CHAPTER 55: RUN!

Lilith struggled to shift into a more comfortable position—not that any position truly was, not with her hands and legs bound so tightly and her head throbbing with pain. Still, anything was better than lying awkwardly on the floor of the carriage.

After several strained efforts, she managed to sit up straight. Glancing out the small window, she realized it was already night. Darkness covered the landscape, and the chill had worsened. Her fingers felt numb, her entire body shivering from the cold.

She tugged at the ropes again, teeth clenched in frustration, but it was no use. They were expertly tied. She couldn’t help but wonder how they had managed to bind her so thoroughly without waking her.

The sudden halt of the carriage snapped her from her thoughts, adrenaline spiking in her veins.

She could hear the muffled voices of the two men Leonidas had mentioned—Bole and Andus—arguing in hushed tones. Their voices were tense, agitated. Then, abruptly, the whispering stopped, and the carriage door was yanked open.

One of the men, nearly bald and dressed in dark, heavy clothing, reached in and wrapped his fingers tightly around her arm, yanking her out without care.

Lilith barely had time to brace herself. She stumbled, crashing to the ground with a sharp cry as her shoulder slammed into the hard earth. Pain exploded through her side, her teeth gritting against the sting. Still bound, she had no way to soften the fall.

Lilith quickly recovered and forced herself into a sitting position, her eyes darting around. All she could see was darkness and the towering silhouettes of trees. Thankfully, the moon was out tonight, offering a faint silver glow that barely lit the forest around her.

Her gaze shifted back to the men. One of them held a lantern, casting flickering light over their features. It was then she saw their faces clearly—the second man was much younger than the one who had yanked her out of the carriage. He had short-cropped hair and wore the same dark clothing as his companion.

She watched warily as they pulled a set of new ropes from a worn-out bag. Lilith’s brow furrowed. Why new ropes? Was she not already bound tightly enough? Her wrists and ankles were nearly numb.

The bald man dropped the ropes beside her and knelt down on one knee. Without a word, he grabbed her hands and began cutting the ropes that had been tied around her wrists.

Lilith blinked in confusion. "W... what are you doing? Why are you cutting the ropes?" she asked, her voice dry and cracked. Her throat burned with thirst—she hadn’t had a drop of water in hours.

"Shut your fucking mouth, bitch," he snarled, his voice rough and venomous.

Lilith flinched and quickly pressed her lips together. It was safer to stay silent than provoke him any further. The last thing she needed was another outburst of violence.

As the ropes finally came off, Lilith exhaled shakily and rubbed her wrists, wincing at the angry red marks etched into her skin. The man moved to her legs next, cutting through the bindings and freeing her ankles.

He grabbed the old ropes and tossed them carelessly into the woods behind them. The younger man stepped closer, crouching beside Lilith with a small jar of water. Without warning, he seized her jaw, forcing it open and began pouring the liquid into her mouth.

Lilith panicked, clawing weakly at his hands as water spilled past her lips faster than she could swallow. Her eyes widened, heart thudding wildly in her chest as she felt herself begin to choke.

Finally, the man stopped and released her jaw. Lilith fell forward, coughing violently as she struggled to catch her breath. Her chest heaved with each gasp, and a cold shiver ran through her as the man let out a low, cruel laugh.

Then he grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her close, his face just inches from hers. Lilith winced, the rancid stench of his breath making her stomach churn.

"She’s a beautiful one, don’t you think, Bole?" he sneered, turning slightly to glance at the bald man. "We could have a little fun before we drop her off at the cottage. That scarred bastard wouldn’t know, right?" His voice was harsh and vile as he leaned in to sniff the side of her face, making her skin crawl.

Andus didn’t respond. His silence was louder than words as he simply glared at Bole, his jaw clenched tight.

Lilith pulled away from Bole, and to her surprise, he let her go, though his eyes continued to devour her with a sickening hunger. His gaze slid down her face, lingering on her neck, then lower, making her feel exposed despite her clothing.

Lilith instinctively wrapped her arms around her chest, shifting away from his line of sight. Goosebumps erupted across her skin, and the chill in the air was nothing compared to the revulsion she felt.

"I can’t wait to see what you look like under the moonlight... without a single piece of clothing," he said with a lecherous chuckle.

Lilith scrunched her nose in disgust. "You’re insane. I’ll kill you if you dare touch me," she spat, her voice sharp.

The man let out a twisted laugh. One moment he was several feet away, the next, he was towering over her, yanking her by the hair and forcing her to the ground.

"Little cunt has a voice. How adorable," he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.

He leaned in, his tongue dragging slowly from her neck up to her ear. "When I’m done with you, you’ll wish you had kept still like a good little girl."

Lilith’s stomach churned. She felt filthy, violated by his touch and the wet trail of saliva left on her skin. She writhed beneath him, desperate to break free. Her hand flailed beside her, searching, hoping—and then she felt it.

Something hard. Something sharp.

It was the blade—the one the other man had used to cut the ropes. Lilith grabbed it firmly and, without hesitation, plunged it deep into Andus’s shoulder. His scream tore through the night as she shoved him off her and scrambled to her feet.

Ignoring the pounding in her head, she sprinted into the forest, branches whipping against her skin. The furious shouts of the men echoed behind her, their footsteps closing in fast.

They were chasing her.

And that only fueled her desperation, because she knew her life depended on getting away.