Page 50 of Facade

Bark blurred together as I darted through the forest, refusing to look back and see if Fletcher was okay—I knew he wasn’t. Tears stung my eyes as the image of Dimitri’s jaw stretching wide flashed through my head.

An ear-piercing shriek echoed nearby, making me lose my footing. Pain sliced through my knee as skin broke on a rock.

Air pulled past my teeth as I sucked in a breath.

The shriek was closer—I hastily pushed myself up, limping—

A cry ripped from my throat as I was slammed into a tree. A hard body pressed against my back, my cheek scraping against the bark. A scream built in my throat, but a hand clamped over it.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Aiden ground out, his voice low as something else barreled past us—a skur.

I stopped fighting him, my pulse racing. His body held firm against mine, shielding me. Once the threat had passed, he removed his hand, but didn’t let me move.

“Get off,” I bellowed, trying and failing to push back. He was an immovable wall. Nothing but hard muscle.

My arms were suddenly yanked behind my back. Leather bit into my wrists where he tied my hands, and a snarl tore from me as he whipped me around to face him.

My neck craned, defiance in every fiber of my being as I let him see the hatred and pain I felt. He leaned in, the corner of his mouth lifting in that damn smirk.

I spat at him.

Spittle hit him on the cheek, but his expression didn’t waver as he rubbed his face against his shoulder. It made me angrier.

“What did you hope to accomplish by running?”

“If you’re going to kill me, then get it over with,” I hurled, ignoring the taunt.

Shrieks and horrifying screeches came from where the camp burned. Blood drained from my face, stomach turning at the lives lost.

“Why would I do that?” He cocked his head. My gaze darted past him to the darkened woods.

“I’d rather you kill me than take me to Castle Lawryn.” The words came out hoarse and broken, at odds with how I felt. Anger simmered hot and fierce—but I was also tired. Tired of living with unanswered questions and monsters.

The glow in his eyes dimmed. A cacophony of skur noises reverberated through the forest, yet Aiden just stood there, gaze fixed on me—dark and unreadable. I might not have been afraid to die, but I refused to be a skurs’ dinner. Or worse—turned. That wouldn’t be freedom. It’d be a worse fate, or so I imagined. Didn’t plan to find out.

I tugged at my bindings frantically—too tight.

"I have orders. And they aren’t to kill you.” Without warning, he grabbed me, throwing me over his shoulder.

I screamed, my eyes burning from the fury coursing through my veins. I kicked my legs, but he locked his other arm around my thighs.

“Quiet. Or you’ll force me to use a gag too.”

Had it not been for the skurs, I would have screamed until I went hoarse. However, I stayed silent. But that didn’t mean I cooperated—I bucked around like crazy, fighting him every step he took to the point he grunted with the effort to keep me in place.

We were out of the forest in what felt like seconds, making me deflate further—I hadn’t even gotten far. It was laughable. Pathetic.

Aiden put me down, but held my arm so I couldn’t move. I cursed him as he checked my bindings.

He only chuckled, as if this were a game.

Malachai approached, bow in hand.

“Shit ton of skurs at that camp. No survivors. The corpses were already burning when I got there. Someone else is here.” His eyes flashed to me before focusing on Aiden.

“Horses?” Aiden clipped.

“Right here, boss.” Dimitri rode up with no shirt on, pulling our horses behind him.