Page 108 of Vows of Silence

And, to my utter disbelief, the door opened.

For one beautiful, terrifying second, I just stared at it, hardly daring to believe what I was seeing.

Then I stepped outside, quietly closing the door behind me, holding my breath until it clicked shut.

The cold air hit me hard enough to clear some of the fog from my head, and it was exactly what I needed. Nerves had my skin feeling too hot, anxiety had me sweating. The cool was the shock my system needed to think clearer.

I moved along the terrace, keeping close to the wall in the hope that anyone looking out from above wouldn’t see me immediately. The wind whipped my hair across my face, and I pushed it back impatiently, scanning the grounds for movement.

There didn’t appear to be too many guards. Silas was upstairs in the shower. Death wasn’t immediate. All in all, a promising start.

The terrace steps led down into a garden that was far too manicured for a man like Silas. It reminded me of home—neat hedges, stone paths, flowers planted in careful arrangements. It was yet another illusion. Another thing to disguise the true evil lurking within.

I moved through the gardens quickly, trying to keep low without looking completely ridiculous, which was difficult because there was no graceful way to flee captivity in jeans and bare feet across gravel.

By the time I reached the edge of the garden, my feet hurt, my lungs were burning, and I had absolutely no idea where I was going.

There was a path leading toward the cliffs. Another curving around the side of the house. A third disappearing through a line of trees. The fourth, which led down the long, never-ending driveway, was an immediate no. There was only one entrance in and out of Silas’s property—at least, one approved entrance. It wasn’t even an option for me.

The trees seemed like the obvious choice, which immediately made me distrust them. Silas didn’t strike me as the kind of man who left obvious escape routes lying around for kidnapped women with poor impulse control and a growing list of emotional issues.

I looked back at the house, indecisiveness making me chew my lower lip.

Silas would notice my absence soon. He would come looking for me—if he wasn’t already.

There wasn’t really a choice. I would have to run through the trees, barefoot and without any clue where I was going. I would have to run, even though I was certain Silas knew every inch of the forest. Even though I was certain there would be hidden wires, cameras, and infrared sensors. It just wasn’t possible that he didn’t know exactly where I was. But I had to try.

My mind made up, I pushed forward, scurrying behind the cobbled wall. The ground changed beneath my feet almost immediately, soft grass giving way to mud and roots that seemed determined to break my ankles. Branches caught at my clothes,and the wind grew harsher as I moved further from the shelter of the house.

Solid plan here, Isabelle. Real solid.

Destination? None. Just distance.

Plan? None. Just distance.

How could this possibly fail?

Let it never be said that I’m not my biggest supporter.

Shaking my head to force away my own sarcastic thoughts, I swept my gaze over the thick trees, picking up my pace to a sprint, frantically searching with every step to make sure I wasn’t stepping on a hidden bear trap or thin wire.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I immediately froze.

For one wild second, I thought it might be Silas, which was ridiculous because Silas didn’t text me.

Silas didn’t talk.

Silas didn’t explain.

Silas simply appeared and expected the world to adjust.

My phone buzzed again, and I pulled it out with shaking hands.

Luca:What have you done?

I stared at the words until they blurred slightly.

How the fuck did he know?