speak or move. I felt like a stake had been shoved through me. Gideon’s dark eyes pierced me. I wanted to shout, to scream for him to stop, but I felt helpless against his will.
“ Abigail Cells.” He leaned forward and gripped my face with his hands again. He smiled beautifully and my breathing became slower. “I am going to kill you.”
My eyes widened, and a second later, there was a deafening crash as we collided with something solid. My body flew from the seat and hit the dividing wall that separated the driver from the rear compartment. My head slammed against the hard interior, causing dark spots to dance in my vision.
Gideon acted as if nothing had happened. I pushed myself off the limo floor with shaky arms and winced as I gingerly touched the side of my head. When I glanced out the window, I saw the front end of the car smoking. Before I knew it, Gideon was outside the limo, standing beneath the tree the limo had crashed into. Flames erupted from beneath the hood. This time when I yanked the door handle, it opened, and I fell to the ground outside. I crawled away from the car, coughing.
“ It’s nice out, isn’t it?” he asked.
We were in the middle of nowhere. The highway was gone, and all I could see were hundreds upon hundreds of darkened trees. I coughed violently and surveyed my surroundings. Taking off my high heels, I stood upright.
“ Do you know where we are?” He walked to one of the shaded trees and leaned against it with his hands clasped together. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
I turned to the limo. Ben .
Gideon approached me. I tried to move away, but as soon as I took a step back, I bumped into something and whirled around, only to gaze into Gideon’s now deep-gold eyes. I trembled as fear raced through my heart.
“ I’m going to kill you one way or another.” His dark, untidy hair fluttered in the breeze and his dazzling golden eyes turned molten red.
“ Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
Before I could respond, he stood beside the burning limo. I looked around the forest. Run, Abby , I told myself as tears cascaded down my cheeks. I sprinted toward the edge of the forest as fast as my legs would carry me. I didn’t know where I was running to, but I knew I needed to get as far away from Gideon as I could.
I knew it could be a matter of seconds until he caught up to me, but I couldn’t let that happen. Panic built in my chest. My heart thumped, and I struggled to remember all my training lessons with Logan.
Twigs snapped beneath my feet and more scratched against my skin while I ran. I didn’t try to protect myself from the raking branches—they were the least of my worries. I stopped momentarily, sucking in air. There was a cold and uncomfortable voice whispering all around me. The voice shifted constantly. I turned left and right, and I still couldn’t see what called to me.
I squinted in the darkness. The voice grew louder, and then I saw it. A shadow without a face. I rushed on, my bare feet crashing onto roots and stones. The branches slapped against my arms and face and my fatigued body dripped with blood and sweat. My lungs burned. Suddenly, I stumbled over a tree root and crashed to the ground.
There’s nowhere to run to, Abigail . But I could stay and fight, Logan had taught me that much.
“ All right!” I shouted, ignoring how my heart jumped uncontrollably. “I’m not scared of you.” That was a lie. “Where are you?” I yelled.
I had no weapon to fight Gideon, but I was determined to do whatever I could to survive.
“ I’m not afraid!” I lied again, pushing myself off the ground and standing.
My lungs burned from my panicked exertion. My feet throbbed with cuts and blisters. I limped a few steps and then stumbled again. I tried to stand, but this time the pain stopped me. I tried to crawl, but my hands were raw and bleeding.
“ I’m still not afraid of you,” I said through my tears.
I was about to shout out to
“ Abigail Cells.” He leaned forward and gripped my face with his hands again. He smiled beautifully and my breathing became slower. “I am going to kill you.”
My eyes widened, and a second later, there was a deafening crash as we collided with something solid. My body flew from the seat and hit the dividing wall that separated the driver from the rear compartment. My head slammed against the hard interior, causing dark spots to dance in my vision.
Gideon acted as if nothing had happened. I pushed myself off the limo floor with shaky arms and winced as I gingerly touched the side of my head. When I glanced out the window, I saw the front end of the car smoking. Before I knew it, Gideon was outside the limo, standing beneath the tree the limo had crashed into. Flames erupted from beneath the hood. This time when I yanked the door handle, it opened, and I fell to the ground outside. I crawled away from the car, coughing.
“ It’s nice out, isn’t it?” he asked.
We were in the middle of nowhere. The highway was gone, and all I could see were hundreds upon hundreds of darkened trees. I coughed violently and surveyed my surroundings. Taking off my high heels, I stood upright.
“ Do you know where we are?” He walked to one of the shaded trees and leaned against it with his hands clasped together. “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
I turned to the limo. Ben .
Gideon approached me. I tried to move away, but as soon as I took a step back, I bumped into something and whirled around, only to gaze into Gideon’s now deep-gold eyes. I trembled as fear raced through my heart.
“ I’m going to kill you one way or another.” His dark, untidy hair fluttered in the breeze and his dazzling golden eyes turned molten red.
“ Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
Before I could respond, he stood beside the burning limo. I looked around the forest. Run, Abby , I told myself as tears cascaded down my cheeks. I sprinted toward the edge of the forest as fast as my legs would carry me. I didn’t know where I was running to, but I knew I needed to get as far away from Gideon as I could.
I knew it could be a matter of seconds until he caught up to me, but I couldn’t let that happen. Panic built in my chest. My heart thumped, and I struggled to remember all my training lessons with Logan.
Twigs snapped beneath my feet and more scratched against my skin while I ran. I didn’t try to protect myself from the raking branches—they were the least of my worries. I stopped momentarily, sucking in air. There was a cold and uncomfortable voice whispering all around me. The voice shifted constantly. I turned left and right, and I still couldn’t see what called to me.
I squinted in the darkness. The voice grew louder, and then I saw it. A shadow without a face. I rushed on, my bare feet crashing onto roots and stones. The branches slapped against my arms and face and my fatigued body dripped with blood and sweat. My lungs burned. Suddenly, I stumbled over a tree root and crashed to the ground.
There’s nowhere to run to, Abigail . But I could stay and fight, Logan had taught me that much.
“ All right!” I shouted, ignoring how my heart jumped uncontrollably. “I’m not scared of you.” That was a lie. “Where are you?” I yelled.
I had no weapon to fight Gideon, but I was determined to do whatever I could to survive.
“ I’m not afraid!” I lied again, pushing myself off the ground and standing.
My lungs burned from my panicked exertion. My feet throbbed with cuts and blisters. I limped a few steps and then stumbled again. I tried to stand, but this time the pain stopped me. I tried to crawl, but my hands were raw and bleeding.
“ I’m still not afraid of you,” I said through my tears.
I was about to shout out to
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