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It was then I realized how overgrown the woods were. The depths of the overgrowth brushed the top of my waist; there was no trail or a way out.
Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes.
The blast of fire faded above me, but the trees were flashing red as it burned the leaves down. It was raining fire. I didn’t hang around to see what caused it or how fast it would spread. I crawled through the vines and rocks, feeling thorns slice into my skin every time I moved.
Dirt and grime clung to me. Nothing compared to the fear that strangled my throat. I cried for help, but my voice was gone.
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t breathe.
I was dying from the inside out. My fingernails curled into the dirt, doing little good to get me further. My legs began to shake when I heard a woman’s voice.
Deidamia.
Everything slammed into me. The fear. The reality. Where I was. Who I was running from. “Please, God,” I whispered, “help me.”
She began to say my name like a mantra. It was soft and sweet. A luring sound that reminded me of a mother.
Until it wasn’t.
It turned dark. Deep. Something out of my worst nightmare.
My body involuntarily curled into the fetal position under a giant bush. I hated myself for hiding, but there was no stopping her.
She was evil.
“Josephine.”
This time it wasn’t Deidamia that called for me. My mind didn’t recognize it, but it called to my body on a level that I’d never experienced. It lured me out of hiding.
I sat up, trying to see through the madness, and followed the masculine call of my name. It wasn’t my father’s voice. Who was looking for me? It didn’t sound like Jacob. Deidamia seemed to think someone would come.
“I’m here,” I called.
The darkness behind me lightened. My fear of Deidamia seemed further away than before. “Help!” I screamed, this time my voice pulling through the guard wrapped around me.
The brush moved in front of me and then parted.
The silhouette of a man formed. His coiled forearm reached out, displaying an impressive bicep and long, thick fingers. A dark cloud moved above us, but through the shadow it brought, a dark set of eyes met mine.
All the times in my life I’d felt safe did not compare to that moment.
My stomach tightened and sent heat between my legs. It was an odd time to be turned on, but the shape of his mouth as light hit it did things to me. Mercy.
“Who are you?” I whispered.
The corner of his mouth tugged into the tiniest smile before my savior disappeared along with my hope.
Chapter Eleven
Kellan
I swiped ash from my forehead for the umpteenth time that day and sat back against the base of a giant tree. The leafless branches whined in the wind, swaying back and forth in a gothic dance.
I dug the other pastry from my pocket, looking at the smooshed crumbs as I unwrapped it and shoved it into my mouth. A piece fell onto the ground, and within seconds a prehistoric-looking worm unearthed itself and swallowed it whole.
I cringed at the size of it, but I was too tired to kill it. It was just trying to survive in this hellhole. The lack of life in the Dark Woods had frightened me, though I noticed several strange animals peeking from holes in tree trunks and the ground throughout the day.
None of them looked brave enough to come out, which was good for me, but on the other hand, it just proved how deadly the woods were.
