THE QUEEN RISES

m before

t a movement. N

sh

e world was drawing a slow, deliberate

I

as h

rled around my coat, forcing me to walk, to keep my pace even, measured, normal. Ju

ut screa

u

look

conf

f I saw him-then it would be

d be t

eps, and the constant drone of traffic. Music, a distant thumpin

ouldn't

h it all,

pres

ecise. U

against the b

d to acknowledge. My boots hit the pavement with more force now, my pace quickening. I veered down a narrow

ist

nt I stepped into t

ty. Too

high alert, every sound amplified. The scuff of my boots on

tst

ind

. Unhu

rt

mach p

o

no

My fingers clenched into fists, my w

teps didn

didn'

idn't

mply fo

how fast I ran, no matter whe

rack in the pavement, every dying ember of a street lamp, every

onto another street, this one just as busy, just as loud. People jos

least the il

to loo

tilted on

across th

il

chi

rr

ugh no one had spoken it. My body ten

n't ch

actly as I remembered. Tall. Composed. Clad in impeccably tail

is ey

re fixe

ave

ses

r taken his gaz

on a gasp

Of course

en he

y human. Just a faint curving of his lips, sharp and k

nd

d in the silent air,

napped ba

u

kers, ignoring their angry shouts. Adrenaline

ound

erything I'd done to erase m

ound

oat, but beneath it si

vit

lways goin

r how fa

r how we

idn't lo

ally n

ts, ducking into narrow alleys, my breath coming in ragged g

still

ind

sin

rush

r ru

he didn'

wall, then pushed onward, my vision blurri

Freya

e. Chaos. Anyw

dark mouth of a subw

rf

at a time, descending into the underground roar of bodies and

o

was

ing the wave of strangers wash

eeling di

ver f

still

station, the doors hissing open. People surged forwar

cha

ped fo

clamped aro

art s

o

on. To

have caugh

nd, ready to f

hand was

ong. Shorter. Broader. Cr

terror warr

ered, his grip tig

is fingers dug into my skin, unyielding. Panic flared. Thi

across the

was w

il

a

mo

his surprised h

expe

roared in

er, but the man only smirked, dragg

rasped. "You're

abbing me? And why-why wa

rren again, despera

Didn't react.

fixed on mine, d

gave the sl

ach plu

o

o

asn't

sn't a

was p

the platform, away from any chance of escape. My nails raked his arm a

Torr

just

exactly where I

tened with a

had been run

no

w the

been runn

been

ht int

behind me, cutting me off from the crowd

d one horri

dn't just

been wa

t moment to