I had to give her credit. She hit me so hard the skin stung.
“You fucking bastard,” she hissed, then she hurriedly rolled onto her knees and in an instant, she was on her feet, running away.
That’s okay, Ziyka.Run.
I was a monster. And I would do what all monsters did.
Chase.
Chapter 12
Elariya
“Flight from the Villain”
Run, run, run.
Run like the wind. And do not look back.
I bolted forward, moving as fast as my trembling legs could carry me.
The stupid dress I was wearing slowed me down, and the weakness in my body drained me of energy, but my survival instinct cracked through me like a lightning storm tearing across a dead sky.
He was right behind me—Wolfe.
The bastard walked slowly, watching me flee from him. I could hear the soft thud of his boots against the floor.
It didn’t matter how fast or slow he was coming after me. What mattered was the fact that I’d have no chance if he got me.
I made it to the door, yanked it open, and ran for all I was worth down the corridor. I had no fucking idea where I was or where I was going, but I kept moving forward.
When Arielle left me in that place where I was stuck in my mind, I thought I’d be there forever. Then the walls began to unravel, and I was free.
As Wolfe hovered over me, his face twisted in fascination as he watched me in my weakened state, I knew I had to seize whatever opening I could take to get away. And I did.
Arielle would have told him my father had his ring. Now only the Gods knew what Wolfe planned to do with me.
This was a storm spun by chaos and twisted in secrets that were far above me. And far too deep.
Father had clearly done something bizarre I couldn’t begin to understand. Why in the hells did he have Wolfe’s ring? And now this terrifying Fae warrior had taken me because of it.
I’d been through too much for my life to end here. Far, far too much.
The memory loop curse was enough. But this?
No. Not happening. I had to fight.
My mind might still be reeling from being trapped in that netherworld, but the best idea I had was to run. Run and get myself somewhere safe so I could focus. Then try to portal. If I couldn’t accidentally make myself portal, I needed to hide and find whatever I could to use as a weapon.
I tried to think of every piece of information and spell I could remember from Grandmother’s grimoire, but in my panicked state, it all came to me in a scrambled mess.
No matter. For now, I just had to keep moving.
A light shone ahead through a door that was ajar. It got brighter the closer I got. I realized it was daylight.
Thank the Gods.
I ran faster, hope fueling my movements. Maybe we were still in Stormfell. I prayed we were. Maybe Wolfe had taken me somewhere in the woods or just out of the village.