Page 117 of Lifebound

No remorse. No regrets.

I looked up to the door at the top of the stairs as he pulled me behind him only because I didn’t have the stomach to see more of what he’d left behind.

Everything changed so fast, yet again. And I didn’t have the stomach to face the fact that I didn’t know who this man was at all, either.

A cold-blooded murderer.He just killed three men within minutes, left them in pieces all over the floor, and he didn’t bat an eye about it.

Rune.

Rune did that.

Then we were outside in the corridor, and my hand was in his, and he was basically dragging me along. My legs refused to work, and my mind was full of the images in that basement, all that blood, the body pieces, the crushed skull of the incubus. I didn’t see,couldn’tsee what was in front of me if I tried.

And maybe that was for the better.

Darkness and voices and music—it all turned chaotic in my overwhelmed mind. Cold air slipped down my throat and then I tried to blink, tried to see where we were, what was happening, but Rune pulled me to the side quickly and stepped closer until my face was right against his chest. He put the hood of the cloak over my head, then brought a finger to his lips to tell me to remain quiet.

His hands lit up and those shadows wrapped around us just like before. With his glowing fingers, he raised my chin until I was looking at him, at his beautiful face that made my heart skip too many beats.

I have no idea who he is,said a voice in my head.

Then he mouthed,run.

When he turned and moved around the corner of whatever wall we’d stopped by, I didn’t think. I just forced my legs to move as fast as they could.

Shadows all around me, blocking the view of my surroundings, but he seemed to be able to see exactly where he was going, and my hand was still in his. The sound of chatter and laughter and sex was in my ears together with the music still, but with every step we took, it was getting more and more distant.

With every step we took, I realized how much the sight of those men had shocked me.

The shadows faded away.

A single bird made of white light flew right next to my head. At the sight of it a small scream escaped me, and Rune continued to drag me forward, led me toward the darkness, toward the empty buildings ahead that could have been the same ones near which that imp had transported us. The bird moved with me at the same speed—and then something else flew right to the side of it.

Something that looked a lot like a knife.

Rune turned to look back. I did, too.

I shouldn’t have.

Succubi and incubi were running toward us, at least ten that I could count. They were running and they were throwing knives at us as they did—but that wasn’t all. The sound of horse hooves hitting the ground, and loud neighs filled my ears, and my heart all but stopped.

Four incubi riding horses were approaching the ones chasing us on foot impossibly fast, and they were going to get to us before two minutes were over.

“Look ahead, we’re almost there!” Rune called, but he was wrong. I saw the trees in the distance, the dark ones ahead, not the ones full of colorful leaves that belonged in Cloakwood.

“Cloakwood!” I cried because those trees were far closer than the ones ahead.

But Rune said, “They’ll follow us in Cloakwood. Look ahead!”

My heart squeezed. The bird remained with me as more knives flew around us, somehow missing us every single time, which made me think Rune and his shadows had something to do with it. But I focused my energy on running so I didn’t ask—until the sound of those horses behind us became too close.

Once more, I looked back.

They wereright there,even though those trees were now close. So fucking close.

Hope ran from me, disappeared all at once. We weren’t going to make it. I was sure of it.

Then Rune moved.

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