Page 65

“Mum?” I croak, my voice barely a whisper. “Dad?”

No response. Just that awful moaning.

I try to turn, to look back, but I’m suspended upside down and a sharp pain is lancing through my neck and back. My legs feel strange — heavy and yet somehow not there at all. Panic rises in my throat.

“Help,” I call out weakly. “Someone help us!”

But we’re alone. No one is coming.

The smell of petrol fills the air, mixing with the metallic scent of blood. Somewhere in the distance, I hear sirens. Or is that just the ringing in my ears?

I blink, and suddenly I’m outside the car. How did I get here? I’m lying on the cold ground, staring up at the sky. Snowflakes fall on my face, melting instantly. They should feel cold, but I can’t feel anything.

Shadows move around me. Voices shout, but they sound far away, underwater. Blue lights flash, painting the ground in strange colors.

“We’ve got a live one here!” someone yells. A face appears above me, a man in a paramedic’s uniform. “Can you hear me, miss? What’s your name?”

I try to speak, but no words come out. My eyes drift past him, to the mangled wreck of our car. I can see a still form being pulled from the back seat.

No. No, no, no.

The paramedic is speaking again, but his words fade into a dull roar. Darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision. I try to fight it, but it’s too strong.

As consciousness slips away, one thought echoes in my mind: this is all my fault.

I jolt awake, my heart pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat. The room is pitch black, and for a moment, I’m back in the car, trapped in the wreckage. Panic claws at my chest, stealing my breath.

“No, no, no,” I gasp, my hands flailing out, searching for something, anything to ground me.

They connect with something solid and warm. Lucien. He’s here, kneeling on the bed beside me. The realization should calm me, but instead, it amplifies my panic. I’m trapped. Locked in. Caged.

“Luna?” His voice is thick with concern, but all I can hear is the crunch of metal, the shattering of glass.

“Let me out!” I cry, my fists connecting with his chest. “I can’t be here. I can’t be locked in anymore. I can’t!”

My voice rises to a shriek as I pummel him. I need to get out, need to breathe, need to escape.

Lucien doesn’t try to stop me or restrain my flailing arms. Instead, he scoops me up. I feel the rush of air as he moves at inhuman speed, and suddenly we’re in the hallway.

“Let me go!” I demand, still fighting against his hold. “Put me down!”

He doesn’t respond, just tightens his grip and keeps moving. We’re going downstairs now, my stomach lurching with each rapid descent. I squeeze my eyes shut, torn between the claustrophobia of being held and the fear of being dropped.

And then, abruptly, we stop. Cold air hits my skin, and I gasp. My eyes fly open.

We’re outside.

I’m wearing nothing but a t-shirt and a pair of black underwear, and it’s the middle of winter. Goosebumps slither over my flesh.

The panic recedes slightly as I gulp in the crisp night air. Stars twinkle overhead, so bright and clear it takes my breath away. I’ve never seen them like this in the city.

Lucien is still holding me. I become acutely aware of my state of undress, but the cool air feels good against my overheated skin.

“Better?” Lucien asks softly, his breath warm against my ear.

I nod, not trusting my voice just yet. My heart is still racing, but the blind panic has subsided.

He starts moving again, this time at a normal pace. We descend a series of stone steps, winding through a beautifully landscaped garden. In the moonlight, I can make out the shapes of sculpted hedges and delicate flowers.