The rain poured. I leaned my head back against the rough surface of the wall behind me, feeling the water soak through my hair. Closing my stinging eyes, I focused on the sensation that the icy drops sent through me. The racing water fell straight onto my exposed neck and fell quickly, soaking through my top to run down my back. I shivered.
I was completely motionless aside from my chest, heaving away from the wall with every painful breath. The only sound was the splashes of water on the hard ground, and soon unconsciousness began to descend on me. Everything swayed.
I forced my knees straight, refusing to simply give in and slide down the harsh wall to wait. The whips of cool air around me kept me alert, but I could still feel my mind fading. The moon’s light wasn’t bright enough to penetrate the devious clouds that slid across the sky, and the darkness I saw with my eyes closed was never ending.
There were no pulsing lights and screeching sounds around me, and that meant I was alone. No-one was with me, no-one had followed; not this time. I hoped. My lips flicked into a smile for a brief moment. I was completely alone. And alone was...
Not what I needed.
The sigh sounded from my lips as I opened my eyes. Alone was crushing – but good. This was good; I just needed to get that into my head. With one more glance down the abandoned street, my body slumped against the wall. I had finally done it. My eyes skated across the desolate scene before me; and, despite everything, I still wished...
“Ashlyn?”
I stiffened instantly upon hearing my name. Every muscle in my body resented what was coming. My head jerked up and my eyes flashed. I strained my hearing, ignoring the rain and listening for footsteps. He didn’t sound worried, he knew I was here. My hands were flat against the wall, ready to push me away and launch me further into the surrounding night. The next second only held silence, but that didn’t reassure me. Without waiting for anything more, I pushed away.
I soon heard footsteps echoing behind my own, but didn’t dare to turn back. My mind was screaming at me to go faster, but my muscles wouldn’t move any quicker. Whoever was behind me hung back a little, only chasing. The sounds of pursuit faded. My attention didn’t waver so I forced all of my thoughts onto getting away. They knew I was here, but no-one was following. There was still a chance...
The air scratched my throat as I pulled it down, and my arms beat against my sides as they pushed me faster. I turned a final corner and my legs gave way. A pair of strong arms caught me before I could fall, and I felt my body go limp in submission. I tried to tell myself that I didn’t want to be here; but the thought collapsed before it was heard. I looked into the holly eyes of the figure holding me, and couldn’t honestly say whether it would have been true or not.
The waves of unconsciousness started to swirl around me, and I relaxed into his chest. I had known he’d be here. My eyes closed.
He held me close. “Ashlyn.”
Chapter One
“She tried to run off.”
“What? Again?”
“I’m afraid so.”
I could imagine him shaking his head. Even without seeing it, I knew he would do it. As it was, my eyelids felt so heavy that I wasn’t sure I could lift them if I needed to. He shouldn’t be surprised. Jonathan wasn’t used to having to tell him, so he sounded awkward, although anyone else would have had to do it before, and wouldn’t be so nervous about it. I shouldn’t be so nervous about it. Maybe it was the tired tone to his voice that made me feel that way. Whatever he was thinking that made his tone so intense, I was sure it couldn’t be a good thing.
