The trees grew darker the deeper she ran.
River’s breath came in sharp, shallow bursts, her legs screaming with exhaustion as branches clawed at her like angry hands. Mud sucked at her feet, and the dense undergrowth tore through her thin clothes, leaving scratches that stung with every frantic step. But she didn’t stop.
She couldn’t.
Behind her—somewhere—were the rogues who had ambushed the carriage. And worse… Prince Thas. The way his voice had twisted, the madness in his eyes—it haunted her.
She stumbled, catching herself on a tree trunk slick with moss, her vision spinning.
Keep going, she told herself. Keep moving.
She didn’t know where she was anymore. The map of Almira she had studied in the estate couldn’t help her here. These were wild woods, untamed and ancient, with tower
