Buried in blood

"Run, roza," he murmured, his eyes flashing. "Run as fast as those legs can take you. Hide in the deepest cave on this mountain. Scream for your friends. Cry for help."

He leaned in close, his voice dropping into a whisper so cold, so terrifying, it shook me to the very core of my soul.

"Because when five minutes are up... I am coming to hunt you down. And when I catch you this time, Cherry-and I will catch you-there will be no more runs. No more fake names. No more mountain villages. I am going to drag you back to my estate, throw you into my room, and lock the doors forever. I will cage you so deep beneath my foundation that you will never see the sun again."

He leaned down, pressing his lips against the shell of my ear one last time.

"One," he whispered.

Terror, violent and absolute, exploded through my veins.

Lucian raised his palm, resting it flat against my shoulder, and gave me a single, gentle shove.

"Two."

I stumbled back, my feet catching on the wet pine needles before I turned and bolted into the dark, screaming inside my own head as I sprinted blindly into the deepest, blackest part of the forest.

"Three."

I ran.