“I’d hate for that to happen to you at the wrong time,” Aydin said, approaching me. “When the crews show up again, you could be down here, in the tunnels, undetected until they came again the next month.”

My heart sank to my stomach, and while I had no clue why the rest of them were locked up in here, I had a very good idea about what made him such a threat.

He stepped up to me, and now the guys behind him weren’t laughing so much anymore.

“You’ll stay with us,” Aydin whispered. “We’ll take care of you until they arrive.”

I looked up at him, the dark brown in his amber eyes sharpening with the threat.

“I want to see Will alone,” I said, trying to keep my tone calm.

Aydin looked over at Will. “Is there anything you can hear that we can’t?”

Will’s eyes darted from me to him, hesitating a moment before replying, “No.”

Aydin turned, smirking, and I knew.

I knew…

I couldn’t stay here. There was a town nearby. If I had to walk for three days until my body nearly expired from dehydration, I’d find it.

Slowly, I circled around Aydin, backing up and keeping my eyes on the boys as I made my way toward the door. “You want some fun?” I asked Taylor. “Five-minute head start then.”

He grinned wide, looking to Aydin and then back to me. “Two,” he cooed.

He hopped off the crates, Will, Rory, and Micah turning to face me as Aydin stood in the back, waiting.

And then…

I launched for the door, swinging it open and racing through, charging up the old stone stairs and through the door at the top.

They howled behind me, lighting a fire under my feet, and I swung around, not knowing where the front door to the house was from here, but I saw the kitchen and ran for it.

Swinging around the large island, I bolted for the back door and charged through, leaping onto the grass, immediately stumbling to my knees and rolling down the small wet hill, darkness looming everywhere.

Ice seeped through my skin.

He was right. It was cold.

Scrambling to my feet, I dug in my heels and ran. I ran and ran, not risking a look back as I made for the cover of the trees ahead.

Gasping for breath, I glanced to my left, seeing a huge ass waterfall gushing over a cliff. I slowed, widening my eyes as it rose high above and the balconies of the house overlooked it.

My God. I kept running, not believing what I was seeing. Where the hell was I?

The waterfall spilled into a ravine I couldn’t see, but I just shook my head and ran so hard my body screamed. Diving into the darkened woods, I raced through the brush. I wished I wasn’t wearing a white shirt.

I rounded trees, deciding to stay close to the edge of the forest where the land spilled off to the side. Good chance there was a river below that carried the water from the fall, and where there was water, there were towns.

Stumbling over rocks as branches whipped at my arms, I barely even bothered to look ahead as I pushed my glasses back up the bridge of my nose, the knife still in my hand as I struggled for air.

It was fucking cold. Where were we? It was only mid-October, there was a waterfall in their backyard, and trees that didn’t belong anywhere I’d ever lived.

Canada? There were hemlocks, spruces, white pines… These trees were partial to the northeastern part of North America.

I had been part of a design team right out of college that renovated an old house in St. John. The owner was adamant about re-introducing native flora to the property.

God, how did I get here?

Hollers went off behind me, hitting the air, and I whimpered. They were coming.

I dug in harder, sweat coating my back despite the cold as their howls got closer and closer, and I could almost feel their hands on me as I raced. I hit the ground, scurrying behind a bush to hide myself.

I couldn’t stop gasping for breath, my heart about to beat out of my chest. I wasn’t going to make it, outrunning them.

I’d hide until they gave up, and then I’d make a run for it.

Leaves rustled and footfalls pounded past. I didn’t see them through the bush, but I could hear them.

They ran, their steps fading away, and I stayed rooted in my spot.

“Em-ory!” they called, but their voices were nowhere near me.

I smiled.

“Emmmmmoryyyyyyy!” they sang.

And still, their voices sank farther and farther away.

Slowly, I slipped the knife into my pocket, got my feet under me, and rose enough to look over the edge of the bush, just to sneak a glance at their position.

I didn’t see anyone. Yes.

I’d hide here—or somewhere else if I had to—and make my escape when they were gone. The grounds were huge. They couldn’t cover every inch.

I was getting out of here—rain or shine.

I squatted back down to maintain my hiding place, but then I caught sight of Micah, racing right for me.

“Boo!” he shouted.

I screamed and lost my balance, flailing my arms and flying backward. I rolled down the small incline and grappled at the ground to stop myself, but I just kept slipping.

Shit!

I cried out, my legs falling over the edge of something, and I tumbled over the side of the cliff, a hand grabbing my wrist just in time.

I kicked and looked down, seeing the river far below as I swung my other hand up, grasping for whoever had me.

“Rory!” Micah shouted, sliding on his ass with me as he held on. “Taylor!”

I whimpered, feeling us slide. He was coming with me. He couldn’t hold on.

Another body dropped down next to him, and Rory grabbed my other arm.

I hung there as they held onto me, knowing they could let go at any moment, and not so sure anymore that I’d rather risk starvation or dying of exposure out in the wilderness. Don’t let me go.

Taylor, Will, and Aydin slid down the hill behind them and came to stand over the three of us. Aydin looked as calm as he did inside the house like he didn’t even have to break a sweat to come out here after me.

He cocked his head, watching me dangle there. “Put her in my room,” he told them.

Emory

Nine Years Ago

“What did you do in lit class yesterday?”

Elle Burkhardt pulled on her uniform trousers, staring at me while I pulled off my necktie and started unbuttoning my shirt.

My long-sleeved white T-shirt underneath remained on as I snatched my band jacket off the hanger dangling on the outside of my locker.

The girls’ locker room was packed—cheerleading, band, and the field hockey team all vying for space, either trying to get out to the court or go home.

“I finished reading Lolita,” I mumbled to her.

“You know what I mean.”

I shot her a look.

I’d skipped lit this morning, no doubt another confrontation with my brother waiting to happen tonight once he found out, but I just couldn’t face Will and his merry band of morons this morning after my outburst yesterday.

I’d hid in the library, instead.

“Let them do their worst while they can,” I said, pulling on my coat, the heavy fabric grazing my back and burning the skin. “Life will eventually knock them down to size, like it does to us all.”

It wasn’t that I was scared of the Horsemen and the repercussions of calling them out in class yesterday. I just knew another outburst from me couldn’t happen again quite yet, so rather than give them the satisfaction of seeing me shut up and sit there, I just didn’t show up at all.