She had no choice now. She had to run.
Mina spun around, running as fast as she could beneath the weight of her dress and cloak, her eyes fixed on the castle’s front door. Her foot skidded on a hidden patch of ice, but she caught herself and pressed on, lungs burning as she forced her body forward.
A second doorway caught her eye, half-hidden in shadow. She lunged for it, grasping the handle and wrenching it open—only to find it locked.
She glanced over her shoulder. The wolves were charging now, the distance between them shrinking with every heartbeat.
Panic drove her forward again, legs screaming in protest, tears stinging as her heart battered against her ribs. They would catch her. They would tear her apart, right there in the courtyard.
Then, from the shadows, a door flew open. A hand seized her arm and dragged her into darkness.
The door slammed shut behind her, cutting off the wind, the snow, the snarling.
Gasping for breath, Mina stared blindly into the black. A presence loomed before her—large, solid. She heard heavy breathing, close enough to feel.
And she knew at once this was not Sofia.
CHAPTER 22
Mina’s eyes struggled to adjust to the absence of light surrounding her, to the disorientation of being within this darkened room somewhere in the castle. Frustrated snarls and barks came through the closed door behind her, claws scratching at the wood that stood between them and their prey. Instinctively, Mina stepped away from the door, reaching back to touch the stone wall and using it to guide her through the blackness.
As her eyes searched the room, she noticed dim light from above—a staircase, leading to a second story. If she could just reach the upper floor, perhaps there would be another exit. Another way to escape.
The heavy breathing of the stranger cut through the quiet, sending a chill down her spine. She had run from one threat straight into the arms of another.
“Who are you?” she asked, her voice breathless.
“A simple thank you would have sufficed.”
The voice was gruff and deep, and the confirmation that this was, in fact, a strange man before her sent a fresh wave offear crashing through her. Outside, sharp barking and growling continued, and a pit opened in her stomach.
She could just make out the outline of a figure a few paces away—tall and broad, a black shape against shadow. She moved slowly, edging toward where she hoped the stairs would be.
“My husband will have your head if you do anything to me,” Mina said, working to steady her voice.
He scoffed. “I would expect nothing less,” the stranger said. “The Count is quite possessive of his toys.”
Confusion washed through her. “Is that why you led me here?” she asked, her foot brushing against stone. “To provoke my husband?”
“Led you?” His tone sharpened. “If you’re asking why I saved you from those wolves, rest assured—it was impulse, nothing more.”
She lifted her foot and eased onto the first step. Whatever awaited above could not be worse than the wolves beyond the door—or the raider before her. Leaning into the cold stone for balance, she climbed slowly, careful not to draw attention to herself.
“And if your intentions are so noble,” she said, “why are you here at all? Why trespass in the night like a thief?” She did not know whether his words were true, but keeping him talking seemed the only way for her to know of his location in the room.
A faint hint of light hovered above—perhaps moonlight reflected off the snow—which meant a window. Escape seemed unlikely if the wolves still waited below.
“Ironic, that you should call me a thief,” he said. “Where is Father Petru?”
She furrowed her brows, thinking back to the man who had married them. “I don’t understand the question. He returned to his home the morning after I arrived.”
“So it’s denial you’ve chosen,” the stranger replied.
Denial? Did he think the priest was still here—somewhere within the castle? Her mind leapt back to the night she’d been made to believe hadn’t happened: the invaders, the chaos. Was this the connection? Did the raiders believe the Count had done something to Father Petru?
“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” she asked.
The man did not answer, and a chill ran down her spine. Nearing the top of the staircase, she took the last steps before she could lose her nerve.
