Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Larisa’s POV

I freeze.

The hairs on the back of my neck prick up as the footsteps grow louder. They’re slow, deliberate—almost like a heartbeat. Someone’s trailing me.

No…

I whip my head around, my heart racing like crazy. The tunnel stretches on, narrow and dark, and the dim torchlight ahead doesn’t do much to soothe the rising panic in my chest.

I know those footsteps.

They’re not just anyone’s. They’re heavy, controlled. The kind that shouldn’t be lurking in shadows.

Killian.

The realization slams into me, hard.

My stomach twists. This was too easy, too perfect. I should’ve seen this coming. The silence in this passageway had felt too perfect earlier—too peaceful. He must’ve been waiting for me to make a move. Just waiting for me to mess up.

I can’t go forward. Not with him right behind me.

I’ve got to hide.

I dive into the shadows on my left, my heart a drum in my chest. My cloak wraps around me like a second skin, blending me into the darkness. I flatten myself against the cold stone wall, holding my breath like it’s the only thing keeping me alive.

I pray to the Goddess—no, to whatever’s out there listening—that he doesn’t spot me.

The footsteps are closer now. Way too close. I can hear the scrape of his boots against the stone, getting louder and louder.

I can almost feel him, like a weight in the air.

Killian knows. He has to. The plan’s gone sideways, but maybe, just maybe, he’ll think I’ve made a mistake. A slip-up.

I bite my lip, fighting the urge to move. I need to stay perfectly still.

A soft rustling comes from my right. His voice—low, but so unmistakable.

“Where are you, Larisa?” His tone is calm, almost playful, but there’s a chill lurking beneath it. “Come on now. This little game of hide and seek is getting old.”

I hold my breath, praying he doesn’t hear my heart racing in the silence.

For a heartbeat, everything feels suspended.

Then I hear him shift again, closer now. He’s almost right next to me.

Please, please don’t turn this corner.

I stay frozen, hoping the shadows will just swallow me whole.

But then, just as he’s about to round the bend, something catches his attention—a distant echo, maybe even his own reflection playing tricks off the walls. He stops.

My heart leaps into my throat as he takes a slow step back, peering into the tunnel where I was just a second ago.

I squeeze my eyes shut. Please…

And then, with an exhale that feels like everything’s crumbling around me, he turns.

And walks away.

I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding, my hands shaking as I grip the stone wall to steady myself.

For what feels like ages, I don’t move. The weight of the near-miss hangs over me like a heavy fog. I almost got caught.

I can’t afford another slip-up.

Not now.

The tunnel ahead still promises escape, but now, even the air feels dangerous. I can’t shake off what just happened. I was this close to being found, to being dragged back to him, to being… trapped again.

But I can’t go back. No way. Not when freedom is so close.

So I start moving again, this time more cautiously, my steps light and calculated. No room for mistakes anymore.

Finally, I reach a fork in the tunnel. The left path—lit by flickering torches—is the way Damien said to go. The right… is pure darkness, and I know it leads nowhere good.

But I hesitate.

Is Damien really waiting for me at the end? Can I trust him?

A voice whispers in my mind. What if he’s playing you too?

No. I can’t let doubts creep in now. Not when I’ve come this far. The only way forward is with him.

I take the lit path, the torchlight flickering like a promise. I move quickly, but not recklessly. I’m still not out of danger yet.

But as I round a corner, something freezes me in my tracks.

A low growl.

Not far away.

I press myself against the stone wall, my cloak now feeling heavy with dread.

This growl doesn’t sound like a wolf. It’s something else entirely, something I’ve never heard before.

I wait, breath held tight, not daring to make a sound.

I hold my breath, just waiting, not making a sound. That growl? It’s getting louder, more pronounced.

Then, out of the shadows, a figure steps forward, right in my way. I squint, trying to see their face, but they’re tall and intimidating, their shape stark against the glow of the torchlight.

And then it hits me.

That voice.

“Don’t try to run, Larisa.”

I feel my throat tighten as those words settle like a heavy stone on my chest.

Killian.

Before I can even think to react, he strides into the light, a smug grin plastered across his face. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”

My heart races—there’s no escape now. The tunnel behind? Blocked. And Killian? He’s standing right in front of me, sealing off my only way out.

I’m cornered.