Page 192 of Where Darkness Falls

The hairs on the nape of my neck raise as I flee once more to the woods. My knees are weak as I try to gulp down air in order to keep my body moving. I don’t look back as I dodge roots and limbs. The thumping of my heart roars in my ears, as he shouts after me.

Don’t look back.

Don’t stop.

My lungs ache from the exertion, but I force my body to move, even as it threatens to give into the horrid cramps plaguing my sides.

I won’t give in.

Not now… Not until I’m free of him.

“Maeva, please,” Emyr’s voice echoes through the expanse behind me. “I just want to talk!” He sounds far away, but I refuse a glance back, in case it’s a trick. My body begs for reprieve, but I ignore the pain, though I won’t be able to keep this up for much longer. I need to find somewhere to hide… but where?

Suddenly, a large fallen tree comes into view, forcing me to jump over it. My landing is quite clumsy as I stumble through a patch of brambles, the sharp thorns slicing and cutting everywhere they touch. I curse, standing up to find a grove of trees with deep hollows hidden beneath their bases. One in particular is hidden behind enormous gnarled roots. However,the small opening could potentially allow me to slide within and hide until Emyr is gone. I duck inside, burying my head into my chest.

“Siorai, save me,” I pray.

A few minutes later, Emyr bursts through the bramble, slowly walking around the grove, whistling. “Maeva,” he hums. I hold my breath, hoping that he doesn’t spot the opening of the hollow behind the bramble. Every thud of his boots in sync with my panicking heart.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

“I know you’re here, Rosey,” he growls.

His whistles grow louder as he circles the tree that I’m hidden beneath. I close my eyes, praying that Siorai won’t allow him to find me. “Come out, Maeva,” he croons.

I neither make a sound, nor lift my head, afraid to see him standing before me. I’d be a fool to reveal myself now. No, I just have to wait until he’s moved on, so I can find a way to go back for Cahir.

My legs are numb against me as I listen to Emyr’s taunts and his loud steps as he weaves between the grove. After several moments, the footsteps slowly disappear and his whistle grows distant.

Did he leave?

Did Siorai hide me, after all?

I lift my head, finding no shadow of Emyr before me. I stay hidden for several more minutes until I’m certain that he’s no longer in the grove. With a sigh of relief, I climb out from the tiny opening. My hands reach for purchase on the ground before me when it connects with something like cold steel. My eyes widen as I find my hand on top of a black, armored boot. I swallow thickly as my gaze travels up until I meet his glowing eyes.

“There you are,” Emyr purrs, wickedly.

I release a scream that rattles the stars as he drags me out of the hollow. “Emyr, stop!” I plead, tugging against his hold. Emyr’s fingers feel as though they’re bruising my skin from how tightly he grips me. “Emyr, you’re hurting me!” He ignores me as he hastily walks us through the woods. His eyes are locked on the path ahead as the muscles in his jaw ticks.

This isn’tmy Emyr.

My Emyr wouldn’t do this.

Yet, it is him and he’s changed.

“What happened to you?” I whisper.

For some reason, my question gives the prince pause. He stops walking, assessing me with his cold eyes. “I’ve always been this, Rosey,” he murmurs.

I scoff. “That isn’t true, and you know it.”

His once bright eyes are now dim. With his chiseled muscles, he looks more like a man and every bit the weaponized soldier his father wished for him to be. Yet, somewhere hidden within is the kind boy who would write music early in the morning… the curious boy who followed me into the woods to share secrets.

Softly, I place a hand on his arm. Emyr flinches from the contact, but he doesn’t move away. “You were good and kind. You were selfless. You weren’t a weapon, Emyr.”

Grabbing my hand, he drops it back to my side. Tears glisten in his eyes, giving me the smallest hope that my Emyr is in there somewhere. “It doesn’t matter,” he murmurs. “What’s done is done, and now… Now we must go. My father’s expecting you.” He pushes forward once more, but I squirm in his hold.

“Emyr, if you ever loved me, you’ll let me go! You can’t give me to your father,” I cry.