Chapter 19 Come Out, Come Out #2
“Fine, but we've got to do it fast. I don’t want to leave her by herself for too long. I don’t trust her one bit,” I hear him say to his companions.
For a moment, the world stands still, and then the rush of relief hits me all at once. My legs tremble, and I bite back a nervous laugh. This is it.
“You sure she can’t untie that knot of yours?” I hear Augustus ask the dark-haired vampire.
“I’ve worked on ships, Augustus; I pirated on Ocean’s End; don’t doubt my skills like that,” the vampire barks back.
Augustus snarls at him, gives me one last look, and all three vanish.
I sit there, dumbfounded. It happened… they left me by myself, behind, to fumble with the rope.
I bite my lower lip; the forest is close by, a few hundred meters away; once I reach the trees, I’ll have a chance.
My pulse, which has been hammering in my ears, begins to slow.
I want to start right away, but a voice inside me tells me not to; they are watching me, seeing if I gave up, as I insinuated by pulling up my knees and sobbing.
I keep up the charade for a little longer when I hear a rustling sound on my left.
I jerk my head toward the sound, but I see nothing.
Every second feels like it is being stolen; I can't afford to waste another one.
I scramble on my feet, my skin protesting against the rough sensation of the ground.
My fingers frantically fumble at the knot, trembling with fear.
Every second feels like an eternity, the coarse rope biting into my skin as I struggle to loosen it, my movements jerky and uncoordinated.
I have to focus. I inhale deeply, exhale, and stare hard at the knot around my wrist. The terrifying thought of being caught again tightens around my throat like a noose.
I pry my fingers between and underneath the rope, trying to loosen the knot.
Slowly, I feel the rope loosening, and I am frightened.
I look around me and continue to tug at it while scanning the area for any sudden movements or sounds.
At last, the knot gives way, and the rope slides free from my wrist. It falls on the ground with a too loud thud, and I stare at it.
I rub my wrist, my eyes landing on the trees, the woods, my only way to escape, and my body surges forward, running on instinct.
My feet no longer hurt, my legs are no longer tired, and the adrenaline is moving me, fueling me.
I sprint as if my life depends on it. I run and run, the trees coming closer and closer, when I hear his voice.
Fear makes me move my legs even faster, and I swear the forest opens itself up for me, beckoning me.
I listen to the snarling vampires as they quickly close in on me.
I hear the whooshing sound of arms cutting through the air as one of the vampires reaches for me.
I trip and tumble forward by luck or sheer dumbness, making the vampire miss me by just an inch as I somersault into the forest. The rustling of leaves makes me turn my head while crawling on all fours.
Trunks and branches begin to move, weaving themselves into an impenetrable wall that blocks the vampires from entering.
My mouth agape, I stare in wonder at the unfolding scene before me.
I hear them scream and swear, but I am safe, for now. I get up and start running again, deeper into the forest, away from my captors.
For days, I travel without a sense of direction.
I drink from little streams and eat berries and other plants.
My stomach protests often. I am not used to this diet, but it is all I can find, and it keeps me alive.
I follow the streams in the hope that they will eventually lead me out of the forest, hopefully back to human territory or at least a place where I can heal before continuing my trek.
I have ignored the wounds on my feet and the blisters on my skin as I feel I have no time; I have to keep moving.
I have no idea if the vampires will eventually trespass into the forest.
The smell is what hits me first: fresh linen, as if every household hangs its laundry outside.
At the same time, I walk near the border of the woods, with fewer trees and bushes to hide behind and more open space.
Then I see the houses and human architecture, all strangely neat and the same.
Hesitantly, I step out of the wood’s protection.
From what I can see, the streets are all empty, and the silence is eerie, as if no one is alive here.
I take a few more steps, and then I hear it.
The snarling and hissing of vampires; instinctively, I turn on my heel and run back into the forest as fast as I can.
The sound is coming closer, deafening my ears, tears coating my cheeks from terror.
I reach the first trees, and once more, the forest comes to life, creating a barrier that cages me in and obstructs the vampires from entering and following me.
Relief soars through my body as I fall to my knees.
New scabs from twigs appear on my skin, and the tears start to fall.
I am exhausted. After a few minutes of sobbing, I begin to pump myself up, saying I can do this, have to do this, unless I want to become food or a potion for some fucking witch.
I don’t have the luxury of lingering or resting.
I have to keep moving, far away from the borders and deeper into the forest. I start to walk in a different direction, away from the creepy town and its undead residents.
I shudder. I would have been trapped and shredded to pieces if they had remained silent.
I can’t contain my curiosity when I hear the shouting and the rustling; this isn’t a vampire.
I peek at the man from behind a tree; a twig snaps under my foot.
Fuck. His head jerks in my direction; he calls out a name: Harlot.
I feel a pang in my chest as I hear him call out another woman’s name, which makes no sense.
I can’t look away as I take in his tall, broad frame, dark hair, and gray, intense eyes as if he’s carrying the whole world on his shoulders, but above all, he feels…
safe. I want to step forward when he angrily yells, scaring me.
“Look, whoever you are, don’t even think about eating me or sacrificing me for whatever shit you witches need,” he shouts.
“Or, you know what, please do try. I would love to kill another one of you fuckers with my bare hands. It would be a great way to release some of my tension. Come out and make yourself useful for once.”
He's familiar with the vampires and witches, I realize, but he’s not afraid of them; he just threatened me, thinking I’m one of them.
His fierceness makes me want to run into his arms, yet at the same time, it induces fear in me, and I cower behind the bushes, away from him. I faintly hear him scream some more.
As if willed by fate, I reencounter the handsome man, once more searching for that other woman.
A sadness washes over me that he’s probably already taken by someone, yet I can’t stay away from him.
His presence draws me in, and I walk toward him, close enough so I can see him.
This time, his tone is different—warm and inviting.
“Please… don’t be scared. I won’t harm you,” he says, raising his hands.
He continues to speak, telling me he won’t hurt me, and I believe him; I wholeheartedly believe him. Every fiber in my body wants to be near this person, and this time, I do step forward and show myself.
When our gazes meet, it feels as if I already know him, that I have met him before, but I would have remembered such an attractive face.
Softly, I greet him back, and tears start to fall uncontrollably.
He feels safe, and that’s all I want to be.
I am no longer able to keep my emotions under control.
Within seconds, he’s in front of me, and he lifts me carefully so as not to hurt me in the process.
His warm body is all I need, and I cling to him, savoring the strength of his arms around me, holding me close.
He asks me who I am, and I tell him my name is Jodelle.
The way he looks at me suggests that our spirits are kindred.
He introduces himself as Fynnigan, Fynn.
His name is the only word I want to speak from now on.
Fynn. He asks me what happened, and I tell him briefly as I choke on my words due to the crying.
He comforts me as I speak, telling me he will take me to Valorya and protect me with his magic.
It frightens me, but I trust his words and let my body slack against him, too exhausted to fight. His presence brings me peace.