Chapter Nineteen

Whip-crack branches lashed angry bruises across my face and arms as I swerved through the dense woodland. But I didn't slow, couldn't pause for mere stings. Thoughts of Ruby gnawed at my mind like a ravening beast. She was all that mattered now.

I'd lost Cassius to whatever supernatural hell was tormenting him, torn away against my will. And Ruby...dear God, I had no idea what state she was in at that isolated hunting cabin. What if Julian's promise of her safety was another hollow lie? What if some other obscene threat from this wretched otherworld had found its way to her defenseless form?

The notion propelled my battered legs into an even more punishing sprint, calves screaming and lungs searing for a break. But they could be damned. Ruby was my sole anchor in this reality-fracturing madness. If anything happened to her...