Page 44 of Ashes and Lilies
Darn it, I knew it!
My mind raced, the world around me blurring. Adrenaline surged through my veins. The narrow space of the bridge seemed to close in on me, and I desperately searched for an escape. Whenthe strawberry-blond ponytail moved for me, hand outstretched, I dodged and fell to the ground.
He missed me, but I wasn’t fast enough for them both. My heart was pounding in my throat as the one with the dark buzz cut grabbed my arm.
“Help!” I wasn’t sure why I was shouting; I hadn’t seen anyone around.
“Shut up!” He squeezed my arm and dragged me to my feet. His throaty voice had become harsher, causing my hair to rise. “Let’s leave,” he told his friend. “Quick, before someone comes!”
The tall trees blurred together—red, oranges, and yellows mixed with chestnut—filled my vision, and panic threatened to bury me alive. I was stunned and quiet as I stumbled along, unable to register what was happening.
But then, as a cold breeze brushed my face, the spell broke.
“No!” I protested, and I pulled away. Apparently, they hadn’t expected the sudden movement, and my captor’s grip slipped. He turned, grasping for my sleeve, but missed.
“Shit!” the blonde cursed, but I was already fleeing. “Get her,” he said.
Run.
I moved on instinct as a skill long since forgotten took over me. I loathed physical excursions and sweating at the best of times, but when I had no other choice, I was fast and a bit more agile than most. This was a life-or-death situation.
If they caught me, I would end up dead. I’d recognized the demeanor and the faint scent of chloroform.
I had to run away. I had to hide.
I stumbled on the loose stone as I ran, and my palms slammed into the gravel before I regained my footing. There was nowhere to hide here. They were too close behind. I didn’t have enough of a head start. I could feel them on my heels already.
They would catch me.
‘Run,’ my mind urged once more. The need to obey could not be contained, and I fled through the gardens. I had to escape, to get somewhere safe. Please.
The wind whipped at my face, and branches tore at my ankles. The traffic did not reach me as I ran across the street toward the red brick buildings with black-framed doors.
The sliding entrance barely opened in time as I stumbled into the lobby, and I did not see him. But he had to be here, somewhere. My thoughts were wild and scattering. Panic controlled my movements.
There were lights and motion around me. But I couldn’t focus, couldn’t see. There was a pull in the center of my chest, guiding me through hallways, stairs, and past office doors. Then, finally, like discovering light at the end of a dark tunnel, I saw him.
Damen was leaning with his hip braced over a large, auburn desk. He and Dr. Stephens were speaking to an older man who sat across them. Commotion echoed around me, but I didn’t care; the three looked up in alarm before I fell against Damen’s chest and held tight.
Safe.
Damen POV
A foreign feeling began to well in my chest as Bianca clung to me. I’d wrapped my arms around her shaking form without thinking and left everything else to the two Elders.
“Bianca?” I touched the back of her head. I needed to see her face, but I doubted she could process anything.
“Stand back, it’s fine—don’t touch her!” Joe stood, handsoutstretched, as he addressed the onlookers. “You may all leave,” he added. The senior detective’s harsh voice demanded instant obedience as he glowered at the crowd. The space beside the four of us quickly emptied, and the door closed.
Bianca’s small form continued to tremble against me as she held my shirt with a death grip, and the sound of her frantic breathing caused my concern to rise.
“She was outside,” Gregory told his fellow quintet member. “We sent her to wait across the street.”
Joe nodded and glanced at us, then left the room.
“Hey.” I moved us into a seat and began to stroke her hair. “Baby girl, it’s okay,” I promised her, and her sobbing began to ebb into soft sniffles. “I’m here. You’re safe now.”
Gregory frowned at us from his seat. The door opened—Joe had returned and sat back in his seat. The two stayed silent while we waited for Bianca.
