Selene POV
I don't stop running until the palace walls disappear behind me.
My ribs scream. The dragon's claws left deep gashes that haven't healed.
Blood soaks through crude bandages wrapped with shaking hands.
But I can't stop.
The palace gates stand wide open. Massive iron bars unlocked.
No guards. No challenges.
Too easy.
Where are the patrols? The sentries at every gate? Even at dawn, there should be someone.
Unless they were ordered to let me leave.
I push the thought down. Keep moving.
The forest looms ahead. Dark. Dense. The Black Mountains rising beyond like jagged teeth against the sky.
I plunge into the trees.
Branches claw at my cloak. Roots try to trip me. The forest floor is uneven. Treacherous.
My body protests every step. The dragon's claws left deep gashes ac
