Page 38 of Avidian
“Are you hurt?”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m alright.”
“I hate to break this up,” Malachi says, “but two of my people are outside in the tree line, ready to get them somewhere safe.”
I glance at the other Avid as Malachi opens his cell. He steps out cautiously, looking younger than us, maybe by a year or two. Thank God there are no kids here in these conditions. But they may be somewhere else.
Aurora and I pull apart, and I stand, helping her to her feet. I check her over for injuries, but she looks me up and down, her expression shifting as she takes in how different I must look. Not to mention how out of place I am in this ridiculous dress, in the snow, in a fucking underground prison.
The room feels like it drops a few degrees, the air suddenly freezing, and then my chest goes cold.
“Tick tock, Kitty Kat,” a familiar voice echoes, smug and mocking. “He’s closer than you think.”
Damien’s faint form appears beside Aurora, his presence like a shadowy stain against the dim light. He winks at me, his smile twisted, and then he’s gone.
“What did you see?” Aurora asks, gripping my shoulders tightly, her eyes wide with concern. She knows that look on my face all too well.
“We need to leave. Now.”
I wrap an arm around her, pulling her close as Malachi leads the way. We rush out of the hatch, carefully putting everything back the way we found it. At the stable door, Malachi pauses, peeking out into the night before speaking into his comms.
“Is it clear for us to come out?”
There’s a pause, my pulse hammering in my ears, before he nods to us, his movements brisk. “Let’s go.”
He slides the large door open enough for us to slip through, and we step out into the frigid night air. The cold bites at my skin, but all I can think about is Damien’s warning. “He’s closer than you think.”
Who’s closer? The killer? Or someone else? The answer feels like it’s hiding in the shadows around us, and it’s all I can do to keep moving forward.
We reach the edge of the forest where two figures are waiting—fully geared up like soldiers with masks covering their faces, weapons strapped to their backs, and heavy coats keeping them warm and hidden. One of them steps forward, and I can tell by the build it’s a woman. She moves straight to Aurora, draping a thick jacket around her shoulders.
“You’re safe now. I’ll see you soon,” I say softly, though I have no idea when or if I’ll actually see her again. My voice trembles, not from the cold but from the uncertainty. I don’t know these people, but she’s safer now than she was in that godforsaken stable—or if one of those sick bastards from the party had bought her tonight.
Aurora pauses, glancing back at me, and then shrugs the coat off, handing it to the boy beside her. Of course—she won’t be cold. She never is. The boy, on the other hand, looks like he’s been through hell, his shoulders hunched and his movements stiff. He takes the coat with a grateful nod, his eyes meeting mine for a fleeting moment before darting away.
Malachi steps forward, exchanging low words with his people. I can’t make out what he’s saying. The woman gestures toward the deeper forest, and Aurora and the boy begin to follow her.
The second figure, the one in full military gear, lingers behind, his gaze fixed on me. There’s something about the way he tilts his head, like he’s trying to place me, or maybe he’s curious. Either way, I’ve had enough people staring at me tonight. I turn away, pulling Malachi’s jacket tighter around me as if that could shield me from the weight of his attention.
I feel Malachi’s arm drape over my shoulder, pulling me close as he steers us back toward the mansion. His touch is warm, steadying, and for once I don’t shove him off. As we hurry across the snow, I glance back over my shoulder, but there’s no sign of them anymore. They’ve disappeared into the shadows of the forest, swallowed by the night.
Still, I can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching. Not them, not Malachi—it’s something deeper, like a presence I can’t name, prickling at the back of my neck and settling heavy in my chest. Damien’s voice echoes faintly in my mind, and I wonder if his warning meant more than I realized. “He’s closer than you think.”
Who?
I swallow hard, forcing my eyes back to the mansion. Whatever it is, I can’t deal with it now. I have to focus on surviving the rest of this night.
Malachi and I don’t speak on the walk back. I’m still reeling from seeing Aurora, still piecing together everything that happened. By the time Malachi opens a door and ushers me inside, I realize we’re in a part of the mansion I’ve never been to before.
The room is grand—far larger than mine. A four-poster bed dominates the space, draped with rich, dark fabrics that matchthe wooden walls. A cobblestone fireplace is built into one side, the flames within lighting up the dim room with a amber glow. It’s warm and inviting, but that only makes the tension in my stomach churn harder.
“What is this?” I ask, turning to face him.
“Stay here,” he says firmly. “Don’t do anything. Sit by the fire and follow my lead when I get back.”
I open my mouth to object, to demand answers, but he’s already out the door, shutting it behind him before I can utter a word. He’s moving fast, like time is running out, and for all I know, it is.
The room feels suffocatingly quiet, and I let out a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. Why leave me here? What’s the plan?
