Page 80 of XV (Fifteen) (War of Roses 1)

Wham!

I’m struck so hard that I go sprawling and there’s nothing I can do but brace. Groaning, I rise to my knees, making a note of my surroundings. Faint moonlight illuminates a stark landscape of winding hills and looming trees.

Then nothing. Whether by the grace of God or accident, I tripped mere paces from a sharp drop. The earth gives way to a cliff that overlooks looming darkness.

And makes for the perfect trap.

Leaves rustle nearby, and I lurch to my feet, squaring my stance. To fight? God, I don’t know. Maybe I will. At least this time I won’t let him corner me like an animal. When footsteps near my position, I turn to face him, hunting his form in the darkness. Sure enough, I spot a breathless figure crouched nearby.

But their shape is wrong. Too small. Too slender. And their face…

Graced by a beam of moonlight, pale skin glows, delicate and pure. Wide, blue eyes gleam in a face so familiar that it’s like looking into a mirror—an enchanted one that shows my reflection as it once was, free of scars and bruises. The shocked expression even matches mine, I’m sure.

But then my doppelganger’s eyes narrow in recognition, and pink lips form a voice much more charming than mine. “Ellen?”

Numb with shock, all I can croak is, “Briar?”

She’s still so beautiful. Is that what shocks me the most? Huddling under the threat of Mischa, it was easier to ignore the damage done to me then. Not now, with a perfect version of my features forming a stark contrast.

She’s still wearing silk, her hair slicked back into a neat bun. So polished, in fact, that she could have come from a ball or gala.

Not a madman’s backyard.

I’ve gone insane. That explains it. Still, I find myself talking to what must be a figment of my imagination. “What are you doing here?”

The mirage of Briar blinks, startled. Then…she throws her head back to display her pale throat and laughs. She’s loud, no doubt catching notice for miles—but that’s not what makes my stomach sink. It’s the coldness reflected in her gaze as she meets mine directly.

“I fucking knew it,” she hisses, her hands clenching into fists. “That bastard. I fucking knew it!”

“Knew what? How did you get here?” A sudden thought takes my breath away. “Did Mischa—”

“I should have known he’d do anything to have you back.” She takes a step back, still laughing. Lost in amusement, she doesn’t seem to realize just how close she is to the ledge. Her heeled feet kick up loose rocks that clatter into the abyss. “I was hoping you would just stay gone. Why couldn’t you?”

Once again, I’m not sure if she’s really here or a hallucination. A nightmare. In twenty-three years, I’ve never heard her sound so lost. Or so damn cold.

“What are you talking about?”

“Seriously?” She cocks her head. “You’restillso fucking stupid.” One of her hands drifts to her cheek, brushing the unblemished skin. “They really thought you were me…”

I copy her, flinching as my palm grazes my injured cheek.

“Why couldn’t you just keep your mouth shut?” Briar wonders so softly that I barely hear her. “Did you really think he’d save you? No!” Her voice rises in pitch, alarmingly loud. “I won’t let him use me as his fucking pawn—”

Above her shouting, I almost miss it: the earth crunching—warning of the approach of a larger creature. I smell him before I even see him, so potent that it chokes me. Raw strength. Unbridled rage.

Mischa.

Briar doesn’t notice him until he’s already stepped from the cover of a nearby tree. Her skin goes even paler, her legs trembling.

But she isn’t the figure caught by the full force of his gaze. He doesn’t say a word, but his posture reminds me every bit of a hunter’s. Waiting for me to move. To run.

“Stay away from me!” Briar staggers wildly, her arms outstretched. Her foot catches a stray branch, sending her stumbling.

I race for her without realizing, grabbing her arm. “Stop—”

“Let go!” She flails and her hand connects with my chest, knocking me back.

I careen against a firm surface.Mischa.He grabs my waist to steady me but shoves me aside. I can only stare as he moves with predatory grace, lunging for Briar.

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