The Edge of Light ✔️

Chapter Twenty Nine

E L E N A

The days bled together in that small, remote cottage. I had chosen it for its seclusion, nestled deep in the woods, away from prying eyes. Away from Nikolai.

I didn't care that the place was bare, or that the walls felt like they were closing in on me. It was the closest thing to freedom I had felt in a long time. But even here, the weight of my decision hung heavy in the air. There was no peace, only the gnawing realization that I had to leave as soon as possible. I had to find a way to reach Emilio or Angela. They were the only people who could help me. Get me a passport, a new identity in the shortest time. They'd be the only people willing to help.

It was early in the morning and I was sitting in front of the small dusty mirror that hung on the cottage's wooden fall. I stared at myself. It had taken me so much to wash his blood out of these clothes, my hands, my hair. I could still feel the warm liquid on my skin to this day. I had found a change of male clothes in the cottage I wore while I waited for mine to dry. But now as I was back in my own clothes I realized how much I had changed. Black was a color I rarely wore. But looking back it was the most frequent color I wore in the past few months.

The bags under my eyes were dark and deep. My hair a mess that reached longer than before but had lost its shine. I felt terrible.

I was a shadow of the woman I once was.

And still I couldn't stop myself from wondering if he was well off. Was he alive?

I shook my head, trying to push away the thoughts.

Just as I wanted to get up to get some fresh air I heard something crinkle outside. My brows scrunched. All the alarms in my head went off as I hid behind the door. Somebody was here. They were looking for me. They found me.

The door creaked open, my heart stopped. Fear seized my throat as I turned, coming face to face with the man sent to find me. It wasn't Nikolai. Even worse.

Dimitri. He smiled, but it was a predator's smile. "You've been a hard one to track down, Elena," he said, stepping inside. "But I knew I'd find you." he hummed, closing the door behind him. All the hairs on my body stood in alert.

My heart pounded, but I kept my face still. "What do you want, Dimitri?"

His smile widened as he stalked toward me. "I think you know exactly what I want." I held my breath as I watched him reach for his belt. My eyes widened, my blood running cold in realization. He had always looked at me with those lust filled eyes but I never made a big deal of it because I was sure he'd never have an opportunity to be alone with me. Oh, how wrong I was.

"Dimitri, don't do this. Nikolai will kill you." He didn't seem to care because he continued to stalk towards me.

I stepped back, desperate to create some space between us, dread curling in my gut. His gaze hardened. I grabbed the closest thing to me—a porcelain vase—and threw it at him. He dodged it, causing it to smash against the wall, falling into pieces. My eyes widened in horror as his darkened in rage.

He reached for me, grabbing me by my hair. I whimpered at the pain when he pulled harshly. He threw me against the wall causing me to fall to my knees. Pain exploded all over my side.

"Dimitri, please!" I begged as he straddled me, his hands impatiently working on his belt. Tears welled in my eyes but I bit them back. It seemed my fear only made him only gridier.

The alarm bells in my head went berserk as he dragged his hands all over my body.

He reached for my pants, I moved on instinct, grabbing the nearest object—a shard of broken porcelain. In the blur of motion, everything happened too fast after that. Blood splattered across the room as the man collapsed to the floor, his eyes wide in shock.