Chapter 30
Bex screamed until her voice was hoarse.
Turning in circles, she yelled out for someone to help her.
To hear her. To save her. More than once, she tried walking desperately, hoping that she might stumble across a place to shelter.
An old forgotten cabin. A den or just a hollowed-out tree trunk.
But there was nothing but barren earth and snow-covered rocks.
And soon she could barely hear her own cries above the screeching wind, let alone expect anybody else to.
Tears stung Bex’s cheeks as they met the freezing air. She was soaked to the bone, shivering in a way she had never shivered before. And she was lost. Utterly lost.
Duncan had insisted she upload the app onto her own phone in case of an emergency like this. And she had. Even when she’d moved back to London, she’d left it on. Only her phone, and any chance of help, was back at the castle.
‘Help! Anyone!’ Bex cried again as she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop the chattering of her jaw. She couldn’t die out here. Not like this. She couldn’t. This wasn’t how her story ended. She had too many chapters left to write. Too many adventures and experiences left to have.
But it was so cold. Every inhale made her shudder more and more, and the cold was searing through her feet. Every step was agony.
Deciding that perhaps preserving her strength was the best thing she could do, she stumbled on towards a thin tree trunk. Then, with a sound close to a whimper, she lowered herself to the ground and pulled her knees into her chest as her back pressed against the rough bark.
Why was it so hard to keep her eyes open?
Was it because of the cold, or was it because of the disturbed sleep?
Maybe that was it. Maybe if she just closed her eyes and let her body rest for a minute, she would find the extra energy she needed to start walking again.
And if the storm passed quickly, then maybe she could see the castle and climb her way back.
She needed to get back to the castle. She had to. There were so many things she needed to say. To people. To her family. To her friends. But most of all, to Duncan. She needed to speak to Duncan and make sure he knew it wasn’t because she didn’t love him. She loved him. She would always love him.
As she swallowed back tears that filled her throat, Bex closed her eyes, wishing she could feel herself folded up in his arms one more time. The cold didn’t feel so bad all of a sudden. She hardly noticed it. Instead, numbness had taken over her body.
Maybe if she just went to sleep, then she’d wake up when the storm was over. Sleep would be the best way for her body to recover. She would move after sleeping.
As her eyes remained closed, Bex thought how, in the distance, she might have heard people calling her name. But surely it was her mind playing tricks on her. Just like the dog barks she could hear. Barks that sounded just like Ruby.
Ruby, she thought, a warmth spreading through her chest. Ruby was a good dog. Maybe Duncan was right. Maybe she should adopt her after all. But maybe now she wouldn’t get the chance.
As Bex’s body threatened to slump to the side, she felt something warm hit her. Warm and wet. She straightened up, wanting to reach out and take hold of it, to grasp the warmth. But she wasn’t strong enough.
‘It’s okay, I’m okay,’ she whispered, not even sure who she was talking to.
The cold was almost gone now. And this warmth she had found was so incredibly comforting.
She would have happily stayed there and slept forever.
Only as that thought struck, she felt the pressure of arms around her body, scooping her up out of the snow.
Strong arms that held her in place as the voice spoke.
‘It’s okay. You’re okay. I’ve got you now. I’ve found you, Rebecca. You’re safe now.’