The woods blur around us as we run. Branches whip past my face. My lungs burn. My legs ache. But none of it matters, Emily is beside me, stumbling, terrified, barely staying upright. Noah keeps a hand on her back, guiding her forward.
Behind us, Jason crashes through the trees like a storm. Too close. Too fast. Too angry. I can feel his magic pressing against mine, dark, heavy, suffocating. Emily’s bond pulses with fear, and it pushes me harder.
“Keep going!” Noah shouts.
I don’t need him to tell me twice. We sprint through the underbrush, feet pounding the earth. Emily trips, and I grab her arm, pulling her up before she hits the ground. Then...a low growl cuts through the night. A dog bursts out of the shadows, barking furiously, teeth bared but not at us, but at Jason. He charges pas
