I have to stop her. If Keagan finds her this time or if Henri finds out—
I stop myself. I can’t even think about it without acid rising.
“Go on,” Lysander whispers to me.
“What?”
He gestures toward the end of the hall. “Go on. I know what you are thinking, and you should go. She will be in even more trouble if Keagan finds her. Go get her and bring her back safely.”
Giving him a grateful smile, I hurry off in the direction Haven disappeared to.
Haven
Pain explodes behind my temples and my tight muscles twitch with every step, but I don’t slow my pace. I’d wasted enough time going to my room to change my clothes and take a winter cloak and boots for the long journey ahead. Bringing anything more could slow me down, so I’m going to hope I won’t need anything more than the clothes on my back.
I sneak down the back staircase to the courtyard doors, glancing over my shoulder every so often to make sure I’m not being followed. Opening the heavy doors just a crack, I slip outside, trying to make as little noise as possible.
The moment I’m out in the frigid night, a gust of icy wind blows past me, and the skin on my exposed cheeks and hands burn. As I keep to the shadows along the stone path, there’s a lightness in the air that reminds me of an early snowfall. I clutch my cloak closer to my trembling body. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone out tonight. The chill is already sinking into my bones, and my knees are quivering from weakness. Everything still throbs, and the cut across my cheek stings with the slightest touch of the breeze. Will I even be able to make the journey to the city like this?
Glancing back at the manor, I try to remember my father’s face. I can see his silver-touched hair and hunched shoulders, but his face is just a hazy blur.
I try to envision his eyes, the ones that sparkled with joy when I’d successfully read my first book after his dailyteachings, and then swam with tears as he told me my mother had passed.
His eyes are blue.A kind, soft shade of blue…But the vision of him doesn’t become any clearer.
How can I forget what my own father looks like? If I stay here, will I fully lose him from my memory and dreams?
That horrible thought has me pressing on at a faster pace. I try not to think of Emma and how I’m leaving her behind to survive this horrid place alone. Guilt weighs heavy on my shoulders, but I know I need to focus on the daunting task ahead of me, not what’s behind.
My father.My father is ahead of me, and with that, my freedom.
“Haven!”
My heart leaps into my throat as a voice slices through the thick silence. I haven’t even made it off the manor property and already Avrum is on my tail.
How does he keep finding me?
Pretending to not hear him, I speed up, panic driving me forward.
I can’t go back. Ican’t.Henri will kill me next time, I just know it.
“Haven, stop.”
Still, I don’t. I know I can’t outrun him but giving up isn’t an option.
Then, faster than a blink, he’s in front of me.
I try to lock my knees and stop short, but my weight continues forward, and I fall. Arms come around me before I hit the ground, and when I look up, Avrum’s staring down at me with a tenderness in his eyes I hardlyrecognize. His hands are gentle as he lifts me onto my feet again, but when he realizes how close we are, he steps back to give me space and clears his throat.
“I… I need to speak with you,” he says, stumbling a bit in embarrassment.
I look at him—really look at him for the first time—and find the strangest and most unexpected thing. Among his unnatural perfections, there are natural imperfections. Fine worry lines mark his otherwise smooth forehead and around his down-turned mouth. His russet hair that he normally keeps tied back now hangs loosely about his shoulders, and his eyes carry a heaviness to them as they search my face.
All things I hadn’t noticed before. Or maybe didn’t care to.
“Haven…” He tries again, and I’m reminded of what he really wants. To take me back to Henri. Even knowing the truth about what he’s done to me. After seeing it with his own eyes, after all, he’s still come here to try and drag me back.
My anger rekindles, and I go to step around him, but he follows my movements to block me.
