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She lowered her gaze, shame blanketing her. “I know.” She believed she was doing what she thought was best by selflessly removing them from the entire situation, but Juniper’s heart was still very much involved, and now her hands were tied. “She knows she can’t beat him on her own.”
“Adriel’s incredibly strong. I’ve watched her stand up to immortals twice her size on the farm. Don’t underestimate her.”
“She doesn’t intend to fight him, Dane. That’s not what this is.”
“Well, we’ve established she can’t run forever, so eventually, she’ll have to.”
“No. She plans to end her life before he has the chance to hurt her. That’s her solution. That’s the only way she thinks she can make this go away.”
“What?” His face contorted. “You’re saying she’s going to kill herself?”
Juniper pressed a fist to her mouth as the bile in her stomach rose. “That’s her plan.”
“Well…she can’t.” He was on his feet. “We have to do something.”
“Tell me what and I’ll do it, Dane. I’m out of ideas.”
“Exactly what I said—we get to him before he can get to her.”
She blinked at him in surprise. “We?”
“Yes, we. Did you think I would let you do this alone? We’re a team.”
She sprung off the bed and threw her arms around him. “Thank you for being such a good guy.”
He hugged her. “I know what it’s like to fear for the safety of someone you love. I worry about Gracie every day. I lost my parents, my grandparents, and my sister. I even had to give away my dog. I can’t lose you guys too.”
Her arms tightened. “When all this is over, I promise I’ll do whatever I can to help you with Gracie.”
He laughed awkwardly and pulled away. “I’ve accepted her choice. And I don’t want her to love me because someone used magick on her. I deserve something real.”
“You do,” she agreed, wishing she could help him.
“But hey, maybe you could do some sort of spell that makes me fall out of love with her so it doesn’t hurt so much.”
She laughed. Love truly was a pain in the ass. “Deal.”
CHAPTER 27
Adriel’s attention jerked to the trees as a screech owl twittered and called. Her instincts were on high alert, as were her senses. Small predators often fled in her presence, but she was doing her best to mask her scent. The woodland creatures could warn her of other dangers creeping nearby.
It had been six nights since leaving. Six grueling days traveling by foot and keeping a paranoid watch over her shoulder.
She hadn’t believed she’d make it this far. Her progress implied Cerberus might have been more injured at the gorges than they realized.
She didn’t want to think about Juniper and Dane. By now, she had probably come to terms with her choice—or maybe she hadn’t.
Adriel's guilt tugged at her resolve, and she went back and forth, never quite sure if she’d made the right decision. Her heart wanted toturn back, but who knew if Juniper would speak to her after the way she’d left?
She should have had the integrity to say goodbye to her face. She tried, several times, to reason with her, but Juniper refused to listen to reason. Cerberus was going to find her sooner or later. It was best if she was alone. That way, she was less vulnerable.
A bat passed overhead, and she tracked its silent flight. Once again, she scanned her surroundings. Aside from the occasional night critter scurrying about, everything seemed calm.
She’d made it past the Canadian border several nights ago. From there, she passed through Quebec and believed she was now in the Newfoundland mountains.
The high winds disguised her scent, but the cold made hunting and feeding difficult. She assumed she’d stop when she reached the coast. Or maybe she’d find passage east, toward Iceland, the UK, or perhaps Scandinavia—considering she lived long enough to get that far.
The moon hung heavy in the sky, its pale light casting eerie shadows over the rugged terrain. Fog drifted in, crawling over the ground and through the trees like long fingers. The relentless wind howled like the mournful cries of lost souls, and the biting cold burned her cheeks.
