Chapter 11

Kiara

Rain pounds down against the soil, soaking my dress as I step outside. It's pitch-black out, except for the moon's light, but that won't stop me. This is my one chance for escape. I slip out of my heels and throw them behind me. They're too high and will slow me down. Remnants of that wine I had with Ysabel earlier in my room still linger in my system, making my movements more sluggish than normal, but I let the cold night air sober me up. I'll need every advantage I can if I'm going to outrun them.

My arms propel me forward as I run away from the castle and into the murky unknown. Cold seeps into my bones from the frigid October air, but my adrenaline is pumping too fast for it to register. Sticks and rocks slice into the bottoms of my feet, and I have second thoughts about ditching my shoes, but it's too late for that now.

"Kiara!" Elek shouts my name like a warning as I run through a cluster of trees, disappearing through the thick, dense leaves. "You can't escape us."

"Come out, come out, wherever you are, kis boszorkány!" Mátyás taunts with a cruel laugh. He must still be pissed that I kneed him in the balls. I must admit he bounced back quicker than I thought he would.

The odds aren't in my favor. There are two of them and one of me, but giving up isn't in my nature. If I can't outrun them, I'll need to outsmart them.

My heart pounds against my chest the harder I push my body, glancing through the shadows for any signs I'm going the right way. A small pitch-black path is off to my right, and I wind through the debris to stay on it. My waterlogged dress weighs twice as much, making it more of an anchor and slowing me down.

"Caught you." His raven head drops down from one of the trees as lightning strikes, illuminating Elek's face. He grins, showing off his sharp fangs, making my insides shiver.

Frustration hits me as I turn back the way I came and put distance between us. More sticks and debris slice into the bottoms of my feet, and I'm sure I'll wind up with an infection from the cuts, but it'll be worth it if I can get out of here.

Blood pounds in my ears as I follow a new trail to the left. It winds down a hill, propelling me faster than my feet can go. I lose my balance and fall to my knees, the skirt of my dress getting tangled around my feet on the way down. The momentum is too much, and I can't stop. I roll down the rest of the way as more sticks, rocks, and who knows what else slash at the skin on my arms, back, and face the entire way down.

I land flat on my back, staring at the night sky as rain continues beating down on me. In the short time I've been out here, more clouds have moved in and covered the area in shadow. There's not even a sliver left of the moon to light my way. I'm blind out here.

Scrapes cover my arms and back, but the burn is more of a dull ache as I struggle to catch my breath. A sharp pain forms in my side from all the running, but I refuse to give up. Surrendering isn't in my nature.

I push to my feet and hobble into the next thicket of trees. Lightning strikes, hitting the ground right where my head was moments ago, shaking the ground beneath my feet and making my knees tremble. That was close. Too close for my liking.

"You won't get away from us that easy, társam." Elek sounds as angry as his counterpart right now. He also sounds much closer than he was before.

The wind starts to pick up as if it's in tune with his mood, sending a chill through me. Goosebumps form on my exposed and battered skin. I need cover from the elements to give me a minute to catch my breath.

Off to my right, there's an oak tree with a base the size of a small car that has to be over four hundred years old, perfect for me to hide behind. I press up against it as close as possible, grounding my feet into the wet soil and letting the earth's natural energy soothe me.

As I relax my body weight into the thick wood, a strange buzz forms in the air. My palms tingle as an electrical current shoots up from my feet through my body, stopping at my fingertips. I lift my hands and let the magic flow through me. Being outside in the elements has recharged the power that's been dormant since they took me. Looks like their protection spell doesn't work this far out.

Feeling that the playing field is even now that some of my powers are back, I take off again. The trees in this part of the forest must be much older because their bases are wider than the first tree I hid behind.

"You might as well give up now," Mátyás drops out of the sky, landing in front of me and blocking my path. "You're no match for us without the bloodstone. And even now, it won't work until we complete the mating ritual."

"We'll see about that. Ligare." I turn around and shoot my hands out, becoming one with the electrical current running through my veins. Limbs of a nearby tree turn into vines and wrap around Mátyás, binding him in place like he did me to the bed.

"Really?" He arches a brow at me, showing off that bird tattoo on his cheek that reminds me of a falcon.

"Turnabout is fair play." I can't resist taunting him. Something about him crawls under my skin and carves its way through my bloodstream.

"I'll remember you said that." He grins, showing off his fangs.

"Now, be a good boy and stay." I start running again, but his maniacal laughter stops me. His cold, hard gaze is fixed on me when I face him, causing a sense of dread to course through my insides. I shiver, and not from the cold this time.

"My turn." His body emanates a deep red glow from within as flames shoot out from his hands, singeing away his bindings. "Yours aren't the only powers that have decided to show up to the party."

"Shit." I spin, ready to put this place behind me, when I hit a brick wall and am knocked back on my ass against the mud. Splatters of it hit my face and body, but there's no missing the pale bare feet I saw earlier. Through the rain, I look up to find Elek towering over me.

"Shit is right." He bares his teeth and glares down at me.

I crab crawl backward, putting some much-needed distance between us, and climb to my feet. I'm about to run to the opposite side, where there's an opening when I'm grabbed from behind. All the air is knocked out of me as a shoulder digs into my stomach, and I'm staring at a leather-covered ass. Mátyás.

"No." I pound my fists into his back. "Put me down," I scream until my voice is raw.

"Calm down." A hand smacks my ass, stunning me into silence. Pain explodes up the side of my right butt cheek, flaring my temper to life.

"You motherfucker!" I lift up as best I can to see where we're going and find Elek staring at me with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You want to act like a brat, then we'll treat you like one." He cocks his head to the side, watching me like I'm nothing more than a child throwing a temper tantrum.

"And you're going to regret throwing our kindness in our faces." Mátyás's grip tightens on my thighs.

Our surroundings blur as Mátyás picks up his pace and travels at supernatural speed. My stomach rolls from the sudden motion. I squeeze my eyes closed and focus on slow, even breaths. I'm tempted to throw up all over him, but something tells me that'll make whatever punishment they have planned for me ten times worse.

All hope escapes me the moment I recognize the castle's stone flooring. The sound of the wooden door closing might as well be the sound of my own doom. I tried to escape and failed.

Disappointment washes over me. My fate has been sealed. Now, I'll have to suck it up and own my punishment like a big girl. But what they don't understand is that I bite back just as hard.