From the end of the tunnel, the headlights flashed our way from the subway car, and my pulse sped.
Almost there.
It zipped forward in a cacophony of clanks and squeals, and then it came to a halt right in front of us.
The subway doors slid open.
“This way,” Ursuline said, tugging me onto the subway car with them. We didn’t wait by the entrance—no, we walked another car down and then stood in the center, grabbing onto the pole. I squinted as I tried to catch sight of the platform we’d just exited.
Two men dressed in black emerged at the base of the stairs.
Oh, fuck.
The subway’s doors clicked shut, and it surged forward. The breath sagged out of me, and I watched through the windows as they raced in our direction. However, we’d already started chugging away.
“Well, that was lucky,” Ursuline murmured, their shoulders rising and falling from the exertion. “Saved by the subway.”
A hysterical laugh bubbled out of me, and their eyes crinkled with a soft smile.
We zipped into the darkness of the tunnel, and I leaned against the pole, clutching it tight. The air-conditioning in the car caused the sweat on my skin to dry with a tacky sort of feeling.
“And how many stops away?” I asked.
“Three,” Ursuline said, not taking their eyes away from the doors. “We’ll remain vigilant.”
I didn’t know how much more vigilance my heart could take.
The subway zipped forward at top speed, and while a few people sat in the seats lining the car, it was far emptier than during the day.
“You sure you don’t miss the quiet?” I asked, trying for a joke. Still, a part of me wondered if they regretted their choice to come along with me.
“That place was louder than you realized,” they responded, the sobering look in their eyes conveying everything I needed to know. That they’d been haunted there for years, so much so that even being hunted like this could be worth it for a taste of freedom. “Besides,” they said, their gaze skimming up and down my body. “Once we settle at the Spires, I’m looking forward to a different sort of loud.”
Their tentacle curled around my leg, creeping up my thigh, and heat rushed through me. In our rush from the Triton Manor, arriving at Sofia’s, and this escape, I’d almost forgotten I was still caged for Ursuline. Still unable to come, and after this long without being able to masturbate, my balls positively ached.
I licked my lips and looked up at them. The feral expression on their features had my heart fluttering, my pulse pounding in a far better way. I’d been too exhausted when we’d arrived at Sofia’s, but if we made it to the Spires…
We had to accomplish that first, though.
The subway screeched to a halt. I swayed with the motion, and my body tensed as I watched who hopped on. Just an older man who used a cane and a few minotaurs who lumbered on board.
Then the doors shut, and the subway took off again. I exhaled, not realizing I’d been holding my breath the entire time.
“I’ll protect you,” Ursuline said, their voice the same level of calm they’d been throughout. I’d wondered how they couldremain that way through all this chaos, but after hearing what they’d gone through, I could understand a little more. They’d been dragged through fire and survived.
“When can I do something for you?” I asked, more of a pout in my voice than I wanted.
Ursuline arched a brow, and a wicked grin split their lips. My cheeks flushed at the implication from the gesture alone, and their tentacle brushed against the inside of my thigh again. Fuck.
The subway stopped again for a moment, but the doors didn’t open. A second later, we were off.
The next stop was ours. My heart accelerated a little faster. I wasn’t sure how far a walk the Spires was from the station, but at least we’d thrown off Triton’s men for the moment. Gretel would hopefully lead them on a chase through the city, far away from our direction.
“You ready?” Ursuline asked. Their reassurances, their check-ins meant the world to me right now, because I held on by a thread.
I bobbed my head and tugged the strap of my bag, the weight dragging down my shoulder. Insane to think the contents of my life were packed into such a small thing right now. I chewed on my lower lip, my legs humming with the need to move, even though I needed to rest badly too.
The subway began to slow.
