The Blood Rite

Chapter Forty Four

Ruby ran. Even when her skirts got caught in a thorn bush, even when the grass beneath her gave way to gravel and tombstones, she didn't stop. She couldn't risk them catching her. If they did and she let the darkness in again, she might slaughter them all. Or they may change their minds about delivering her alive to Rufus and kill her for what she did to their men.

A blade sliced through the fog, cutting off all breath tumbling from Ruby's lips as it soared just a hair's breadth past her face. She ducked behind the nearest tombstone and shoved her hand flat to her mouth. Though her chest burned from the effort, she forced her ragged breathing to slow and quiet. She could hear her pursuers' footfalls. Maybe five rows behind her.

She peeked around the stone, but she couldn't make anything out through the dense mist hovering over the graveyard. Maybe, hopefully, that meant that they couldn't see her either, and that whoever had thrown the blade had only luck on their side. Pushing to her feet, she raced forward. Stumbling over headstones, tearing her skirts out of the way of candles just before they caught, and keeping her ears trained on the raised voices behind her.

"Over there!" A voice cried out, rising above the rest.

Ruby risked a glance back and saw dark shapes forming. They saw her. She ran faster, pushing her legs to their full speed. Dawn was approaching. Already light was peeking through the horizon beyond. If she didn't escape before the shadows disappeared, then she'd be too exposed.

A hulking shape rose in front of her. A large, square shaped building. A mausoleum. Something close to hope rose inside of her. The voices behind were closer now. If she could just make it into the mausoleum and hide behind the coffin, she'd have a chance.

Sharp determination flooded her, propelling her forward even faster as her mind raced, forming a plan. She'd get inside before they saw her and hide until they were gone. Then she'd find Halle.

A body slammed into her. Ruby barely had time to let out a cry before hands shoved her nose into the dirt. Flailing to get free, Ruby panicked. The darkness felt her fear and it surged upward, ready to consume her. The more she couldn't breathe, the more her control slipped. She tried to scream, to buck the man off of her.

Her head spun, chest burning, her eyes grew heavy.

Then he was gone.

She shot up to her feet gasping and searching wildly for the him. Her heart was thundering inside of her head. The darkness became a whirlwind, kicking and clawing its way through her control. No, she thought, please no.

"Ruby."

She froze. The darkness stopped its fight so suddenly that she feared it had disappeared entirely. That voice. Ruby knew that voice. Every atom, every part of her mind knew that voice as if it were engraved into her bones. Months later and she hadn't forgotten it.

He stepped through the fog, just off to the side, blood splattered on his handsome face and dark eyes staring right at her. Her breath caught and once again, her head spun.

"Talon."

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Awh YAY!

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