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My den.
Right.
I glanced over my shoulder and tried to gauge the distance. It wasn’t far—but assuming I made it there, it was a long drop to get inside.
A wolf’s pained howl made my stomach roll again.
I’d deal with the drop when I got there.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
The man dipped his head, and stepped with me as I hurried toward the den. Ivaylo was still fighting, but he clearly trusted the men he’d asked to protect me. So, I tried not to worry they were going to attack me.
I ducked under the low-hanging bit of tree blocking the entrance, and my eyes caught on a lever near the entryway. Behind it, there was a sheet of stone that looked like it might be able to slide.
Was it a lock?
It had to be a lock.
Or the closest thing Ivaylo had to one.
After a peek at the men to make sure none of them looked like they were going to try to follow me inside the den, I hurried to the lever and tugged on it. It was heavy—really damn heavy—but I threw all of my weight into it. It creaked, and then finally moved.
The heavy stone slid into place over the doorway with more loud noises. I let out a relieved breath when it stopped moving, securely blocking off the entrance.
When a moment passed without anyone banging on the makeshift door or trying to get in, my lips slowly stretched in an exhausted grin.
I was in a magical world, where I couldn’t do a damn thing to protect myself… but for the moment, I had blocked off the path that could potentially lead me to anyone else.
I was safe.
I was secure.
I wasalone.
Usually, that loneliness would’ve felt like a bad thing. For the moment, it felt like a necessary one.
I stepped over the sharp bit of wood separating me from the drop into the den, and stared down into it for a long moment. There were still a ton of huvim floating around, so I could see clearly.
The drop was probably only eight or nine feet. That seemed like a lot, considering I was barely five-and-a-half.
I wasn’t anywhere near a professional when it came to heights or jumping down from things. But, I was fairly certain I could make it without breaking an ankle, as long as I was careful to lower myself down as far as possible before dropping the rest of the way.
“Here goes nothing.” I squeezed my eyes shut as I lowered myself to the ground on my belly. One of my feet went over the ledge, followed by the other, and I let out a long breath before sliding my ass over it too.
My hands gripped the smooth stone tightly as I lowered myself down as slowly as I could manage. My fingers slipped off the ledge just before I could get my body straightened out—and I fell so fast I didn’t even have time to cry out.
Luckily, my feet hit the ground a breath later. Though I wobbled severely, I managed to stay upright.
An incredulous laugh bubbled through my lips.
I had done it.
I had locked the shifters out, and managed to get myself down into the den all on my own. Sure, I would have a hell of a time getting out when I decided to—but if I wanted, I could remain locked away until the food ran out before facing Ivaylo again.
Though I didn’t know how much food there was remaining, I was certain I could ration it. I’d seen a few books on a shelf too, and didn’t know of any reason why Serae’s translation magic wouldn’t also make me capable of reading to pass the time. So, I’d be fine.
And alone.
