Page 178 of A Vow of Wrath and Ruin

“We can’t stop. Not until dawn.”

“I know,” I said through heaving breaths. “I need a moment.” My footsteps stumbled over the managed roots in my path.

Resting my palms on my knees, I hurled the contents of my stomach onto the forest floor.

“Aelia,” Caiden whispered.

“I know, I know, I’m ready.”

“It’s not that,” Caiden said, his body rigid with fear.

A low guttural clicking echoed through the forest around us, sending a chill down my spine.

“We have to run… now.” He held out his hand, and I took it.

Within seconds, we were running again.

The massive creatures followed. Their claws dug into the frozen earth as they raced after us. The smell of rotting flesh wafted through the air. Silhouettes slipped through the trees.

My blood froze in my veins at the thought of their claws ripping through my flesh. A scream built in my chest, but a didn’t dare set it free. I wasn’t sure I could stop once I started.

“Don’t look back,” Caiden said. “Dawn will be upon us soon. We… just… have to… keep… going.”

The clicking grew louder. And the creatures split apart, flanking us on either side. I didn’t dare to look. The creatures ran on all fours like dogs, but there was something distinctly human about them.

The sky lightened with the haze of dawn, and I breathed a little easier. They couldn’t stay on the surface much longer. But I couldn’t keep running at this pace either. We were lambs to slaughter if they caught us. With no weapons and no magic, we would make for a tasty treat.

Our feet pounded on the hard soil, matching the pace of our fast breath. Each gasp burned deep in my lungs. My mother mentioned a quest. If I was going to die, it would not be here.

The snapping of Caiden’s ankle brought me back to reality. He tumbled to the ground, dragging me down with him. Together, we rolled into the wet carpet of leaves and branches until we came to a stop underneath a pine. Our eyes locked, and electricity shot through my veins. The tension pulled taut between us but quickly faded when the sound of panicked clicking echoed through the forest.

Caiden’s blue eyes widened, and he blinked rapidly.

The pink hues of dawn streaked through the forest. From our position underneath the tree, I could see the clawed hands and feet of the creatures searching for us.

“I don’t think they can see in the light,” Caiden whispered.

The creature stopped in its tracks.

I held my breath, afraid to move. All we had to do was hide here until the sun fully rose.

The Night Folk scratched at the ground in frustration. The stench of their breath wafted through the cold air to where we hid, bringing bile to the back of my throat.

Caiden scowled at me with a look that said:You better not.

A preternatural scream echoed through the forest, ringing in my ears. I gritted my teeth, burying my face into Caiden’s neck. The smell of leather and bergamot still lingered on his skin, buried beneath a layer of sweat. Memories flashed through my mind of a time when I would have given anything to be this close to him.

The Night Folk scattered into the forest, leaving giant gashes in the frozen earth.

I let out the breath I had been holding in, and I could sense Caiden’s skin twitch underneath me. We hadn’t been this close in a long time. Perhaps it was the adrenaline coursing through my veins after nearly being torn apart, or maybe it was the realization I’d never truly let him go, but I had the urge to kiss him.

Our breath mixed in the cool morning air. Chests heaving just like they had that night in the glass house by the river all those years ago.

“Uh, Aelia?” Caiden asked.

My throat went dry.

“Yes?”

---