The man’s fingers trailed over my exposed collarbone, slow and vile, pulling a sleeve down from my shoulder.
My breath grew shallow, panicked. But as he stared at the dress, his other hand loosened, as if he’d forgotten.
I rammed my elbow back into the bald one’s stomach and, at the same time, drove my heel into his foot. He grunted, his grip loosening. Before the others could react, I ripped myself free and darted behind him, using his body as a shield against the other two.
I could have outrun them. I could have got away if it weren’t for my damn sandals slipping on the wet stones.
A body slammed into my back, sending me sprawling onto the ground. Zarren pinned me down as I fought beneath him, screaming.
He laughed, crossing my wrists over my chest and pinning them with one hand, the other closing around my throat.
The ground was freezing beneath me, and the air seemed to chill even more, as if the rain would soon turn to hail.
I barely registered anything before searing pain exploded in my jaw, snapping my head to the side. The punch was so forceful it sent dark spots dancing in my vision.
“Didn’t I warn you that every stupid move would come with punishment, luv?” Zarren sneered. “It’s your own fault.”
The agony reverberating through my jaw was so intense that it drowned out everything else. Their voices, the rain.
It struck me painfully that the defensive moves I’d learned were not enough. It would take more skill to stand a chance against monsters like these.
My fingers brushed against the exposed skin of my chest, grazing the cord of my necklace.
The location relic. Reagan.
Clutching the medallion, I rubbed it between my fingers. As the dark spots faded, panic sharpened my senses again.
“What’ve you got there, luv?” Zarren’s eyes narrowed on my clenched fist. “Let me see.”
“Get off me,” I spat, the muscles in my jaw aching from the strain.
One of them snickered as Zarren yanked my hair back, exposing my throat. “Take it,” he barked to the shorter one, who crouched beside us.
His hands pried at my fingers, while Zarren’s grip on my hair threatened more pain if I resisted. With a quick tug, the shorter one snapped the cord.
“I . . . I don’t remember which one this is,” he said.
The bald one yanked it from his grasp and studied the symbols on my necklace, his eyes widening.
“She’s got a damn location relic,” he spat.
“Get rid of it,” Zarren barked. “Three streets down. Better yet, toss it outside that bastard’s house. If it’s still there later, we sell it.”
“Ain’t got time, the bloody thing’s warm,” the bald one snapped.
“Then be damn fast about it,” Zarren sneered. “Someone could already be on their way—”
A rumbling, vicious growl echoed louder than the rain in the alley, making all three men whip their heads around. Behind us, somewhere I couldn’t see, a familiar rumble echoed, laced with the fury of a wild animal.
Relief flooded through me, my sore face splitting into a grin as I said, “Someoneis.”
Another growl. Louder, closer. I’d never been more grateful to hear that fury that usually chilled me to the bone.
Zarren stood up, the crushing weight on my stomach vanished, and I sucked in a deep breath.
They stepped back, still staring behind me towards the roar of anger that I knew wasn’t for me.
“What inGodric—” Zarren started, shooting into a run with the others.
