RUNNING, AGAIN #3
My mind happily provides me with an image of Gabriel’s arm banded around my legs, his face dangerously close to my thighs. My core heats, which is a wholly inappropriate reaction to this man—this Hunter—and I toss that reaction aside without giving it further thought.
Even though I’m drawn to him, I cannot entertain thoughts like that.
“You wouldn’t fucking dare,” I seethe.
“Try me.”
“You’d carry all three of us?” I scoff. He’s strong, but I doubt even he could do that. “I don’t think so.”
Those dream-haunting emeralds slide from me to the twins, then back.
“Hmm.” He rubs his thumb across his bottom lip, and gods, I hate myself for my inability to look away. I want to get closer and feel his lips for myself, which is an absurd thought. “I suppose you’d rather deal with the king’s soldiers?”
His voice is calm, but there’s a dark look in his eyes that has me swallowing.
“Well . . .” There must be another way out of here, right? Another passageway, one that isn’t as horrendously void of light.
“Let me ask you a question, Wren.” A chill skates down my spine at the way he says my name as though he’s tasting it.
In my peripheral vision, I catch the twins glancing at each other.
“A question?” I repeat.
“Yes.” He smiles, but there’s no warmth in the expression. No kindness. “That was a nice trick you did with your magic earlier.”
My magic.
I’m still not used to hearing those words together. Between them and the way my body thrums when the Hunter takes a step towards me, I freeze.
“Do you know how it works?” he asks calmly as if what he’s saying isn’t the height of ridiculousness. “Have you been able to practice?”
“Of course not,” I snap, equally frustrated by the question and the way my body is strumming, urging me to get closer to Gabriel.
I didn’t even know I had magic until the king’s soldiers tried to hurt my sisters, and it just . . . exploded out of me.
“Hmm.” Gabriel raises a brow. He’s so close, I can see every minuscule expression, thanks to my Mark. “So you can’t just . . . summon it?”
Blazing suns, damn this man and his logic. Why is he bringing that into things? Can’t he see that this is too much? I’ve already been through so much, and I can’t handle another thing going wrong right now.
“I . . .”
“Try calling it, little bird.” His gentle voice is soft, and it makes things so much worse.
“Well—”
“Do it. You’re smart, let’s see if you’ve figured out how it works.” He takes another step towards me. I slide away, my back brushing against the wall.
Doesn’t he think I would’ve already summoned my magic if I could? If I knew how this damned thing worked, I would be using it. But I’m unwilling to admit defeat, especially to him, so I concentrate on my Mark. I try to summon those sparks and pull the magic out of myself, but nothing happens.
It’s not working. Why isn’t it fucking working?
Several painful, drawn-out moments pass before I huff, shaking my head. “I can’t do it.”
Not right now. Not under all this pressure.
“That’s what I thought.” His voice is still infuriatingly calm. Suns save me from this Hunter. “I don’t know about you, but I’m really not in the mood to be tortured tonight.”
“You think I am? That’s the last thing I want.”
All I want—all I’ve ever wanted since I ran away—is to live in peace. Why can’t anyone understand that? Why is it so hard?
“Good, so we’re on the same page.” Gabriel advances towards me, and there’s nowhere for me to go. I’m trapped again.
The twins whisper furiously to each other, but I can’t focus on what they’re saying. All I can do is stare at the Hunter.
“I don’t like this,” I say.
The tunnels, the darkness, trusting Gabriel. Everything about this feels wrong.
A shout comes from behind us, louder than before. Blood drains from my face.
The Hunter lifts his sword, pointing it in the direction of the shout. He doesn’t look that way, though. His gaze is locked on to mine, and it’s incredibly unnerving. Especially as he says, “Those soldiers will do gods-awful things to us if they catch us.”
His voice is still measured, but there’s a flicker of something in his eyes that has my heart constricting.
“This way,” a soldier yells.
“Hurry!”
More footsteps. More shouting.
Those damned emerald eyes are still locked on to mine. “What will it be, little bird?”
My chest heaves, and I shake my head. It’s not like I have a choice.
There’s only one viable option that will keep the twins out of harm’s way.
They’re here because of me, and they almost died because of my interference.
I can’t let them get hurt. Not now. Not after Kadyn gave his life to give us a chance.
I turn to the Hunter, defeated.
“Fine.” I sigh. “We’ll go”—he’s smiling, and suns damn him for doing that—“but you’re going through the door first.”
If we’re going to be trapped in there, so is he.
To my utter dismay, Gabriel doesn’t seem upset by my request. He simply steps back, the ghost of a smile flitting across his face as he walks into the doorway.
The darkness is so thick, it nearly swallows him whole. The twins follow him, clutching each other’s hands, leaving me with no choice. I cross the threshold, hoping that I haven’t made a grave mistake.