I’m overcome with sadness, knowing others are placing their lives in danger for me. But I can’t let Grim see it. He is strong for me, and I have to be strong for him.
“I will go now,” I concede.
A small smile plays on his lips, adding to his handsomeness. “Thank you,” is all he says before stepping back and disappearing, leaving me alone. When he leaves me like that, I feel an immediate loss. Like the air has changed and is somehow not as easy to breathe. Why is it easier to breathe when he is here?
To others, the Angel of Death is a mere myth. He doesn’t have friends and he doesn’t have allies.
He is a man who only appears in your last moments. He knows the good from the bad. And when he comes for you, there is no hiding. There is no pleading for your life. He can take you in an instant once your time is up.
But not with me.
To me, he isn’t the Angel of Death. Grim has only ever saved me. He knew of the prophecy, and he will do anything within his power to keep me safe.
I belong to him, and he belongs to me.
I gather a few items of clothing and a choice of weapons, stuffing them all into a black hessian bag. They will all be looking for me, and the house is the first place they will search. But I have one important thing to do first. I run to Tatiana’s bedroom and drop to the floor. My nails dig into the wooden plank as I try to unhinge it.
“Come on,” I complain, frightened I am wasting too much time. Finally, it raises just enough to hook my fingers under to yank it up and pull Tatiana’s diary free. Turning to the page after the last entry, I write my note.
* * *
Where our allies lie, there you’ll find me.
* * *
Closing the book and stuffing it back into the hole in the floor, then sealing it back in place, a chill runs up my spine.
They’re coming.
All of them.
Hooking the bag over my shoulder, I take off at a sprint out the back door. If I stay any longer, they will find me. I run fast, meeting the same speed the wolves do when they’re on their hunt. I feel eyes burning into the back of me and brave a look. Standing down the street outside my house is Bronik, but he isn’t chasing me. Instead, he watches as my feet barely touch the ground in an effort to get as far away as quickly as possible.
He is letting me go.
For whatever reason, he’s stopping them from getting to me.
I don’t know his intentions.
I don’t know if he is setting me up to fail.
Only time will tell whether he is friend or foe.
Chapter Five
The barriers separating the wards are off-limits, and we certainly aren’t meant to cross them. But this isn’t your average day. The wall is too high. With magic, I could get over it, but that would leave me exposed for others to see. So that only leaves me with one choice. I have to go through the wall, and pushing through objects is never fun for a witch.
Inhaling deeply, I’m ready for a sprint. I close my eyes and imagine I’m falling through a cloud, visualizing it the best I can. Light and transcendent.
Reality is entirely different.
I’m hit with the full force, my body now moving in slow motion as it courses through the thick wall. I feel the pressure bind to my body, until finally, I exit the wall and time speeds up a thousand-fold. That’s when I am sent careening out, my feet unable to keep up with the pace.
I didn’t see it coming, but I certainly feel it. A hard body meets mine on impact, and I rebound off, landing heavily on the ground. I’m winded and struggle to catch my breath. Wheezing, feeling my lungs fill with air again, I start dusting myself off.
“That was certainly an entrance,” a deep, gravelly voice says, startling me.
A hand reaches down to help, and I meet his gaze. The shifter has a thick head of hair and deep brown eyes. A scar mars his face, but that doesn’t take away from his good looks.
“Take my hand, witch,” he says, drawing my attention back to him. I accept and he hoists me to my feet. He says nothing more, and at this point, I’m unsure what to say anyway. Maybe Grim was right—the wolves were expecting me. Why else would there be a lone shifter standing at this particular spot of the fence?
I watch as he starts to walk away with no further instruction. I catch up and follow along closely behind him, hoping he will take me where I need to go.