Page 49 of Facade

Aiden laughed low and sharp, managing to hide his fangs. “While I appreciate that you believe my wife compares to the Queen, she is not her.”

Panic surged. What if I didn’t get another chance like this? But my marks—fuck my marks.

“Help—” I lunged forward, yanking my arm away from Aiden. The younger man tensed. The leader stepped forward, mouth opening slightly.

“Evanee,” Aiden clipped.

“I’m a human slave! They’re taking me to Castle Lawryn—please—”

Steel slid from scabbards, and the bow groaned as the man on the horse pulled it taut. I stole a glance back at Aiden. His eyes were murderous as a low snarl ripped free.

Everything happened so fast.

I bolted for the leader.

Aiden roared my name—I didn’t stop.

An arrow whistled past my head. A wolf yelped behind me—I didn’t look.

Blood thundered in my ears as I pushed my legs. The leader held out his arm, and I threw myself at him.

“Go, girl. Get on the horse with Fletcher,” he ordered, pointing to the dismounted young man.

While the leader turned back around and braced himself, the latter linked his hands beside his steed, hoisting me up. This time, I looked at Aiden. He pinned the leader in a lethal glare, his eyes lighting with that otherworldly glow. He’d shucked the tattered blanket, steel in hand. Dimitri crouched low, lips curled back in a snarl as he limped toward the remaining two riders, the arrow sticking out of his front leg.

Fletcher settled in front of me, and we tore down the path back the way they’d come. The scarf loosened, then blew off, setting my hair free. My limbs shook as I held onto him, nerves and adrenaline warring within. Steel clashed behind us, audible over the huffing of the horse.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I didn’t want these strangers dying for me. They didn’t even know me. Maybe they stood a chance.

Suddenly, my marks tingled.

No, no, no.

My teeth ground together, the sound drowning out my panicked thoughts as the pain intensified. The glow of fires danced in the distance as the sun retired beyond the tall trees—their camp. Maybe someone would have a way to douse the pain. Maybe there was a lesser Witch there.

“Ahhh,” I cried out, squeezing Fletcher’s waist.

“You okay?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, screams ahead from where their camp sat reached us. The closer we got, we realized it wasn’t campfires glowing—it was their camp on fire.

“What the hell—” Fletcher yelled, pain in his voice.

My markings stopped burning, and there wasn’t a chance to warn Fletcher before two radiating blue eyes approached. Fletcher pulled the horse to an abrupt stop, my arms tightening around him. I couldn’t even think about how the hell Aiden had gotten ahead without us seeing—the horse reared when Dimitri dove from the trees.

I slid off the back, a shockwave of pain striking through my back, sharp from the impact. Fletcher held on, but it didn’t matter—Aiden threw his sword, the steel lodging in the horse’s sternum.

The beast cried, the sound so atrocious it'd undoubtedly burn into my nightmares.

I scrambled to my feet, backing toward the trees.

Fletcher cried out, falling. The last I saw was Dimitri lunging for him, jaws wide.

I ran.

“Evanee!” Aiden’s voice boomed after me.