Friends with the King of the Underworld | Book 1

Chapter Seven

A branch snapped behind me in the forest, followed by a loud crash.

The hair on my arm stood on end as I turned towards the noise. Cat sprinted towards it before I could stop him, disappearing into the thick darkness with the ominous trees.

"Cat!" I yelled after him.

Before I could make up my mind about what the noise was, I was already running into the woods with my phone in my hand with the flashlight app ready. I ran as fast as I could, following the noise of breaking branches, hoping that Cat was all right.

"Cat?" I screamed into the dark night.

While the flashlight was somewhat useful to see directly in front of me, it didn't do much to illuminate the thick woods around me. I turned the small flashlight around and above me, trying to find where I was. I recognized most of it, I'd lived near the woods most of my life and knew most of it like the back of my hand.

A branch fell ahead of me, followed by small dainty footsteps.

I sprinted towards the noise hoping it was Cat. The only thing I could hear was my ragged breathing and thumping heart against my chest.

Suddenly, I came across a figure in the darkness, hugging herself against the cold night.

I knew who it was immediately, recognizing the dress from earlier that night.

Leah was hugging herself as she cried, walking through the trees.

But it couldn't be Leah, this girl had black hair, not blonde. She also looked miserable. Wouldn't she be happy that she got a date with the most eligible bachelor she knew? At least, that what I would bet on. It was Leah, after all.

After watching her for a couple of seconds, I realized it was definitely Leah – except she was a mess. Her dress was in tatters her feet bare, her hair a tangled nest atop her head.

She looked like she was in pain. Was she hurt?

As I got closer with my flashlight on the phone, she turned.

"Emylin?" She looked at me bewildered.

I nodded. "Are you all right?"

She took a step back as I moved towards her. She stumbled over the large roots of a monstrous tree behind her, falling back.

"No! Please!" She panted hard as she leaned up against the tree regaining her balance. The large roots of the trees came up to her hips making it look like the tree was swallowing her whole. Crying, she pressed her back against the trunk trying to make herself seem small.

I stepped warily towards her and felt static electricity and dryness in the air. It was March and cool but the air seemed to drop several degrees near her. I flashed the light towards the tree she was propped up against and noticed that the tree slowly started to warp around her, almost as if it were bending towards her, collapsing around her.

Her now black hair was plastered to her forehead, sweat beading all over her body. There were cuts up and down her legs and arms as if she were running into thorn bushes.

"Leah?" I whispered.

She looked at me, her blue eyes full of tears. "Emylin, please, I don't want to hurt you."

I shook my head and stepped closer. "You won't hurt me."

She shook her own head. "You don't know that!"

She was right. I didn't know what I was doing. I knew I wasn't equipped to handle anything like this but still ... I felt responsible in helping her. I was, after all, the reason she and Damien met.