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ANNI GROANED, CONSCIOUSNESS slowly returning to her. The hard surface under her pressed against all her bony places in a most uncomfortable way. This wasn’t her bed, so where was she? As she opened her eyes to a dark room, the events of the last two days crashed back. With a gasp of distress, she flung herself upward. The pounding of her head caused her to wince.
Oh God, where was she? As she cupped her aching head in her hands, the room drifted into dark focus. The first thing that hit her was that she was on a bed that held a wooden board, not a mattress. The second thing was the smell of general decay that rested heavily in the air. She glanced around warily. Outlines of a few ratty pieces of furniture were visible. Most importantly, Cassy and Alvin weren’t in view, but that didn’t mean they weren’t close by. In fact, she was sure they were.
She took stock of herself. Her dress might be a bit dirtier, but there were no tears or obvious stains. Other than her head and a general sluggishness, everything felt intact. Though she was still sore from Eacion’s exertions, there didn’t seem to be any new ones, thank heavens. The thought of Alvin violating her was a horror too great to contemplate for long.
For a moment, she allowed herself to wallow in pity. She’d give anything to be back in bed with Eacion. Though his neck-biting actions had infuriated her, they felt trivial in comparison to what faced her now. She believed him when he said he’d gotten carried away and let instinct take over. Alvin’s behavior was guided by no redeeming features, only by pure lust for money and social standing.
If she got out of this alive and unwed, she’d have to reassess the whole situation with her dragon fae. No one had ever made her feel as safe as he did. After their semi-argument, would he even realize she was missing until it was too late? She couldn’t wait for him to come, though she had no doubt he would.
Her mind worked furiously. How did she save herself? Should she attempt an escape? With her bad leg, she could never hope to outrun them if they gave chase. As she gingerly stood up, she groped for something to hold onto. Waves of fire seared her left leg. Damn, what she wouldn’t do for her cane right now. Dare she try to open the covers over the one window she spied? Or attempt to locate a lamp?
She limped over to the window and pulled back the dingy-feeling material a bit. Drat, bars blocked any possible way out. Leaving the fabric slightly pulled to the side, she faced the room again. Light now spilled into the area, but nothing useful seemed to make an appearance. Only faded, peeling paint met her gaze. Any makeshift weapon or crutch would’ve been a godsend. Apparently, they’d been smart enough to remove any of those.
A door stood to the right, but she knew it had to be locked. Cassy and Alvin would be poor kidnappers if they hadn’t secured it. Still, she should try on the off-chance.
After making her painful way to the door, she twisted the knob. It squeaked under her fingers but otherwise turned easily in her grasp. A startled breath left her. Poor kidnappers, indeed.
The dank hallway outside the chamber was no more inviting than the room had been. One end of the corridor dead-ended while the other contained an open doorway through which a faint light shone. A few other closed doorways interspersed the hallway at intervals. Anni hesitated before checking the other knobs. All locked. So that left either going back into the room she’d vacated or heading to the other end of the corridor. Most likely, Cassy and Alvin lurked there, just waiting for her to journey forth. Was it part of their game, to increase her suspense and fear?
Shoring up her courage, she set one foot before the other, each step seeming to draw her closer to her doom. It was a horrible feeling that preyed upon one’s very soul.
She crept to the threshold, prepared to peer into what lay beyond, when a voice froze her cold.
“Come on in, my bride. We’ve been waiting for you.” With that ghastly smile of his, Alvin strutted into her line of sight.
She wanted to shrink back but buoyed herself to keep her ground. “You won’t get away with this. My father will have your head.”
“Your father is an old fool.” Alvin stopped when he stood but a foot away. “He should’ve married you off long ago. Besides, even he can’t revoke marriage vows performed by a minister.”
She shook her head. “Thompson wouldn’t be privy to this dastardly act.” The minister was a decent fellow and wouldn’t willingly fall into such plans.
“Who said I’m having him officiate the wedding?” With a firm grip, he pulled her into the next room, a decrepit kitchen of an old, abandoned farmhouse. “It’s not terribly hard to find a man of religion for sale if the price is right. Meet Harride from the village over. He’s so graciously accepted to marry us this early evening.”
A greasy-haired, middle-aged man arose from one of the rickety chairs. A satisfied smile curved his full lips. “So this is the lovely bride? My, how you’ve grown, Ms. Brownston.”
She recoiled from him. He was a despicable man and had always been. Even her forgiving father only held disdain for him. The sound of a door opening drew all their attention.
Cassy sauntered in and stopped near the evil minister. “Well, have you done it yet?” Her gaze landed expectantly on her cousin.
Alvin rolled his eyes. “You know we need a witness. We’ve been waiting for you. Did you do your part?”
Cassy glowered. “I couldn’t find Lord Eacion, so, no, there was no seduction, drugged or not.”
Alvin took a threatening step toward her. “You couldn’t find him?”
“No, by the time I’d returned, he’d already mounted a search for her.” Cassy said her as if it were a poisonous word. The glare she leveled at Anni was just as hate-filled.
Alvin advanced on her. “What! He’s looking for us, and you didn’t think to come back until now to tell me?”
“Calm down. He doesn’t know anything! That’s why I stuck around—to find out what he knows.”
“He knows too much! He realizes she’s missing. We’re not that far from the village. He’s a dragon fae with a sensitive nose.”
“And that’s why you better hurry up and marry your lame bride. Once you’re married, even he can’t touch you for what we’ve done.”
Doubt clouded Alvin’s face before it faded away in the next breath. “You better be right. You promised me you’d handle him and any problems he may give us.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “I will. Do you have so little faith in my wiles?”
“He’s not one of your eager town idiots wanting to get under your skirt. He’s thousands of years old and well used to the ways of women.”
Cassy scoffed. “He’s a male underneath it all. Don’t worry.”
Anni inched for the door from which Cassy had entered. Though she knew it was likely futile, she had to attempt to rescue herself. Or at least hold them off long enough until help arrived in the form of Eacion and her father.
Her hand had just touched the knob and was twisting it when Alvin cried out, “Grab her!”
Anni flung the door open and narrowly avoided Cassy and Alvin’s lunge at her. Adrenaline lent her speed she normally didn’t have, though she knew her leg would suffer terribly for it later. Each step was agony, and her limp saw her almost fall a few times. But none of that mattered if she could reach safety.
She raced around the corner, and her leg nearly buckled underneath her. A gasp ripped from her, but she managed to stay upright. God, what she wouldn’t do for the cover of darkness. How they weren’t catching her, she didn’t know.
Loud footfalls pounded behind her. They were so close she all but felt their hot breath on her back. Fingers grabbed at her dress, but the material slipped through their grasp.
Sweat wove down her face as her heartbeat drowned out all noise around her. A copse of trees stood to her right, so she aimed for them. She ran faster than she ever had before. Before, there had never been a need to push herself too far, but now... Maybe, just maybe, she could lose her pursuers in there.
Miraculously, she reached the edge of the woods and dashed into them. Somehow, her leg held. The limb felt numb, which probably wasn’t a good thing and likely meant any more running was out of the question. Glancing around wildly at the light-dappled forest, she saw numerous tree trunks but none large enough to hide her. Though she didn’t see Cassy or Alvin or hear any tell-tale sounds behind her, that meant nothing. The blood roaring in her ears canceled out all other noise.
She kept up a quick clip while she could, holding onto trunks for support. Her left leg was nothing but a nearly useless stump for her to propel herself from. Around one tree and then another she went, with furtive glances thrown over her shoulder. Every second, she expected Cassy or Alvin to materialize and drag her back to that farmhouse. She jumped at every shadow and animal that skittered across her path.
Finally, her leg gave out, and she fell against a tree. The bark skinned her bare forearms, but the pain was nothing compared to the turmoil of her mind. She tried to lift herself up and find purchase. Her leg, however, was having none of it. She crashed back to the ground.
Shit, shit, shit! That noise alone would’ve alerted a hard-of-hearing person, and Cassy and Alvin had no such problems. She refused to be easy prey, though. Gritting her teeth, she forced all her weight onto her good leg. After she slowly leaned against the tree and walked her trembling hands up the rough bark, she stood. A silent sob of triumph escaped her as she hugged the trunk in a death grip.
Now, though, how did she move? She cast about for a branch strong enough to serve as a cane. There, to the left of her. Biting her lip, she considered how to best go about grabbing it. Bending while supported on one leg was a challenge she wasn’t sure she could conquer.
She had to attempt it, though. By some miracle, they hadn’t found her yet. With a grunt, she lowered herself. Suddenly, strong arms closed about her. She froze, halfway to the ground. The person tugged her up against a hard chest.
Oh God, no. Fright and anger burst through her veins. She struggled wildly against the hold. Then a now familiar voice whispered, “Be still. It’s Eacion.”