Page 4 of Starting a New Life

And further, until the howls became quieter in the distance.

Until the shouts weren’t audible anymore.

Until my vision started swimming.

I never stopped, not until I reached the next town and climbed onto the bed of the first truck I saw waiting at a stoplight, praying it’d get me far, far away from here.

Chapter 1

Nix

Holy fucking shit.

Who knew Canada would be this cold in November?

Okay, everybody knew. It was common knowledge. One of the things people immediately associate with Canada.

Still, knowing—in theory—it’d be cold was completely different from experiencing it in real life.

Shivering, I pulled my shoulders up to my ears and started walking even quicker, pushing past people who didn’t look like they felt the cold at all—and that wasn’t because they were all shifters, unaffected by the cold as much as regular humans or, well, mages. Most of the people I was passing were actually humans, but unlike me, they were dressed for the weather. As in, they were wearing coats and hats and gloves and shit.

I lowered my head, shielding myself against the icy-cold wind blowing through Balwood’s busy main street, as well as the critical looks people were casting my way. I could feel their eyes on me. Imploring. Judging.

I shuddered, goosebumps rising on my skin as I squeezed past two shifters. Were they looking at me? Was this finally the moment someone recognized my scent? The moment my life—or what was left of it—turned into even more of a living hell?

It wasn’t. They didn’t even look in my direction, didn’t notice me at all. Their noses didn’t twitch, there wasn’t even a hint of recognition crossing their faces, and their conversation never faltered.

I let out a relieved breath and then continued walking towards my destination. Never had I needed anything as much as I needed a couple of minutes inside Herb’s right now. Another gust of wind blew through the streets, pushing the icy air through the fabric of my hoodie. Thousands of tiny needles pierced my skin. The cold was the worst enemy I’d ever battled, far worse than the wolves I’d been running from for five months now. And I was losing, close to giving up, to collapsing right here, right now, in the middle of the busy sidewalk. If I just closed my eyes, if I just let go of the little bit of control I was desperately clinging to… No.

I couldn’t.

My life was on the line.

My freedom.

Willing myself to keep going was the hardest thing I’d ever done. My body rebelled against every step. My legs were barely able to carry my weight, my eyes didn’t want to stay open, and I was cold and shivering all over.

I couldn’t do this anymore.

In a last, desperate attempt to get to a place at least somewhat safe, I pushed open the doors to Herb’s. Warmth hit me like a freight train, making my vision swim. The blood in my ears was rushing so loudly that it drowned out everything else.

Blinking, I tried to get my senses back, but my hands were still desperately clutching the door.

Suddenly, there was a hand gripping my elbow.

The magic inside me flared at the contact, bracing against an attack I wouldn’t be able to stop.

“… there… Nix?” Making out the words under the sound of my rushing blood was hard, so fucking hard. My head pounded, maybe even worse than my heart hammering in my chest.

The hand tugged at my elbow, pulling me forward. One step, another one. On the third one, I tripped, but the hand gripped me tighter, hoisting me up until it’d maneuvered my arm over a shoulder that was holding me up, taking the brunt of my weight.

Slowly, I made out the sounds of my surroundings, and my vision began to clear, but I didn’t need to turn my head. I already knew who was dragging me through the coffee shop.

Levi.

Who else could it be?

Who else would know my name? Who else around here would have the aura of a mage?