Page 43 of Visions of Darkness

Suddenly, brisk footfalls echoed down the corridor, and two hushed voices grew louder as they approached.

The man froze, hesitating, wavering as he leaned forward, then back again.

Somewhere close, a door banged when it was pushed open, and one of the voices carried through the wall: “Did you need something, Ainsley?”

He jolted upright at that, malevolence rippling over his body as he stood in frustration before he finally turned and silently eased back to the door.

He paused there, and I could feel his hungry gaze rove over me again when he turned to look back once more.

He pulled open the door. It cast a wedge of light across the room.

From the edge of my blanket, I peeked out to where he faced away. He poked his head out into the hall and scanned both directions.

He filled the doorway, the mass of him blocking the light, a gory silhouette.

I could see well enough to make out the blue scrubs, the squatty shape, and the buzzed, light-colored hair.

When he found the hallway clear, he slipped out, leaving the door halfway open. His footsteps echoed down the hall, then died out the farther he went.

All the muscles that had been wound so tight in my body gave, and I slumped down in a puddle in the middle of the mattress. Relief and fear trembled through me.

Tears fell hot and fast.

Quick and uncontainable, though I tried to keep the sobs buried in my pillow.

Because this relief wouldn’t last for long.

I already knew.

Felt it in my soul.

The wickedness that had oozed from the man’s stance, in the quivers of malicious desire that had racked through the room.

He was going to be back, and I’d already read his intent.

I could already feel his hands around my neck, squeezing the life from me.

Even though I’d only seen him from behind, I could clearly imagine the smile on his face when he did it.

When I’d told Pax about binding the Kruen while awake, I’d been foolish enough to hope he’d tell me it was normal. That it was something they’d forgotten to tell me would happen around the time when I turned eighteen.

But that hope had fizzled when I saw the fear that had flashed across his face when I’d told him. His gorgeous face that I ached to see. One I ached to reach out and touch, the same way I ached to touch his body.

Just once.

Because I would fight it—with all of me—but I was sure my fate was already stamped and sealed.

The Kruen were going to hunt me, seek me out on this sphere, and they wouldn’t stop until I was dead.

I just never could have imagined they would find me so fast.

When I’d felt that dread sprout from the depths of my soul, sure that if my parents locked me away here again that I might die, I’d never anticipated how literal it’d been.

I buried my face deeper into the pillow to drown the sorrow.

A raspy scream ripped up my throat when a hand landed on my shoulder. I shot upright, reeling back until I was pressed against the wall.

Through the vapid shadows, Jenny’s blue eyes went round, and she pushed her hands out in front of her in surrender.

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