Behind those doors, Mavin was still screaming at me.
And there was nothing I could do.
The night was bitter, the cold slicing through my skin as Zach and I ran. The sounds of the party had long faded behind us, but Mavin’s screams still echoed in my ears.
"Mommy, don’t go!"
My legs ached, my breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps. Zach finally slowed as we reached the outskirts of town, his grip firm on my arm as if he expected me to collapse. Maybe he was right.
“This place is safe for now,” Zach muttered, leading me into an old safe house tucked between the trees. It was a small, abandoned cottage, its walls lined with dust and forgotten furniture. He pulled the curtains shut, locking the door behind us. “We can’t stay long. Gavin’s guards will be out looking for you.”
I barely heard him. My body moved on instinct, pacing the creaky wooden floor as I tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Gavin’s voice was still ringing in my head. The cold finality of his words.
"You have five seconds before I make good on that decree."