And so, I just keep moving.
The temperature drops the longer we run. A chill burrows into my bones, my dress an inadequate barrier against the cold. Goosebumps have taken up residency on my exposed flesh.
There’s no time to stop or try to warm up. Every time I think we’ve lost our pursuers, another shout comes from behind us.
Soon, placing one foot in front of the other requires all my concentration. My aching limbs burn, a vise is clamped around my heart, and the walls are getting tighter. Closing in on us.
I don’t think it’s just in my head.
At the front of our group, Gabriel is ducking. The tallest among us by far, his massive shoulders brush up against the walls, and the top of his head is dangerously close to the ceiling.
Still, we run.
How far do these passages go?
I’m not sure, but it’s clear Gabriel knows where he’s going. He moves with confidence, taking each turn as though guided by an invisible map.
Suns save me, but as much as I don’t trust the man, we follow him without question. What other choice do we have?
It’s fucking laughable that earlier, I thought getting my sisters out of the Winter’s Eve Ball would be the hardest part of getting them away from the king. I thought Kadyn and I could leave with them and head to the Sapphire Coast, fleeing this gods-forsaken country.
I’d assumed that once we were gone, we could figure out why the king had taken the twins in the first place, why the Given are killed, and why our country’s foundation is built on lies.
But now I know the awful, fucked-up truth. Nothing is easy. Nothing is good.
We’ve been running for a few hours, which is as terrible as it sounds. Dawn must be approaching, although there is no hint of it, or any other form of light, down here. I’m listening to the steady drumbeat of the soldiers’ footsteps, trying to figure out if they’re getting quieter, when Gabriel turns a corner and skids to a stop.
The twins manage to avoid him, piling into each other, but I’m not so lucky.
“Oomph,” I grunt, smacking into Gabriel’s side.
A warm, steadying hand lands on my shoulder. TheHunter’shand.
I inhale sharply, my heart hammering for a different reason. I should pull away and shake off his touch. After all, I’m fine now.
But I don’t.
I’m not sure what possesses me to do it, but I crane my head up and look at Gabriel. Why? Why am I doing this? Why aren’t I putting space between us?
I have no idea.
Maybe I left my common sense back with the soldiers I killed.
As I look up, I’m reminded that even though I’m tall for a woman, the Hunter is taller than me. The top of my head barely goes to his shoulders, and there’s something about the way he carries himself that makes me feel small.
And I... don’t hate that. Why is that?
Gabriel’s eyes lock on to mine, more mossy than emerald in the murky darkness, and a blue sheen illuminates his face. His features are caught in a serious expression that I don’t quite understand, and I’m...
Frozen.
Ensnared like an animal in a trap, caught by Gabriel’s gaze and his warmth. Suns help me, but the man must have a furnace burning beneath his skin. How is he so hot when I’m so damn cold?
A piece of me—an insane, traitorous part that seems to have forgotten what Gabriel did—wants to insist that he hold me tight to chase away the cold that’s taken root inside me.
But obviously, that part of me lacks sound judgment and can’t be trusted.
“Careful, little bird,” he rumbles.
