A Heart Like Glass [Book 1]

Chapter 11

The forest floor once more crunched underneath my feet as I made my way back to the duchy.

Leaving Ashe had been much harder than I thought it would be. In the end, he was the one who had to pull away and make me leave. Forcing my legs to move away from him had been painful, and I had looked back three times to get one more glimpse of him before leaving. There's no telling when I'll be able to see him again. So, I wanted the moment to last as long as possible.

I strode up to the large boulder that rested on the edge of the clearing. The large, open patch of grass was hidden by surrounding oak and birch trees. While the mansion is just past the trees on the other side, it can barely be seen through them. This made the clearing the perfect spot to get away from everyone, and, for that reason, it has become my retreat of sorts. I've never seen anyone else wander here. So, I often come here during the day whenever I need to take a break from the stuffiness of the mansion. At first, I was worried that I'd get in trouble for lingering in this place, but Jonie assured me that it was fine. Now and then, I bring a blanket here to lie on and watch the clouds drift by. It's one of the many things I do to forget about the bad things I face regularly.

But it's hard to forget the scars that mar this body and the person who inflicted them. It's difficult to forget a world that used to be my home and to stop missing it. The emptiness in my stomach is so loud, that it won't let me forget that I'm being starved. The stress of planning to run away refuses to rest in the backburner of my mind.

And it's impossible to ignore a prophecy that foretells your death.

So, I jumped when I had I heard the shuffling of feet that were not my own. I was hardly halfway through the clearing and began to panic, and my body completely stilled.

Why would anybody be out here this late at night?

My eyes darted around, but I didn't see anyone. And after a few minutes of stark silence, I loosed a breath. As I continued forward, I figured that it must have been a rabbit or another small animal. More than once, my heart has stopped over a squirrel.

Making it to the forest's edge, I felt relieved.

I'm just nervous. It's been a while since I've snuck out, but I'll get used to it again.

And I was thinking that very thought when something... or someone, rather, grabbed my arm and yanked me hard to the ground. I yelped, stumbling to my hands and knees in shock.

"Where the hell have you been?" An enraged, low voice asked me.

In horror, I watched two feet move in front of me.

No. No, no, no...

If Andreas has caught me here, then I'm as good as dead.

So, I was surprised – and slightly grateful – when I looked up to find a very angry-faced Keelan looking down at me. His white hair gleamed softly in the moonlight, but his eyes were as sharp and cold as ice. A pink light, a magic light, emanated from his hand, and he wore a dark green cloak with gold details that draped from his shoulders down to his ankles.

Why he wears clothes that don't suit him, I'll never understand.

What is he doing here? And how did he catch me?

"I-I..." My mouth turned to dust as I tried to think of an excuse, but it was pretty obvious where I'd been. My too-casual outfit, worn leather bag, and the fact that I'd been prancing through the forest made it extremely clear.

"Okay, if that question is too difficult to answer, then let me ask you this," he said gruffly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why in Tarareahn, have you been running a thrift stand at the night market?"