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The woods separating me from the town were thick with brush and trees. I slid my hand down into my boot and pulled out the knife tucked away there. Using the short blade to tear at the brush and thorny vines, I attempted to keep them away from my face.
Blood trickled down my cheek to soak into the top of my T-shirt.
Bleeding in a realm you weren’t familiar with wasn’t smart. The creatures in other realms weren’t like the ones on Earth. The ability to smell blood like a vampire wasn’t rare.
Shoving my way through the madness, I stopped once I made it to a clearing. The small creek running through it sparkled from the sun peeking through the canopy of trees.
I bent down in front of it and lapped it into my mouth like a dog. Cupping my hands, I brought it up to my mouth and drank. After countless handfuls of water, I sat back on my ass and stared around at the wilderness.
None of it looked familiar.
Standing to my feet, I dusted off my worn jeans and stepped over the small creek. One good thing about being an immortal was the inability to die. If that creek water turned out to be toxic, it’d only hurt for a bit.
The woods began to thin a few miles inward. I could see the cottages or what looked like a small town. Fire billowed up into the sky from someone’s chimney.
Part of me was relieved I hadn’t stumbled into a kingdom.
They were sophisticated, and most thought they were better than anyone who didn’t own a small town or have a slew of employees to run their castle.
A low vibration hummed up the back of my neck, causing me to stop. The pounding of my heart drummed in my eardrums, and the soft sound of footsteps echoed behind me.
I swung around, bringing my knife out from my boot and holding it to my side. “Hello?”
Like they’d reply.
“You have two seconds to come out before I shoot.”
With my imaginary gun.
Guns didn’t do well in this realm. They didn’t make it through the portals most of the time, and there were a lot of creatures too quick for a bullet. I had to wait for them to attack me to shove a blade in their skull.
It was very brutish, but I didn’t mind. I’d become accustomed to it.
The snarling from my right grew closer.
The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, cementing me to my spot as a hellhound crept through the brush. His fang-ish teeth dripped drool, the ebony-colored fur stood on end and his skinny legs looked quicker than I’d ever be.
I chuckled humorlessly. “Great,” I mumbled.
Chapter Four
Josie
Four Days Before…
“Can I please have the coconut milk with tapioca?”
The barista yelled my order back to the kitchen as I walked over toward the small black table in the corner. I loved college, but nothing beat our small-town coffee shop.
It rivaled any franchise hands down.
The line at the cash register began to move slowly while I played on my cell phone. The relief of enjoying summer without summer classes hit me when I slept in until 9 a.m. on a Saturday.
My cell phone vibrated in my hands, Jacob’s name crossing the screen again. Sighing loudly, I let my head plop dramatically against the table. I knew answering would only lead to an unwanted conversation about my decision not to marry him.
How many ways could a girl say no before it clicked?
Many, apparently.
