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“This way!” I shouted at Ash, dragging him to an opening in the mob.

Pop! Pop!

Gunfire rang out, along with piercing screams in the air. Chaos and confusion had everyone running in all directions, knocking against my small frame and taking me to the ground.

“Raven!” Ash yelled, trying to help me up. “Don’t let go.” He took my hand, keeping low, and we darted through the swarm of people, the shouts from sentries breathing down my neck.

Adrenaline seared my nerves, turning my insides into a frenzy of violence, desperate to be let free.

You could kill them all. It would be so easy, the voice taunted me, rumbling power under my skin.Stop denying who you are, what you are capable of.

Bang!

A bullet seared close to my head, barely missing Ash’s shoulder. Crouching even lower, we ran faster out of the square, men’s boots and voices echoing after us.

All we seemed to be doing was running for our lives.

Sprinting at full speed, we snaked through the buildings, trying to lose our assailants, finding ourselves once again near the church.

Ash ripped open the doors and motioned for me to go in. “Have any confessions since yesterday?”

My mind went straight to images of us last night in that man’s room, the things we did, how he made me feel.

The reverend’s eyes widened when he saw us again, darting for the confession booth, needing sanctuary again.

Ash rushed me in, closing us into the small, dark cubicle and locking the door. His firm body once again pressed me into the wall, his heavy breathing trailing down my neck.

Last time we were here, I was still Scarlet. I didn’t know the taste of him. The sounds he made when he was turned on. How his mouth felt on my skin. His tongue in my pussy. Sucking in, I closed my eyes, hearing boots clomp over the wood, spiking my heart rate. A few shouts volleyed off the high ceilings, the door to our compartment rattling.

“That is not in use,” the clergyman stated. “And there are no weapons allowed in here. Please leave.”

“I take orders from my queen,” a strange voice snarled. “Not you, human.”

Silence filled the room, tension lashing at me before I heard the same one bark again. “Move out. They still have to be close by. We cannot fail her.”

Boots treaded out of the church, the door slamming.

Peering up into Ash’s eyes, I started to feel hurt and anger burn into the back of my throat, now able to think of what he almost did. How he almost forfeited everything, not caring about what happened to himself or me.

“Come out,” the reverend’s voice called to us. “They are gone.”

Ash backed up, sensing the shift in my attitude, his jaw ticking as he unlocked the door.

“Well.” The reverend sat down in a pew, his head wagging as we came out of the booth. “You two are verywanted.”

“It’s hard being this desirable.” Ash’s joke fell flat.

“Sit.” The clergyman pointed to another bench.

“We’ll pass. We’re going to use the same tunnel we did last time.” Ash started to turn for the stairs down.

“Sit.” The man directed more firmly.

I strolled over to the pew and plunked down, my arms folding, wanting to do anything opposing Ash, my resentment growing. Plus, the man had helped us out twice now.

Ash looked at me, his hand running through his hair, annoyed, before he dropped to the bench in front of mine.

“Have anything to say about why you keep using this place as a refuge?”