames spread out like waves. Footsteps sounded just behind me, and I pumped my legs faster. Thorns grabbed at my tights, ripping them to shreds. A scream lodged in my throat, and I tried to swallow down the fear. To push it deep down so that I could concentrate on running. On the warm, firm grip of Jackson’s hand as we ran.
    With no clear path, we dodged in and out of the trees, several arrows zipping off to the right or to the left. I couldn’t see the ground, but we were running so fast, I almost felt as though we were flying.
    In the back of my mind, I wondered if I should be trying to use my magic to defend myself. I could fly. Or go invisible. But both of those things took great concentration. I couldn’t do it. I was too afraid and there was no time to stop and collect myself.
    Jackson cursed, then leapt over a fallen branch. I didn’t see it fast enough. My shin slammed into the wooden barrier. I stumbled forward, losing my hold on Jackson’s hand as I reached my palms out to break my fall. Sharp pain shot through my ankle when I tried to stand, and I cried out. In the darkness, Jackson reached for me, but as I extended my hand, another arrow zipped between us, landing straight up in the ground.
    I scrambled backward, away from the heat of the flaming arrow. Another landed behind me with a thud, and I froze. More and more landed in succession, forming a box around me, pinning me to the spot. I stood, putting all of my weight on my uninjured leg, and turned in a circle as dark shapes emerged from the shadows. Six of them. All holding bows.

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    Purple ropes of light sprang forth from arrows on either side of my body. They whipped toward me, wrapping around my wrists three times. I struggled to yank myself free, but the bindings held tight, cutting deep into my wrists. I screamed Jackson’s name, but