Chapter 26
Annalise
The forest was a blur of shadow and light as I raced through the trees. My heart thundered in my chest, a frantic drumbeat that matched the rhythm of my desperate escape. The moon hung full and luminous in the night sky, casting silver streaks through the dense canopy above me. Every now and then, the haunting echo of a howl reverberated through the Kingdom, chilling me to my core.
But I ran.
I ran like my life depended on it because, in this moment, it did.
Leaping from one tree to another, my hands and feet found purchase on rough bark and sturdy branches. It wasn’t just running—it was instinct, survival, the only thing I had left. The Princes couldn’t find me, not here, not tonight. No matter how fast or determined they were, this was one thing I was better at—d
