Chapter fifty-three Fallyn
Chapter fifty-three
Fallyn
Iturned corner after corner, looking behind me to see if he was there. The pressure in my chest refused to let up even when I saw no sign of his pursuit. He would come. What had he said before?
If you’re what I need to end the curse, I will use you mercilessly.
After what I’d seen, I wasn’t convinced he knew the meaning of mercy. If cutting out a man’s tongue were a punishment for speaking poorly to me, then I didn’t have any clue what he’d do to me the next time I stepped out of line in his eyes. What if he turned that blade on me?
Like I’d turned my blade on him?
I shoved the unwelcome thought away, leaving it behind as I raced through the winding streets, but I was quickly running out of breath.
I stopped abruptly, ignoring the stares I got from the people milling around me.
I kept moving, tossing my hood over my head and slinking into the shadows.
I had to keep moving, perhaps out of the city.
Perhaps now, I’d run and get out of the realm entirely.
Away from my betrothal, away from Ash, away from everyone.
Bitterness sat awash on my tongue as I thought about Thaddeus.
Guess I’d do what we discussed after all, old friend.
The plan Thaddeus mentioned before leaving for my engagement resurfaced, a map of the realm coming to the forefront of my mind.
I’d travel north to the mountain pass that allowed access to Ceridian.
The sea was beyond, awaiting on a beckoning ship.
I had a few coins to offer for passage, and I could do away with this realm.
Ash had said he was cursed to stay to these lands, right?
I picked up my pace despite my cracking throat and disparaged lungs.
This would be my best chance to leave all of this behind. Then perhaps I could finally be safe.
As hard as the thought hit me, I barreled into a chest even harder, knocking my balance off.
I knew even as a calloused hand came up to grab me that he’d found me.
The sense of dread I’d felt, the sinking feeling in my hollow insides, the panic barely kept at bay spiking into a creature all its own the moment those black and gold galaxy eyes met mine.
Ash didn’t look angry. Not exactly. He looked smug. Victorious. He looked amused. But there was something dark that lingered under the surface of his gaze, something depraved behind the grip he had on my arm.
“Oh, little shadow, go ahead and run.” He pulled me reluctantly to him to whisper in my ear, “I love a good chase.” Just as suddenly as he caught me, he released me with a flick of his wrist. “What are you standing there for? I’m giving you a proper head start.
” A dark chuckle fell from his lips as the shadows around us deepened.
Lengthened, until the darkness reigned even over the sun.
I flushed, my pulse hammering away in my ears when he leaned in close, “Run.”
As hard as I ran from the arachnid looking demon chasing me that day in the forest, I ran harder still now.
My feet pounded on the stone roads as I weaved through people, ducked between carts, attracting the notice of noisy pedestrians.
The city was a labyrinth, and drawing this much attention to myself would make it all too easy for Ash to follow me.
I needed to run, yes. But I needed seclusion.
I darted for the calmer side streets to give myself breathing room.
It took away my anonymity, but at least there wasn’t a trail of angry faces staring after me for him to follow.
But what I really needed was a good hiding place to hunker down before leaving under the cover of darkness.
I ran, scouring for a hideaway, a nook, a damn crevice I could squeeze into, anything that would get me away.
I bumped into someone, hard this time, splattering me on my side.
A sharp sting erupted from where flesh tore under stone as I skidded across it, but this time when I looked up, there were three large men standing over me, and neither of them were Ash.
Worse, they leered at me like they knew me, leading me to the point realization struck me like lightning: The Ipsilon colors of black and red, the knowing expression, these were the King’s men.
I thought I was in danger with Ash, but now that sense of thick fear thrummed through my veins like fire through oil.
My attempt to bolt upright, my body’s immediate response to search for escape failed, pain exploding on the side of my head.
Shadows moved about my vision in shades of black and charcoal, abrupt, hushed whispers surrounded me, but I couldn’t make sense of any of it.
Something hard and unyielding was shoved over my mouth and nose, making my head swim; my lungs ached with a fiery tinge as I struggled to breathe.
A cloth that reeked with a chemical stench.
“Ash…” I cringed at the broken croak of my voice before I was slung over someone’s shoulder. Before the shadows of unconsciousness reached up to hold me under. The ache in my lungs spread to my chest, a wailing sob burst from me.
“Shut her the fuck up,” the male carrying me admonished, shaking me as I cried Ash’s name. He didn’t move. “It’s bad enough we’re doing this in the open. Someone will see her.”
“The gas should have worked by now,” one mused.
“What manner of beast is she? She looks mortal enough to me.”
“Guess we do this the fun way.” The male carrying me ignored the question and slumped me down with a heave. Unconsciousness was breaths away even as I fought it. As I reached forward to try to crawl away from the voices.
“He said we can’t maim her. That’s why we used the gas!” the second one cried. He was the smaller shadow.
“He said no permanent damage. A fist to the face is hardly permanent.”
A moment of exploding pain in my face and then oblivion waiting for me.