For a second, I wished the earth would swallow me whole instead of letting the guards kill me. Fear crawled under my skin and made it hard to breathe.
I searched my mind for a way out of this hell, but none came. Thane was a huge disappointment. I had been a fool to believe he would choose me. He chose Kaida instead, just like she wanted. Just like he wanted. That truth hurt more than anything else.
Heavy footsteps and deep voices filled the room, pulling me out of my thoughts. I got up at once, my eyes moving around fast, searching for another way. I had to escape or die at the hands of the cruel people waiting outside the door.
My gaze landed on the small window. It was too high. There was no way I could jump and reach it. My heart sank as I looked around again, but there was no second option in sight.
The lock on the door began to turn, and panic rushed through me. Whatever I was going to do, I had to do it fast if I wanted to leave this cabin alive.
As I stepped back, my foot hit something solid. I turned and saw bags of grain stacked against the wall. It was a store room. I did not know why I had not noticed it before.
Without thinking, I climbed onto the bags. I stood on my toes and stretched with all my strength, grabbing the edge of the window. My fingers burned as I held on.
My hands ached and my knees shook from the strain, but I did not let go.
The door burst open, leaving me no time. A guard walked in with a torch and shouted that they had found me.
I pulled myself harder, one leg already outside while the other was still inside. I was almost free when the guard grabbed my leg. I struggled, trying to pull away, but he was stronger. Panic flooded me as more footsteps rushed into the room.
I had no choice. I went limp, acting like I had given up. Like I was ready to surrender.
He loosened his grip for just a second.
I pushed my foot against his face with all the strength I had and kicked him away. He cried out in pain, cursing as he held his face.
I did not look back. I jumped out of the window and ran straight into the forest.
I ran with everything in me, my lungs burning, my heart pounding, hoping to find a place to hide before they caught me. But deep down, I knew my prayers would not be answered.
As I ran, I wondered if there was any moon goddess or higher power listening to me at all. If there was, they had been silent for far too long.
********
I looked behind me and saw torches glowing just a few meters away. They were still hunting me, and from the number of lights, I could tell there were more of them now.
If that bastard Thane had not turned me in, I would have found a way to leave later without the guards noticing. It did not have to be like this. None of this had to happen.
I was about to force myself to run faster when I realized I had reached the end of the safe path of the Zazubat forest. One more step forward meant crossing into the deep and forbidden part.
Fear wrapped tightly around my chest, yet my feet did not stop. The air changed as I moved forward. The wind blew harder, and the trees whispered as though they were speaking to me, welcoming me into the danger ahead.
The guards were getting closer, and I knew I had to make a choice.
If I went deeper, I could be eaten by some wild animal or beast. But even that felt better than dying in the hands of those evil people. So I ran into the thick forest without looking back.
A sudden sound broke the silence. The loud cry of an owl echoed around me without warning. I stumbled and fell hard to the ground, pain shooting through my wrist as I landed badly.
I cursed under my breath. My body was already covered in bruises, but I did not care. Pain was the least of my worries right now.
The moon was not bright enough, leaving the forest almost blind. I could barely see anything, but I refused to stop running. Fear kept pushing me forward.
When I glanced back again, I saw that the guards had not given up. They had entered the forbidden forest too, moving slowly and carefully, like they feared something might jump out and drag them away.
"Help me, whoever is listening," I muttered, biting my lower lip. I had no idea where to go anymore. The forest grew darker with every step, heavier, like something unseen was calling out to me.
Suddenly, a deep and rough voice spoke from the shadows, almost making me lose my balance.
"What are you doing here?"
It was a man. When I looked up, I saw nothing but a dark shape standing before me.
"Please save me," I cried, not caring if he was a ghost or something worse.
Before I could search for his face, a cold shiver ran down my spine. A cold hand grabbed me and dragged me toward a huge tree with a thick bark, pressing my back against it.
He wore a black mask that hid most of his face. All I could see were his eyes, watching me closely. I could not tell if they were gray or blue, only that they made my heart pound
The rest of his face stayed hidden in the shadows.
Even though I was fucking scared, a part of me wanted to ask what he was doing in the forest at this hour. Before I could speak, he covered my mouth with his palm and pulled closer to me.
Damn. I had never been this close to any man before, not even that fool Thane. Just thinking about him made my stomach turn. He disgusted me now.
The guards were here. Their voices were loud and clear as they argued about where I could have gone. One of them, thinking he was smart, said I must be hiding nearby.
Seconds later, another pointed at the tree we were pressed against. He laughed and said they should check there for the little bitch.
"Fuck"
My savior cursed under his breath. His hand shifted on my mouth, his fingers parting my lips just a little, and before I could stop myself, a moan slipped out.
What the fuck?
I did not mean for that to happen.
He froze and stared at me. I wished I could see his face under that mask. I wanted to explain, to apologize, but he hushed me with a sharp sound and stepped back.
For a second, I wondered if he thought I was flirting with him. I was not. Not at all.
He reached into his coat and pulled out a knife. My heart skipped as fear tightened my chest. I swallowed hard, staring at the blade. Was he going to kill me?
"Wait here. I will handle them," he whispered, his voice so low it almost vanished.
He sounded sure, but I did not believe him. There was no way this guy could take down trained guards alone. This was not some fantasy book where a character wins without effort or weapons.
The moment he disappeared into the darkness, I knew I could not stay. I tore the edge of my dress on the edge of the tree, getting ready to run. I was certain he would not survive this.
I wished he would. He had helped me tonight, and that alone made him seem like a good person.
When I was done tearing the fabric, I folded the pieces and squeezed them in my hands so the guards would not notice anything strange.
I walked away quickly until panic set in. I had no idea which path to take anymore.
I was still trying to think when something struck the back of my head. Pain exploded, and everything went dark.
The last thing I saw was a shadow.