Page 5 of Draco

I peeked toward the actual door. It was a honey color that offset the natural cool colors of the stone and looked like a heavy oak piece. It was a work of art in its own right, but I had a feeling someone waited on the other side of it.

No way was I going to risk opening that door and getting caught. Instead, I walked toward the windows. As I approached, my stomach dropped to my toes. I was right in thinking we were in a cave. As I stared down into the abyss of water, I touched the glass door. It opened into a little deck with a table for two. On the little gray table, a single tall sprig of lavender poked out of a blue glass vase.

I walked right past the table and leaned over the guardrails. A good twenty feet below a sparkling pool rippled as a waterfall not five feet from my patio cascaded down into it. The crystal-clear water didn’t look all that deep, but as I glanced back into the beautiful cavern that had become my prison, I had to make a choice.

Would I face my captors?

I turned and stared down at the water again.

Or would I run?

Setting my jaw, I carefully climbed over the railing. Staring back into the room, I inhaled deeply, gathering my courage as my heart jackhammered in my chest. What if the water wasn’t deep enough? What if I broke my legs?

I turned around carefully, holding onto the railing and staring at the water below. I could do this. Leaning forward, but still gripping the railing, I let out the breath I’d been holding and sucked in another.

I’d go on the count of three.

One.

My hand gripped the railing tighter, and something in me screamed not to do it.

Two.

I sucked in a deep breath and let the air out lowly. I could do this. I would do this.

Three.

I let go of the railing and leaped forward into the water. My arms windmilled at my sides as the water rushed up at me. My feet hit first, and I crashed into the water, swallowed in an instant in icy cold water that stung every inch of my skin like a billion bees. The cold cleared the last cobwebs out of my sleepy brain and woke very last nerve ending my body possessed.

Kicking my legs, I broke the surface of the water and gasped in a breath before swimming toward the opposite shore. With a glance up at the house, I noticed it was set back a bit into the rocks in a way that made it almost invisible. Not a surprise, whoever had dropped half a million on me clearly had money to burn.

Joke was on them. They were losing their newest toy.

I climbed out of the water and made a break for the trees. A huge meadow stretched out before me, and the grasses came nearly up to my chest as I raced so fast it felt like my lungs would burst. My leg burned, and my feet ached with every footfall. Randomly, tall grasses smacked my face and tugged at my hair as I ran.

Bees buzzed, and a couple of deer glanced up at me, then raced off, their tails standing straight up and showing white as they bounced off. The thick scent of warm grass and flowers perfumed the air, and I kept running. I ran until I thought I’d faint from running. And then I kept going. I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop. Not until I was free.

Cold began to settle into my bones, and I realized my feet had gone numb. My teeth chattered, and my whole body vibrated with chill. But I pressed on.

I ducked into the trees and kept running. Underfoot pine needles, leaves, dirt and moss all managed to often every step. As far as my eyes could see, there was no sign of people, no sign of a road or buildings or anything. I was out in the middle of nowhere, and since I’d beenasleepon the drive, I had no way of even knowing how far out we’d come. I didn’t know how many minutes or hours we’d traveled. Heck, we could be in a new state, and I’d be none the wiser.

But that sure as hell wasn’t going to stop me.

Curling my stiff fingers, I tried to get the blood flowing as my cold, wet clothes clung to my body. Slowing my run out of fear I’d trip over my numb feet, I cursed under my breath. I needed to quit being a wimp. It was just some cold. I’d be fine. And moving meant I’d warm up and dry out faster. Right?

I hoped there would be a road somewhere close. But if there wasn’t a road or a house or anything, I’d keep running until I couldn’t run anymore. Then I’d walk. Then I’d crawl. Then I’d die a free woman.

Because I was never going back. Not to the cave house, not to the meat market, not to my father’s house. I was never going to allow anyone to hold me captive again. If I lived or died out here, it would be on me. It would be my mistakes that ended me. I didn’t want to be saved. I wanted to make it—or fail—on my own will and wits.

And I’d sure as hell never ask my dad for help or go back to him.

I’d die first.

4

Draco

Iknocked three times.

---