skirts caught on the underbrush. They snagged and tore, twigs scratching her legs. She ran harder, one arm before her face to fend off the branches. They raked across her sleeve. She gasped as they cut into her flesh.
Alexia’s feet thudded the ground in rhythm, echoed by another distant set—faster ones.
Chest heaving, she sucked in air, but could not draw enough. Invisible fingers squeezed at her airways. Her lungs pulsed like she was being dragged under a great watery swell. The whoosh of leaves turned her head as an upright silhouette crashed through her periphery. Blackness blinked at the corners of her vision. Her muscles burned.
She would faint before she could outrun her pursuer!
She gulped in air. Perspiration chilled her skin. The rasp of her own breathing filled her ears.
“Help!” she screeched. Father would find her. He’d track her. “Father! Anyone!” But she’d gone miles. Even if he’d begun looking, she’d wandered too far.
A bough slapped her across the face. White light flashed. She blinked it away, uncertain whether her legs were still under her.
She couldn’t outrun this thing. No one would hear her, but she screamed anyway. “Help me!” It was an empty plea.
Weight pummeled into her back. She flew forward as the ground rushed up. Her head smacked a rock and the wind jarred painfully from her lungs. A cry tore from her throat as warm liquid slid down her cheek.
Sight blinked out and back. Pounding echoed through her ears, growing louder. Pressure crushed down through her spine, like a boulder digging into her back. Pain. Piercing, searing, tearing the flesh. A scream—hers?
Blackness.
She tried to lift her arms. They remained pressed into the spongy moss, but she wouldn’t give in!
“Please.” It sounded meager. She forced her eyes open as fire tore through her vertebrae, another shriek wrenching free. Tears wet her lashes.
Stop.
A headache tensed through her skull. The air around her stilled. It hung stagnant as she blinked and watched one crystalline drop fall tediously slowly to the ground. It flattened against the dirt and expanded into a beautiful ring of translucent fingers.
She tried to suck in a breath, but the air refused to move. The creature tearing at her back had frozen. Her brain burned. “Please.”
It was too much. She let go. The searing in her head dimmed and claws burrowed into her muscles.
Before she died, she wanted to see the sky—one last vision of the stars to light her spirit’s way. She turned her head.
A face. Handsome, luminescent. And fierce blue eyes . . .
All went black.
19
Frenzy
Alexia lay on her back, on something soft—a bed, cocooned in blankets. Warm fingers encased hers. She forced her eyes open.
Raven wisps curtained luminous peachy skin above her, her aunt’s lips pressed with concern. Sarah’s olive eyes widened, and she gasped. “Charles!”
“Alexia?” He landed at her side, candlelight flicking deep shadows beneath his eyes and across his cheeks. “Thank God!”
“What . . . ?” She blinked and focused on him.
Sarah’s eyes brimmed with tears. “We searched for you up and down, in and out—!”
“I went for a walk.” Alexia lifted a hand to her forehead. Her fingers trailed over smooth skin. But that didn’t make any sense. She had been injured in the woods after being chased down. Hadn’t she?
“A drink, Alexia?” Father retrieved a waiting glass from her bureau. She stared after him, recognizing the lace curtains and mounted mirror of her room.
Her aunt leaned in. “Charles found you in the woods an hour ago. He said they scared someone off.”
Her throat seized.
Father slipped the cup into her hand and propped up her head. “You may speak with her later, Sarah.”
Her near-sister glared. Father met Sarah’s fury with a clenched jaw. She rose begrudgingly and stomped away, slamming the door.
His focus returned to Alexia. “What happened?”
She shivered.
Alexia’s feet thudded the ground in rhythm, echoed by another distant set—faster ones.
Chest heaving, she sucked in air, but could not draw enough. Invisible fingers squeezed at her airways. Her lungs pulsed like she was being dragged under a great watery swell. The whoosh of leaves turned her head as an upright silhouette crashed through her periphery. Blackness blinked at the corners of her vision. Her muscles burned.
She would faint before she could outrun her pursuer!
She gulped in air. Perspiration chilled her skin. The rasp of her own breathing filled her ears.
“Help!” she screeched. Father would find her. He’d track her. “Father! Anyone!” But she’d gone miles. Even if he’d begun looking, she’d wandered too far.
A bough slapped her across the face. White light flashed. She blinked it away, uncertain whether her legs were still under her.
She couldn’t outrun this thing. No one would hear her, but she screamed anyway. “Help me!” It was an empty plea.
Weight pummeled into her back. She flew forward as the ground rushed up. Her head smacked a rock and the wind jarred painfully from her lungs. A cry tore from her throat as warm liquid slid down her cheek.
Sight blinked out and back. Pounding echoed through her ears, growing louder. Pressure crushed down through her spine, like a boulder digging into her back. Pain. Piercing, searing, tearing the flesh. A scream—hers?
Blackness.
She tried to lift her arms. They remained pressed into the spongy moss, but she wouldn’t give in!
“Please.” It sounded meager. She forced her eyes open as fire tore through her vertebrae, another shriek wrenching free. Tears wet her lashes.
Stop.
A headache tensed through her skull. The air around her stilled. It hung stagnant as she blinked and watched one crystalline drop fall tediously slowly to the ground. It flattened against the dirt and expanded into a beautiful ring of translucent fingers.
She tried to suck in a breath, but the air refused to move. The creature tearing at her back had frozen. Her brain burned. “Please.”
It was too much. She let go. The searing in her head dimmed and claws burrowed into her muscles.
Before she died, she wanted to see the sky—one last vision of the stars to light her spirit’s way. She turned her head.
A face. Handsome, luminescent. And fierce blue eyes . . .
All went black.
19
Frenzy
Alexia lay on her back, on something soft—a bed, cocooned in blankets. Warm fingers encased hers. She forced her eyes open.
Raven wisps curtained luminous peachy skin above her, her aunt’s lips pressed with concern. Sarah’s olive eyes widened, and she gasped. “Charles!”
“Alexia?” He landed at her side, candlelight flicking deep shadows beneath his eyes and across his cheeks. “Thank God!”
“What . . . ?” She blinked and focused on him.
Sarah’s eyes brimmed with tears. “We searched for you up and down, in and out—!”
“I went for a walk.” Alexia lifted a hand to her forehead. Her fingers trailed over smooth skin. But that didn’t make any sense. She had been injured in the woods after being chased down. Hadn’t she?
“A drink, Alexia?” Father retrieved a waiting glass from her bureau. She stared after him, recognizing the lace curtains and mounted mirror of her room.
Her aunt leaned in. “Charles found you in the woods an hour ago. He said they scared someone off.”
Her throat seized.
Father slipped the cup into her hand and propped up her head. “You may speak with her later, Sarah.”
Her near-sister glared. Father met Sarah’s fury with a clenched jaw. She rose begrudgingly and stomped away, slamming the door.
His focus returned to Alexia. “What happened?”
She shivered.
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