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But given that Aleksei had made it clear not too long ago, Adrik was aware. He either wanted to think of a way out of this situation, or he didn’t want me involved at all.
“Get back inside.”
It was a command, his voice as stern as ever. I didn’t look back and continued walking down the road.
It didn’t take me too long to understand that I was utterly fucked. Only two cars had passed since we came to a stop, and there was nothing in sight. Aside from the forest, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. No way for me to actually flee or hide.
“Get back in the car, Ekaterina,” he threatened, his voice fading with each step I took. “I will not repeat myself for a third time.”
I started running, but so did he. With nowhere to run, I turned left and sped through the forest. Now, that wasn’t an issue for a while. But the further I went, the less confident I was in that decision.
The only advantage was that it was still light outside. However, the further into the forest I found myself, the more night started to rise. It was almost too overwhelming.
For one, I was so out of shape, it was pathetic. Even back when my father used to chain me to the walls, I was in better shape than now. Over the past few weeks, I’d gotten my mind off the goal, and that was infuriating. My body had gotten weaker and since I didn’t have the time to go to the gym or do home exercise, it had started catching up to me.
And the second thing, which was far more important: I was lost.
Davorin was a man light on his feet. Hence, even if he were to stand right behind me, there’s a good chance I wouldn’t know. When he wanted to, he became almost invisible—untraceable—even for me.
That thought made me more pissed than I thought.
With a lot of mental strength, I pushed the vile parts of my brain away, trying to focus on getting out of this situation as quickly as possible. After all, we were preparing for a battle, and I needed to get myself ready.
It had to be perfect.
Branches underneath my feet snapped, accompanying the rustling of leaves, hooting of owls, and the chirping of crickets that filled my ears. Instead of it sounding like a lullaby, it reminded me of a horror movie whose plot was about to reach its peak.
A chilly summer breeze hit my face, brushing my already messy hair out of my face. The harsh blow on my face felt like the wake up call I desperately needed. It was as if my mind had gotten clearer, and my body relaxed underneath the starry night.
I spun around, and nothing but the sound of nature greeted me.
Somehow, the air shifted around me. The night was comfortable, and Davorin was near. It was likely one of his games. He’d wait until I was desperate enough and then jump in to swoop me off my feet. However, that wouldn’t quite work. I’d never be desperate again.
“Damn it.” I stared at the open sky. Not a single weather forecast had said anything about rain today. Then again, the weather was unpredictable during summer. And it felt as if I’d been punished by divinity.
The raindrops fell down my skin, wetting my hair and clothes in the process. With my head held high, staring as the rain intensified by the minute, a small laugh slipped me.
If this is a sign that I was doing something terribly wrong, I believed it.
I couldn’t sense Adrik anywhere near me. It made me wonder if, perhaps, it was all in my head, and he’d never left the vehicle or started running after me. If that was the case, then I was utterly and completely fucked, given that it was dark, I was lost, and it was raining.
I moved underneath a bigger tree to prevent myself from getting wetter—or as much as that was possible.
It was getting chilly, and I wanted to smack myself for leaving the comfort of the car.
But it was to teach him a lesson. If I wanted to do something, I would do it. He would never be able to sway my resolve, and I would be damned if I allowed him to influence my decisions. It had nothing to do with him, which was why I struggled to understand his anger.
This wasn’t a matter as simple as my safety. I was more than capable of handling a shootout, and he was well aware of that. He’d used that excuse to cover up for the fact that he thought I’d be a distraction.
Whose fault was that?
Mine, that I wanted to do something to finally end the torment in my mind?
Or his, that he was simply distracted by me and couldn’t do his job right?
Whichever it was, I’d decided I no longer cared. I would do what I wanted to do for the majority of my life. If he posed a threat, well…
He better not.
