Enzo caught up with me quickly, his large hand closing around my wrist, and yanked me around to face him.
I stared at him, hatred burning my bones, as he held me in place.
His nostrils flared as he clenched his jaw.
“You can never outrun me, Blair,” he said, his cut and callous palm cupping my face, forcing me to look up at him. “You can never outsmart me.” He dragged his thumb over my lip, inching closer. “I’ll always win. I’ll always find you.”
Panic snapped through me, and I struggled to break free.
His grip turned stronger as he steered me away from the steps toward the fountain. I twisted, fought, and dug my heels into the ground—every move so similar to how I’d acted when he grabbed me in the woods.
If anyone else was outside, no one came to my rescue.
Enzo moved with smooth ease, with a madman’s calmness, as if my resistance was no more than a mild wind drift.
With each step closer, the fountain grew louder.
Its lighting cast a glow over the carved, round basin of dark stone. Three tiers rose from its center, and water cascaded from one level to the next.
So beautiful, but also so cold.
Fitting this place perfectly.
He forced me down to my knees beside the basin and wrenched my hands behind my back, pinning me there as the stone edge painfully jabbed into my ribs.
“Last chance, Blair.” He squeezed my wrists together. “Commit to being my Fawn.”
The urge to shout,Never!rocked through my thoughts, but I held back.
Instead, I said, “Just let me go, Enzo.Please. I won’t tell anyone what I saw.”
I dropped my chin, staring down at the copper pennies shimmering at the bottom of the fountain.
What a waste of money.
Wishes weren’t granted here. Only nightmares.
Then it happened so fast.
One second, I wasconsideringpleading for a penniless wish, and the next, I was pulled forward.
Enzo released my wrists, and before I could even catch my breath, he plunged my head beneath the water. Ice-cold water smashed into my face, nearly swallowing it whole. Sound vanished as water rushed into my ears. I’d never felt such a sharp sting before.
For a split second, I froze.
Then instinct took over.
I thrashed my head wildly in all directions as I struggled to break loose. My hair unraveled in the water, floating around my face and blocking my vision. I tried to push myself up,palms scraping the stone lip, but they slipped off the slick edge and sent me deeper beneath the water instead.
Just like he’d said, he’d always win.
Water forced its way into my mouth as I struggled to breathe. The taste was metallic and stale, like old coins and moss.
This wasn’t a fountain for wishes. It was one for sins and ruin.
A place to drown your secrets.
My arms flailed weakly as my fingers scratched at the stone. Time stretched like I was dealing with the slowest hourglass. With each passing second, my chest felt more constricted.
