Page 8 of Stone Cold

I looked in the mirror and decided I looked more like an 80s workout Barbie than anything.

Eh. This is as good as it’s gonna get.

I felt a jolt of excitement run through me as I thought of Burchard showing up at the cemetery where we agreed to meet after the lighting of the fire and the announcements. I couldn’t wait to see him. I was just praying as the door to the common slammed hard enough to shake the walls, that tonight went off without a hitch.

Seven

Annette’s POV

By the time Coco and I made it outside, the sun had set. I stuck my head out on my balcony to see if Burchard had come back, but he hadn’t. He still wasn’t there, and now I was getting even more worried. Coco came out onto the balcony to see if she could get a peek of where they were going to be hosting the fire tonight, and we could see people starting to gather, but nothing was ablaze yet. She grabbed my hand and led me down the hallways, both of us practically sprinting to get there. It would have been super cool to see if they lit it like most humans would expect, or if someone used fire magic to start it.

The door opened in front of us, and our Dean just briefly glanced at us. His eyes locked with mine, and he gave me a mysterious smirk, mischief in his eyes as he dipped his head for a quick, slight bow, and then practically floated down the hallway. He was such a strange man, but I knew he respected me and my position as heir. I didn’t know what the look in his eyes was about though. I was starting to sift through possibilities in my head, but the noise from outside wafted in. The sounds of upper classmen, classmates, and practically everyone who was a part of the school. I gave a small smile and shrugged off the interaction before bolting through the door as Coco pulled my hand.

We went zipping through the groups of people all crowded on the quad. The gargoyles were all positioned around the tops of the walls guarding the castle grounds. They were all facing inward, and I felt like they were all watching me. I tried not to think too hard about it as I smiled, Coco looking back at me as we ran in our heels. We ran over to the table that hand refreshments set out, grabbing a cup of cider. I took one sip andrealized someone had spiked it. My eyes clenched shut and a shiver ran down my back as the burn of what felt like petrol ran down my body.

I was sensitive, borderline allergic, to alcohol, and this was some of the strongest I had ever had the displeasure of tasting. I set the cup down, Coco giving me a confused look as I shook my head.

“I just need a moment,” I said in her ear before walking to the edges of the crowd. I was trying to regain my composure. Every cell of my body was on fire. It felt like someone had thrown fire magic into the actual bon fire, like a molotov cocktail! I took a few more steps away, fanning myself with my hands, my head slightly fuzzy.

“Well, well, well,” I heard a male’s voice behind me, and I stilled. I may have been struggling at that exact moment, but that didn’t mean I didn’t know when I was in danger. I knew that voice all too well. “Hey Gav! I found Work-out Barbie!”

Dark chuckles followed as I slowly turned my head to face them. There were five of them. All of them had predatory looks on their faces which looked flushed, one swayed on his feet briefly.

“Let’s see how good of a workout she gives, gents!” Gavin spoke with his chest puffed out, full of bravado and arrogance. I refused to let him see me scared. He had just declared they would attempt to assault me. The one and only Fae princess and heir to The Society.

If I make it out of this alive, Papa will hear about this.

I took a tentative step, removing one heel, then the other, stepping back with each shoe I stepped out of. I looked beyond them, unable to see any familiar faces. I heard the snapping of a branch and then they were running right at me. I turned and took off. I may not have been what was considered ideal for a fae woman, but I was strong, and deceptively quick on my feet.I heard a low growl behind me and felt the shift in energy. He had let his beast out. The responding growls told me that the others with him had shifted. I pushed harder, knowing they were coming for me. I ran to the lake we flew over last night, diving in to lose my scent.

My head slowly came up above the water, just far enough for me to grab a breath of air before I turned to look for them. They were starting to come out of the woods. I quietly submerged myself again, removing my leg warmers and accessories, swimming underwater to the other side. I needed to get as far away as I could.

I slowly came above the water again, only to be grabbed by my hair and yanked out of the water. I was thrown in the middle of all five of them, growling around me, licking their lips like I was something to be enjoyed by them.

Gavin shifted back to his human form and crouched down, completely naked in front of me. His eyes were dark, his mouth curved into a taunting, menacing smile, one that promised this wasn’t over.

“No one’s coming to save you this time,” His hand reached out as he tried to touch my face. I flinched back from him and his eyes darkened.

“I’ll give you ten seconds to run. And if we catch you, we get to have some fun. Winner gets first dibs.”

“No,” the whispered word fell from my lips. He gripped my cheeks between his fingers tightly. His eyes were as hard and as cold as a glacier. He leaned in to whisper, just loud enough for me to hear.

“I hope I’m the one who finds you first,” the grin on his face was manic and pure evil. I shook my head, his grip tightened hard enough I was sure they were going to leave bruises. Tears wanting to form as I felt the familiar sting. “I’m excited to finally chase you.”

“I’m the princess of the Fae. Are you prepared for the consequences that come with that?” I asked, loud enough for everyone in the circle to hear. I wanted them all to know how heavy the weight of their consequences were. I wanted them to know who they were threatening, and to know that we could and would wipe their pack out with or without their king’s permission. I heard chuckles all around me, dark, taunting chuckles.

“Run.”

I shot up like my ass was on fire and took off sprinting through the woods again, running for my life. I was so terrified my wings wouldn’t even come out, but I could hear them. Their paws padded on the ground as they ran after me. I didn’t know where I was running, but I ran like my life depended on it. The entire time I ran, I couldn’t stop thinking, hoping, that Burchard didn’t think I’d stood him up. I ran through trees, branches snapping me in the face, and sticks breaking under my feet. Leaves rustled and hid rocks under them.

I slipped once, close to the river that fed the lake. I ran through that river for a few hundred feet before getting out the other side and sprinting as fast as I could. My feet ached and were throbbing. I knew they had to be cut up and raw, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. If I stopped…if they caught me..

I stopped abruptly as I came to one of the walls guarding the castle grounds. Had I run that far already? I was well past the cemetery, well past where anyone would be to help. There was no one. I was utterly alone. I started searching the wall, the area, for some way out of this mess. But, there was no way over, under, or through it that I could see or get to quick enough.

The growl behind me had confirmed it. I turned, seeing a huge brown wolf stalking towards me. His head was low, his shoulders raised like he was going to pounce. This was it.

This was when they finally broke my spirit.

And my final thoughts as the wolf got ready to attack was…