“We can’t wait for them to corner us, either.” Whoever they were.
I gave him a final, measured look, then turned and ran. Hair clung to my face and neck. My legs burned nearly as much as my lungs.
Another trail, paved with mud and dead leaves, veered off our current path, and we followed the curve into a more densely wooded area. Footsteps thudded behind us, louder with each step.
At first, my heart pounded more from fear than exertion, but soon my whole body ached. Fear could propel me no further.
I leaned forward with hands on knees, sucking in huge gulps of air. “Have…to…stop.”
My heart was nearly bursting in my chest. Moonlight pierced through the forest canopy, revealing gashes and lacerations staunched with mud. My stomach lurched, and I blocked my mouth with the back of my wrist.
“Please, Sophia, we must continue.”
“I can’t.”
Charles bounced on his toes, looking in every direction. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
I took a couple steps toward where he had retreated into darkness. “Hey!” I hissed. “Where are you going?”
The noise of pursuit ripped through the forest. Trees blocked my vision. I leaned back against a tree until the bark dug into my flesh. I pressed my lips together so no sound would escape.
Why had I followed him? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
A twig snapped somewhere behind me. Footsteps shuffled closer. Maybe my pursuer couldn’t see me. I held my breath, fighting to stay silent, but I trembled, and my dress rustled against the tree.
“You’re far too pretty to hide.” My pursuer had a deep, masculine voice. A familiar voice.
Shit.
A short ways forward, trees parted to another path. I ran for it and squeezed through. The hem of my dress caught on something. I was stuck.
My pursuer stood on the other side of the natural barrier, his eyes aglow and his gaze fixed on me. Over a foot taller than me and three times my size in muscle mass, there was no way for him to squeeze through.
He pulled on one of the trees, and it uprooted slightly. What the—who the hell was strong enough for that?
One look at his face gave me my answer.
Cody.
As I yanked my dress, he reached through and grabbed at the black silk hem.
“There you are,” he said.
I shook my head, trying to free my dress from his firm grasp as he pulled me closer. My feet shuffled in an effort not to get too close, but another hard tug from him made me tumble forward. My forearms shot out to protect myself from being pulled back through space between the trees.
When he reached through with his other hand, I saw my chance to reach down and give my dress another hard yank. The fabric ripped, leaving behind the swatch he firmly clutched in his hand.
I backed away and turned to run. A protruding root tripped me. I crashed into another tree but remained upright. My feet throbbed with each step, stinging as more rocks and debris shredded my skin.
Cody stepped out from behind a tree in the path ahead. I screamed, stopping so fast that I nearly fell forward.
He took a few calculated steps, but I didn’t let his slow advance stop me from scanning for a way out. A guttural vibration rumbled in his chest as he stalked ever closer. I couldn’t make out his features beyond his shadowy eyes and twisted smile.
I stumbled back, and my arm scraped against a tree as I sunk to the ground. Blood trickled between my knuckles.
He flashed his teeth. His eyes were completely black, and two of his top teeth extended with a sharp snap. He ran his tongue across one of them, and I nearly choked as I gasped.
Frantic, I tried to see the ground through the fog, but it was useless. My hands fumbled until I grabbed a heavy branch. He lunged. I jumped to my feet and swung. He stopped the blow mid-swing and caught my wrist with his other hand. My wrist crushed in his grasp, and I cried out sharply as the bone cracked. Shattered. Shards stabbed like needles beneath my flesh, the pain darkening my vision.
He released me, and I collapsed. I couldn’t hold back the scream or the flood of tears. I shook violently and vomited. Wiped my mouth with the back of my uninjured wrist. My throat burned. Bitter, acidic fluid coated my tongue and teeth.
“Don’t do this.” The words choked out. “I won’t say anything…just let me go.”
An unnatural smile curled the corners of his mouth. He hovered over my crumpled form. “Doubt it, Blondie.”
A shuddering pain worked into my lungs. Then, suddenly, the man’s already pale flesh became translucent, all remnants of color draining from his face. A large bird—an eagle?—swooped down, and my attacker jumped back.