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I make it to the back door, holding in a whoop of triumph when I spot a pair of rain boots nestled in a tidy niche. I slip my feet into them. They’re a full size too large, which tells me they probably belong to Diana instead of one of the men. At least I’ll be able to walk in them. Even run if I must.
My hand grips the doorknob, ready to turn it, when Roman steps out of the shadows of the adjoining pantry. A startled cry escapes my mouth. Though it’s dark, I swear Roman’s yellow-hazel eyes burn with fury.
“Going somewhere?” he drawls, his tone soft and deadly.
Instead of answering him, I twist the handle and bolt through the doorway. He spews a series of curses as he lunges after me.
He’s hot on my heels. His menacing presence presses against my back. I half sprint, half fall down the stairs to escape him.
My feet land in deep, untouched snow, but I don’t let it slow me down. I turn left and sprint across the manicured garden to the obscured tree line with everything I’ve got. I refuse to be caught. My boots pound the uneven earth. I pump my arms and focus on the dense woods ahead.
Roman shouts at me, but I pay no attention to him. Wind whips my hair into my face, stinging my eyes. My nose and lips are already growing numb from the cold.
Still, I don’t let up. My life literally depends on making my escape.
I crash into the forest, blindly running through the quickly accumulating snow. My only thought is to get away from Roman. To escape my ugly fate. To run toward my sister and freedom. To live another day.
Low hanging branches smack me in the face and shoulders. As I run farther away from the estate’s lamplight, the darkness seems to swallow me whole.
Is it my imagination, or is the snow falling more heavily now?
Breathless, I come to a stop behind a huge tree trunk. Not only is the snow denser, it’s swirling around in all directions in the biting wind. If I stay out here too long, I’ll likely die from exposure.
Maybe this was a mistake. What was I thinking coming out here at night in the middle of a snowstorm?
Only one word explains my reasoning: Desperation.
That is my only excuse for acting like a complete idiot and putting my life in danger.
Staying inside with that monster is more dangerous, a voice whispers in the back of my mind. Yes, it is. I’ll gladly risk the weather. It can’t be too far to the road.
I take off running again, and as the elements continue to beat down on me, I grow panicky. In no more than a couple of minutes, I’ve lost all sense of direction. Hell, I can barely see where I’m going. In the morning, someone is going to find my frozen body in these woods.
You’re smarter than this, Sophia. Think.
Taking a huge risk, I use the flashlight function on my phone. Hopefully, I am far enough away from the house that no one will spot the illumination. The light doesn’t go far, but at least I can see my surroundings a little more clearly.
I emerge from the dense forest and breathe a sigh of relief. Up ahead is an open field, and beyond it are moving spots of golden light. Headlights. That’s the main road!
I quickly make a beeline for it. My boots pound the white powder... leaving easy to follow footprints? Nope. They are concealed in a matter of seconds by the snowfall. At least that’s another blessing to count. Roman won’t be able to track where I went, or how I escaped. He can never know that Arianna and Ravenna helped me. Though he’s guaranteed to suspect as much.
As I run, I notice that the ground now feels different beneath my feet. I can’t quite explain how it’s altered. I’m not getting the same traction—
A series of ominous cracks split the air.
And the earth shifts beneath me, opening up.
Then I’m plunged into water so cold it instantly freezes the blood in my veins. The world around me grows darker, the weight of my fur coat pulls me down to the murky bottom and the promise of death.
CHAPTER6
Roman
“Sophia! Stop!” I call after her, but she keeps running. “Goddamn it!” The stupid girl is heading straight for the lake, which this time of year should be frozen, but there are no guarantees.
With another curse, I take off after her. Between the dense forest, the snow, and the darkness, I momentarily lose track of her, until she broadcasts her location with a small beacon of light. I tear through the trees, but I’m too late. She’s already running full speed across the lake.
My palms itch in anticipation of what I’m going to do to her once I catch her and bring her home. Her ass is going to be so raw that she won’t be able to sit properly for a week.
