Page 11 of Tethered to the World
“No.” She practically stumbled down the stairs in her rush to get away, her hand on the railing the only thing keeping her from bolting. “I think there was a mistake.”
He crossed his arms, and leaned against the doorjamb, some of his good cheer fading. “While we’re flattered, we’re not interested. Don’t come here again.”
Annora released her hold on the railing and lurched backwards, her chest hurting like she’d been punched.
“Is that the pizza?” The giant pushed his way forward, only to halt when he saw her. His lavender eyes widened, but then he began to frown. “What’s wrong?”
When he went to follow her, the redhead angled his body between them. “Leave.”
Her throat tightened painfully at his coldness, and she gave a bitter laugh. “Some fucking welcome. When Loulou said my roommates were assholes, she really wasn’t exaggerating.”
“What?” Shock crossed Logan’s face, and he took a step toward her, his foot knocking her pack down the stairs, scattering her few belongs everywhere. “Shit.”
Annora snatched her bag, shoving her few clothes back in the pack. When she went to reach for her music player, he grabbed it first and something inside her snapped.
“Give it back.” She tried to snatch it away, but Logan sidestepped.
“Just wait. There’s been a misunderstanding.” When he reached for her bag, she launched to her feet and jerked away…her bag caught between them.
Then Edgar popped out and bit him.
“What the fuck was that!?!”
Annora took advantage of his surprise, grabbed what few belongings she could, then turned and ran.
“Wait.”
Pure panic grabbed her by the throat when they gave chase.
They were gaining.
She reached for the surrounding darkness and flung herself into the afterworld and didn’t stop running until she was at the center of the campus. The biggest building in the middle of the square drew her attention—the library.
It was closed, which meant there would be no people.
Without hesitation, she ran straight through the door, shivering when the chill from the glass sliced through her. She didn’t stop running until she was out of steps, finally leaning against the wall in the seventh-floor stairwell, pulling herself back into the real world…and met resistance.
It was a survival mechanism.
Her mind still said she was in danger, and refused to let her return. She closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to center herself. Only when the panic receded a fraction did her fear of the afterworld take hold, and her smoky shape returned to human form. She slid down until her ass was sitting on the bitingly cold cement.
She tried to convince herself she overreacted, but the thought of any of the guys touching her sent her into a panic. She blew out a shaky breath as the adrenaline began to wear off.
It was time to make a choice…she either ran for the rest of her life or stayed to learn how to kill those who thought she was a pet to be owned by the highest bidder.
Chapter Four
Annora slept on and off, unable to completely shut down and rest in an unknown place, stuck more or less out in the open. She fed the vending machine another dollar, the assortment of snacks barely staving off the ravenous hunger that always hit after slipping into the afterworld.
The two ferrets chased and tumbled around at her feet, begging for more Cheetos. She ripped open the fifth bag, then dropped it to the ground, watching one of them snag the bag and take off running, dragging it behind him.
When she arrived at the library last night, she nearly dropped her backpack when the two of them popped out and wound themselves around her. There had only been one Edgar before last night. Whenever her uncle caught the ferret, he would make her watch while he tortured and killed it over and over.
The first time it nearly broke her heart. She couldn’t have been more surprised when she went back into the afterworld to discover he was perfectly fine. She’d been more careful since then not to bring him across, but Edgar seemed to know when it was bad and sometimes hitched a ride, letting her uncle take his anger out on him.
Watching them now, free and playfully wrestling and chasing, brought a rare smile to her face.
She would make sure nothing happened to them.
