The Duke's Forbidden Lover (Forbidden #1)

Chapter 4.

Nalini was now a long way away from where she was before, but she had to push further. She had to find a place where they wouldn't look.

Turning her head, she spotted a carriage that was...just sitting there. This one was different than the others, though; there was a small crest in the middle, making it just that bit fancier, but she didn't think it really mattered.

The carriage didn't look like it was occupied either, and it was parked near a small pointed building that reminded her of her church, back home.

She shook her head. This wasn't the time to get nostalgic. There were much more important things to do, like running away from guards that wanted to capture her.

Her heart was beating in her ears as she checked the road to see if anyone was watching. There were people walking about but no one noticed her glancing around, slyly.

Luckily, the driver of the carriage the was nowhere to be found either. She blew out a big breath as she ran across the street. Hastily running around to the side, she found a small latch and her trembling fingers somehow managed to flick it open.

Climbing inside, she shut the door and watched through the window. A few seconds later, the two guards came around from the side building from across the street and paused.

She held her breath as they looked around, their furious eyes carefully studying everyone that walked past. Upon not seeing her there, they continued on running, not even glancing at the carriage she was in.

As soon as they went out of sight, she let out a sigh of relief but ducked down when she saw a glimpse of a man right near the window.

Oh, no. This was someone's carriage! She shut her eyes tightly as she face-palmed. If the owner of the carriage came inside, they'd see her, get mad, and then they'd kick her out and the guards would find her because of the commotion. Who knew what would happen to her then?

Her heart began to beat rapidly and her whole body tensed, afraid of being caught. Her eyes were fixed on the door, ignoring the fact that her head and legs throbbed painfully.

Without taking her eyes away, she pinched herself. She hissed in pain but didn't wake up like she wanted to. She waited some more for the carriage door to open...but nothing happened.

She heard the faint sound of the horses neighing from the front, and almost immediately, the carriage began to move.

Nalini gasped at the weird sensation of being rocked, the sounds of the horses trotting a distant echo. She never thought she'd have the chance of being driven in a vehicle like this before.

Before she knew it, an excited laugh was making its way out of her throat. She turned to look at the leather seats but decided against sitting on it because she was still damp.

As the drive went on, Nalini let out an expulsion of breath. She couldn't believe her luck! A relieved, disbelieving sigh made its way out of her lips and that's when a wave of exhaustion rushed through her and she realised just how sore her body and muscles were.

To say she was exhausted was an understatement.

She couldn't sleep in the carriage though, she knew that. If she did, then she'd be caught by someone. As soon as the carriage stopped, she needed to sneak away and run aimlessly again.

Her head, however, wasn't listening at all. As the throbbing in her head increased, her vision became hazy and soon, her vision overcame with darkness and her head fell limp against the side of the carriage.

When she woke up, the room was dark, but she could still tell how spacious it was. Her head only throbbed slightly, and the ache in her legs was dull.