Page 34 of Shadows of Ruin

To the left, a small window sat too high to reach. I doubted I’d fit through it even if I managed to reach it quietly. The stairwell to my right presented the only option.

My escape route.

I tiptoed down the hallway, glancing over my shoulder only once. The door to Kade’s room remained closed.

My heart pounded in anticipation of my escape, and I prayed the raucous noise of the tavern below covered the sound. The opening at the bottom would be hard to pass through without being seen, but the hallway did, in fact, continue. My freedom depended on this moment.

I peeked around the corner of the opening once I reached the last stair, searching for the others. In the back corner,opposite me, the three of them sat at a table. A tall blonde woman blocked Jax from my view, but none of them faced my way.

A burly man rose from a table closest to the hallway like a damn gift, and I took the advantage of his saunter toward the bar to sprint across the opening.

I threw my back against the wall, waiting one heartbeat. Then two.

The noise from inside the tavern didn’t dull, and no one chased after me through the opening. I exhaled slowly, allowing relief to calm some of the anxiety flooding my veins, before facing the end of the hall. Two doors stood there, unmarked and exactly the same. I reached for the one closest to me, sending up more silent pleas to whomever might be listening.

Locked.

“Damn,” I muttered. The palms of my hands dampened as my nerves increased, distracting me from the task at hand. I was so close.

I forced myself to take a deep breath, careful to do so as silently as possible, before focusing on the other door. I gripped the tarnished handle and turned. This time, the door swung open easily.

The smell of ale and old wooden crates accosted my senses as I snuck into the dark room. Multiple boxes and barrels crowded the small space, stacked far too high. I let the door shut quietly behind me and made my way through the maze of a storeroom. I forced myself to maintain a semblance of steady breaths, still trying to calm my racing heart despite my success thus far. Sneaking past Kade and his cadre was one thing, but escaping the tavern completely was another.

The only window in the room barely let through enough moonlight to see what lay directly in front of me. My toe hit an unmovable solid barrel, and I clenched my teeth, holding back a yelp of pain..

Shuffling through more slowly, I moved until I escaped the taller crates of supplies and made out a door in the corner. Perhaps the Fates hadn’t abandoned me after all.

I opened the door, moonlight illuminating a back alley to the tavern. Grinning, I ran to the end, looking around for the next step. I spied the bay of horses, tied up along a wooden post, bales of hay stacked in front of them.

An excited hysteria ran through my body, knowing I’d made it. I approached the horse I’d ridden earlier. “Hello again,” I cooed, reaching for the stallion’s nose. He flicked his head up, swatting my hand away. The horse pranced in place, looking like he wanted to make more noise than I could afford.

“Shhh.” I reached for the stallion, but my hand was brought up short.

I shouted as my body pitched backward, a damn shadow covering my mouth.

I twisted uselessly in his shadows as Kade’s eyes shone in front of me. A smile tugged at his stupid lips. "I suppose you think you’re clever, Little Rebel.”

“Get your hands off of me.” I tried to yell, but the words muffled against his shadows, coming out as a slew of angry nothings.

Kade wiggled his fingers in my direction as I continued to fight for release from my shadowy captor. “Technically theyaren’ton you.” His sly smile widened in excitement. “Let’s change that.”

Faster than should be possible, he lifted me over his shoulder, and I had to brush the hood back so it didn’t block my view. This time his shadows did leave my lips.

“Put me down right now,” I seethed.

He didn’t listen, holding me firmly in place despite my fists pounding against his back. This time, we didn’t enter the tavern through the storage room. No. The bastard marched me through the main hall itself.

Despite my protests, my curses, Kade merely laughed. The tavern quieted briefly, but returned to the rowdy atmosphere almost instantly. Not a single patron appeared to care at all about a woman being manhandled by the Fae who had tormented and killed some of their own earlier.

Jax’s unruly laughter sounded from behind me, and I held up my middle finger in his direction.

Kade strode through the crowd, undeterred by my fists as he marched us back up the stairs. He slammed the door to his room open before tossing me onto the bed.

I rebounded, jumping up, fists clenched. “I will never stop fighting to escape you,” I hissed.

Kade crossed his arms, cocking an eyebrow at me. “And I will always find you.”

I wondered briefly if I could actually harm Kade to get my freedom. I closed my eyes, drawing up the memory haunting me. Forcing myself to see my father die in my arms by Kade’s shadows. To relive the murders I’d witnessed earlier.

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