I spun on my heel and ran as fast as I could. My would-be kidnappers cursed, their footsteps pounding the pavement behind me. I flew through the sleeping city, carefully avoiding Cora's route. I hadn't been sure they'd both follow me—another target was still within reach—but their outrage at being tricked by a little girl seemed to have focused their attention on me.

I needed to find somewhere to hide, some way to lose them. I was small and fast, but my pursuers had longer legs and were probably in better shape. I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten, let alone exercised for anything other than survival. I headed toward the park in the center of the valley—the trees were dense, the light minimal, and I'd always had a talent for seeing in the dark at least, I used to.

Adrenaline spurred me to sprint, though my head screamed at me to pace myself. I didn't dare look back, running until my lungs burned and my sides cramped. Still, I didn't slow down, pushing through the pain and exhaustion, forcing myself to take longer strides.

Reaching the forest, I felt a flicker of relief as I plunged into the trees, veering off the path. I leaped over logs and pushed through the undergrowth, wondering whether to keep running or climb a tree.

An angry shout echoed behind me, and I realized my pursuers were closer than I thought. Panic seized me, but I kept running, panting for breath.

Blood roared in my ears, and though branches and thorns scraped my legs, I felt no pain. My frantic mind hallucinated the sound of wolves howling—two more joined the first—and my eyes darted around the woods, searching for unseen predators. We were deep in the forest, and suddenly I realized this was the worst possible place to have fled.

I'd always felt safe in the forest, but my eyesight wasn't as sharp as I remembered in the pitch blackness. I'd led my attackers away from the city—away from witnesses who might have helped.

I was slowing down, no matter how hard I tried. I was running on empty, and my adrenaline couldn't sustain me. "No!" I thought frantically. "Keep going! If they catch you, it's over. They'll sell you to a brothel, or to some monster like the Doctor. No one will be left to protect Cora. You have to fight!"

A final burst of energy gave me fleeting hope. I picked up speed, but moved too fast to see my surroundings. My foot caught on a rock, and I tumbled to the ground, rolling through the undergrowth. I finally stopped, sprawled on my back, gasping for air.

I was bruised and bleeding, feeling as if I'd been punched in the stomach, my lungs momentarily frozen in shock.

My attackers loomed over me, panting but grinning sickeningly. "Now look what you've done, you stupid girl," the first one sneered. "How are we supposed to get a good price for you when you're all marked up like this?"

His partner smirked. "At this rate, it'll be a week before we can take her to auction, so there's no reason to be delicate. We might as well test the merchandise."

"I agree," the first one leered. "The little bitch was asking for it, anyway. I doubt a pretty thing like this is still pure. You remember how she offered herself up for her friend? The little hussy was gagging for it."

"Then let's not disappoint her," the second declared, reaching for his belt. "Don't worry, slut, we'll make this good for you—as long as you don't fight."

Tears burned in my eyes. I knew what would happen next. I knew I could survive it, but I didn't want to. I didn't want to be hurt that way again, and their cruel words filled me with a humiliation I couldn't fathom. It wasn't my fault I wasn't "pure," it wasn't my fault I looked the way I did it wasn't fair. What had I done to deserve this? Hadn't I suffered enough?

I choked back a sob. I didn't know what to do. If I fought, they'd hurt me worse; if I didn't, they'd insist I liked it. I scanned the forest, searching for escape, for a last-ditch rescue.

I froze. Two robed figures, a dozen meters away, were illuminated by moonlight filtering between the trees. I didn't recognize them, yet they seemed strangely familiar. They stood motionless, hands clasped, watching my kidnappers. Their wrinkled faces were drawn in frowns, but they made no sound, offered no help, acknowledged no terror. They simply watched.

"What's she looking at?" the first man grumbled, annoyed by my distraction.

"I don't know, there's nothing there," the second muttered in frustration. I couldn't focus enough to realize they couldn't see the strange men. I stared at the pair, silently begging for help, too afraid to scream. I knew they saw me. They were looking right at me—so why weren't they acting?

Surely they didn't think I was there willingly. I heard a whoosh of air, then a sickening crack as pain exploded across my cheekbone. I cried out, hating to give them satisfaction. My vision went black, then filled with stars. Any hope I'd clung to died as I accepted my fate. They were going to rape me, then sell me to be abused repeatedly possibly for the rest of my life. The reality slammed into me, and I vomited onto the ground. The men leaped back in disgust.

"You idiot, you hit her too hard," one said.

"Just drag her over here. I don't want to get it on me," the other ordered.

Someone lifted my feet, and I was dragged across the earth like a ragdoll.

I blinked up at the sky, wishing to leave my body, to be knocked unconscious so I wouldn't remember. Then something glinted in my periphery—silver and starlight. It was a flash, buried in the leaf litter.

My focus locked onto it. I recognized the hilt of a dagger—unlike anything I'd ever seen, not the simple blades in multipurpose tools or the jagged knives used by hunters. This looked like something from a museum. Jewels were embedded in the hilt, and though I couldn't see the blade, I sensed its sharpness.

I reached for it, trying to conceal my movements as the first man wrenched my legs apart and tore at my clothes. My fingers closed around the cold metal, and I acted before I could think. My body was in survival mode—I'd tried flight; now, all that was left was fight. After all, I had nothing to lose. I slashed the dagger across the first man's throat, watching his flesh rip open with detached horror. It took more strength than I expected, but I'd done it, and his blood gushed out as he gurgled and clawed at his neck.

The second man jerked around in shock.

"What—Steven!" He leaned down to try to help his friend, clearly more concerned with saving him than identifying the threat. "What how?"

As soon as his eyes met mine, I struck again, burying the blade in his neck until the tip emerged on the other side. I ripped it free and stabbed again, scrambling back. The second man collapsed on top of the first, still reaching for me. "You little bitch."

"Are those really the words you want for your last?" I spat, drawing strength from somewhere. He opened his mouth again, but nothing came out. I watched the light drain from his eyes, then looked back at the robed men. They nodded their approval, and the first one placed a bundle of cloth on a log. They turned and disappeared back into the trees.

My limbs trembled violently. Looking back at the dead men, I discovered the knife had vanished. I was alone in the forest with two dead bodies, covered in blood and vomit. But I was alive, and aside from bruises, unharmed.

I shakily rose to my feet. I moved forward in a trance, investigating the bundle. It was a fresh change of clothes and a bottle of water. On autopilot, I washed away the gore and changed, knowing Cora would be traumatized if she saw me like this. Then, I walked out of the forest as if nothing had happened. The strangest part was, the closer I got to the edge, the less I remembered.

By the time I emerged, I couldn't recall anything. When my sister asked, I could only say I'd lost our attackers and as far as I knew, it was the truth.