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It was vacant of life besides us as far as I could tell. The fear in my stomach twisted around in circles. They feared her.
“You won’t survive if you decide to jump,” she said from the opposite side of the room.
The table held containers from what I could see. The cauldron sat above a fire that was lit. Maybe she would put me out of my misery and cook me before she ate me.
Something told me she truly thought someone would come looking for me.
“What’s your name?” I asked after several seconds. “I keep referring to you as lady in my head.” Maybe I would pull on one string of human emotion hidden underneath that robe.
She walked around, mixing something in a small wooden bowl. “Deidamia,” she said, her gaze settling over mine.
I didn’t try and repeat it.
Deidamia stalked back and forth as if something was bothering her. I wanted to know what it was, but I was sure my false attempt at winning over her rational side wouldn’t work.
Whatever happened, I needed to stay calm.
There was something predatory about her gaze. Her walk was determined yet relaxed. If I knew anything about predators, it was that they fed off fear.
I was afraid. So afraid, but I swallowed it down.
She stopped in front of me, tilting her head and examining my face like she wanted to get to know me.
“Your heartrate is leveling out,” she said with a smirk. “Good. It’ll make this all the easier.”
Make what all the easier?
She stopped her mixing, scooped up something that looked like dust into her hand and looked at it.
“Josephine,” she said softly, her green gaze meeting mine. “For your sake, I hope they find you.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but she blew into her hand, stirring the dust into my face. I sneezed and rubbed my eyes. Darkness twirled around my vision.
Deidamia stood still, watching as I stumbled backward onto the floor. My ability to stay awake was slipping from me. I clawed at the cement floors, trying to speak, but someone pulled the voice from my body.
“Sleep, little beauty,” Deidamia’s voice sounded motherly. “Sleep.”
***
The woods were dark. So dark I couldn’t see where I was placing one foot until it hit the ground. I prayed that I wouldn’t trip or run into something. The wind pierced my chin, though it wasn’t cold outside.
Branches scraped my flesh, drawing blood that I didn’t have time to care about. I was running…. Why?
I couldn’t remember why I was running, but the fear was so deep that I didn’t dare stop.
The woods were quiet. Ash rained down on me and I could feel the way it smashed between my fingertips. My bottom lip trembled in fear, but something told me to be brave.
Not to show my fear because she craved it.
Who was she? I didn’t know.
I tried to remember.
Dig deep, Josie.
My foot caught on an overgrown root, and I fell to all fours. The noises nearing behind me didn’t sound human. They were animalistic, deep and angry—
Fire shot above my head, brightening the woods around me and catching the canopy of leaves on fire.
