Page 66 of Thane's Demon
My breath hitched, terror climbing the length of my spine in sharp, trembling jolts. I turned sharply, hoping to dart across the street, but another figure rounded the corner. They were closing in on me from all sides.
I was trapped.
My throat tightened in fear, but right before I could bolt, before I could run blindly and hope for the best, a sleek, dark car screeched to a halt inches from the curb beside me. It was too expensive, too polished, too out of place for this street. The tinted passenger door flew open.
“Get in!” a woman’s voice barked, sharp and commanding.
My heart hammered, as I didn’t know her and therefore had no reason to trust her. But then what other choice did I have? The men were seconds away. So, with no other options, my feet moved before my mind did. I lunged for the open door, grabbing the frame as the woman shouted to someone unseen in the front.
“Go!”
The car jerked forward the second I pulled the door shut, sending me stumbling into the seat as the world outside blurred into streaks of light. I turned to look out the back window, watching the men shrink into the distance, their figures swallowed by the crowd as the car sped away. Only then, whensafety finally caught up with me, did I realize my entire body was trembling.
I turned toward the woman sitting beside me.
She was beautiful.
Stunning, really.
Long black hair cascaded over one shoulder, covering half her face like a veil of ink. The visible side revealed sharp cheekbones, a strong jaw, and eyes that glittered like obsidian. She wore black from head to toe, elegant and severe, her posture relaxed but coiled with something sharp beneath it. One gloved hand rested unmoving in her lap.
“Who are you?”
She watched me for a long breath, her gaze sweeping over my shaking form with an expression that felt strangely familiar. As if she were examining something precious rather than something fragile.
Then she spoke, her voice smooth but edged with steel.
“I’m a friend of Thane’s… his only one, no doubt,” she said dryly.
I blinked, my breath catching.
“You… know Thane?”
Her lips twitched, almost a smile.
“Better than anyone, which is why I also know all about you, and why you can call me, Janie.”
Janie.
The name hit me with a strange jolt, one that felt like stepping into a piece of Thane’s world I was never meant to touch. My throat tightened as I clutched my bag against me, trying to stop my hands from shaking. But the recent events weren’t the only thing causing my discomfort now. No, it was also bitterness that I felt as jealousy grew, making me wonder whether, by 'friendship,' she actually meant something more.Could she have been his girlfriend at some point? Was that why she claimed to know him better than anyone?
“Where are we going?” I asked, unable to keep my tone steady.
She tilted her head, the hidden side of her face turning slightly as she regarded me with a mix of pity and something softer, like kindness.
“Somewhere safe so that I can keep you alive,” she said simply, quickly adding, “Before he tears this entire city apart looking for you. And I do not say that metaphorically, sweetheart. He will burn the world to ash if he thinks you have been taken.”
My breath caught, and my stomach fluttered, but it was more than that. It helped ease any worries about jealousy, as she didn’t seem bitter with her comment. No, if anything, she seemed concerned for me and spoke of his attachment to me with ease.
“He’s looking for me?”
Janie let out a slow, almost amused exhale.
“He will be more than looking for you. He will most likely unravel the moment he realizes you’re not at home. And if I don’t get to you to him first, then he will start a war in your name.”
I swallowed hard, shocked to my core.
“What… what are you doing with me? Where are you taking me?”
