Chapter 69

Amelia

I run, my lungs burning and my muscles screaming with every pounding step. The forest blurs around me, a kaleidoscope of muted greens and browns as I push myself harder, faster, desperate to put as much distance as possible between myself and the horrors I’ve left behind.

I dare a glance over my shoulder, half-expecting to see Ember and her minions bearing down on me, their faces twisted with rage and bloodlust. But there’s nothing, only the eerie stillness of the woods and the echo of my own ragged breaths.

Still, I don’t slow down. I can’t. Not when every fiber of my being screams at me to keep moving, to find somewhere safe to rest and heal. The pain in my legs is a living thing now, a white-hot agony that lances through me with every jarring impact of my bare feet against the uneven ground. Black spots dance at the edges of my vision, and I can feel my strength waning with each passing second. I’m so tired.

I stumble, nearly going to my knee