Page 119 of A Wild Darkness

Kneeling in front, I slide my fingers along the limestone. “Hi,” I greet the person as I always do.

The serene sound of a bird chirping and the sweet scent of pine fills my nostrils. The cool air is heavy on my cheeks but refreshing.

But then a loud snap of a branch from behind me captures my attention.

CHAPTER THIRTY

STEVIE

Iwhip my head around to scan the trees from where the sound came. I tell myself it’s most likely an animal moving through the forest. The cemetery and Nevermore are both in a secluded part of the city, but I’ve never felt unsafe out here.

Keeping one finger on the pepper spray that’s become part of my typical art supplies, I return my focus to setting up to take the rubbing.

Another loud crack vibrates through the open woods.

My head jerks backward, and I see it.

The figure of a man dressed in all black standing at the entrance to the cemetery. He’s wearing a balaclava over his face, only exposing his eyes, which I can’t see from this distance.

My blood runs cold.

Oh my god. Is it one of the Society’s members? Has he discovered my true identity?

My shaky hands scramble for my phone, but it isn’t in my pocket. Then the man takes a couple of slow steps toward me. And without a second thought, I drop everything and run in the opposite direction. He’s blocking the entrance where my car is parked, but I know these woods well, and if I run in a large circle around the perimeter, I can loop back to the parking lot from the other side.

In a full sprint, I pant with panic and fear. The force of his rapid footsteps hits the ground behind me. The tree branches whip at my arms as I slice through the dense foliage. But it’s no use.

I hear him coming. His steps get louder and louder as he eats the distance between us.

Maintaining my speed, I fear he’ll catch me before I can make it to the parking lot.

Fuck!

I have to decide whether to give up and fight this guy using the self-defense skills I’ve learned since childhood or try to make it to my car.

Too frightened to glance behind me to see how close he is, I try to keep my eyes focused on the small clearing up ahead. If I have to defend myself, I don’t know what type of weapon he’ll have—and the thought chills my blood.

Where the hell is Sebastian? It’s not his job to save me from a situation I put myself in, but he promised he’d always be there to protect me.

Tears sting the backs of my eyelids as the first drops of rain hit my face. The clouds have moved in, settling a dark blanket over the forest.

The man’s boots slam into the ground, crushing the leaves beneath them.

And at this moment, I realize he’s caught up to me.

Two muscular arms wrap around me from both sides, forcing me to fall backward into a hard chest. I open my mouth to scream, but a hand quickly covers it, muffling my only way to cry for help.

Adrenaline pumps through my veins. Fear is replaced with sheer survival. I’m not going down without a fight.

I kick my feet frantically into the air as he pulls me to the unforgiving ground. A broken stick pokes through the fabric of my sweater, puncturing my skin.

The man climbs on top of me, straddling my legs and holding them together. He keeps one arm above my head and a hand over my mouth. I thrash around in the dirt, my body wriggling wildly.

But then I catch sight of his eyes between the drops of water falling from above. I blink a few times before the realization bowls me over like a wave.

And then the world stops spinning.

Sebastian?