Slumber (Beauty Never Dies Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  I tried not to think about his warm hand enclosed over mine, dwarfing my tiny one. It held strength. Instead, I concentrated on my feet, moving them one in front of the other, a task that was harder than it should have been. The last thing I wanted was to trip and wipe out, not only making a fool of myself, but also drawing unwanted attention our way.

  Iron scraping against concrete shrilled as the doors opened and in shuffled the Night’s Guard. My mysterious rescuer paused, listening to the sounds of feet scuffing against the cement floor. He counted them off, lips moving silently. Three. Four. Maybe five. He snorted. I guessed he was unimpressed by the number.

  I didn’t have the foggiest idea what was going on or who these men were chasing after us. It could be they wanted the guy with the silver eyes and would let me go home. All I could hope was that I wasn’t making the biggest mistake of my life by trusting this guy. I didn’t even know his name.

  This was off-the-wall nuts.

  As soon as I got out of here, I wanted answers. Pronto.

  We hugged the hard wall, silently moving through the corridors. The swishing of my dress on the floor was unavoidable. No matter what I did, short of tearing it off, I couldn’t quiet the sound. Not too far in front of us was movement. The silver-eyed prince stopped abruptly, and I bumped right into his solid form.

  Sweet baby Jesus.

  I might only be seventeen, but I knew what the heat was that rushed through me. What was it about this guy? Was it the heightened sense of danger that made me ultra-aware of each accidental touch? The length of his body, pressed to mine, was impossible to ignore.

  I bit my lip. He was ripped in all the right places.

  Looking over his shoulder, he glared silently at me.

  I smiled sweetly. “You said to stay close,” I whispered.

  “Not that close,” he muttered. “I need room to breathe.”

  Tell me about it. I was finding it increasingly hard to do either with him so close to me. My gaze roamed to his lips. They were pleasant lips, kissable even.

  It was the heavy steps of a guard that snapped me from making a mistake. What the hell was wrong with me?

  The guard came closer to the corner, and my hand squeezed the dark prince’s. It was probably too much to hope the guard would turn around. Four more steps and he would come face to face with us. Each second my heart rate jacked up. I didn’t want to be anyone’s prisoner, and the thought filled me with trepidation, but I didn’t see how we were going to get out of this.

  Prince Trouble stiffened, slowly unwinding our fingers and just in time. A guard came into view, dressed in full, dark blue combat gear with a white crest on his left breast in the shape of a star. “What the he—”

  With no warning, my companion moved to strike before the guard could alert the others. I stifled a gasp as the poor sap hit the ground with a thump. The prince’s black T-shirt had lifted with his precise movements, giving me a glimpse of his tantalizing abs. My gaze dropped to his waistline where a silver dagger was tucked in his shirt.

  My eyes bulged. What is he doing with a knife?

  Had I made a mistake?

  What if he hurts me? Kidnaps me? Or worse!

  A gazillion horror movie scenarios ran through my head. Was it too late to change my mind? But as I stared down at the unmoving Night’s Guard, I liked what I saw even less. There were guns or Tasers strapped to either side of his waist. The guard was a fairly large guy, at least twice the size of Prince Trouble.

  The prince with ninja reflexes snuck a glance at me, a glint of curiosity reflecting in his face. Impressed? No doubt he had expected me to squeal like a girl.

  I kept my expression blank and arched a brow.

  Thank God I hadn’t fainted or screamed. I wouldn’t want to give him the satisfaction of being right.

  Who the hell is this guy?

  One thing was certain. … I wasn’t in Missouri anymore. So where was I?

  Chapter 2

  His dark head shook at me before he started to crawl again cautiously down the corridor. Impatience vibrated off him. He didn’t like being inside these concrete walls, and who could blame him?

  There was nothing pleasant or comforting about this place. It gave me the willies, and I was just as ready to get the heck out of here.

  As he peeked around the bend, a sigh of relief exhaled from his chest. The metal door I assumed held our freedom was slightly ajar. His sharp gaze scanned the hall to our right and once behind us. There was a cold, calculating gleam in his eyes, only increasing my curiosity. He wasn’t someone to make rash decisions.

  With a quick jerk of his head, he indicated we needed to move. It was weird; few words were needed between us. I was in tune with his movements, except, of course, for our little collision earlier. We had barely spoken, and yet, it was like I could read his mind.

  Too bad the rest of my body wasn’t as keen. On shaky legs, I slinked against the wall. The cold of the concrete began to worm itself over my skin as I waited on his next move. He was such a striking mystery to me, and I couldn’t help but be intrigued. Taking down a man with one hit was no easy feat (I didn’t care who you were).

  Biting down on my lip, I tried to keep my teeth from chattering, not wanting to be the reason we were detected, even if I didn’t fully understand who we were running from. All I did know was there was a sixth sense inside me, telling me to trust this stranger—to trust the guy with the unbelievable, starry eyes.

  I had only just met him, and he already had my belly doing loop the loops.

  Mimicking his stealthy movements as best as I could, I followed him to the massive iron door. It looked as if it could withstand the force of a battering ram. The old door creaked as he put his shoulder to it, pushing just far enough for us to squeeze through. I was almost to the other side, with one foot balanced inside and the other outside, when a voice rang out.

  “Hey!” a Night’s Guard yelled from behind, shooting a blast of yellow light straight toward me.

  My head spun around, and I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing to be incinerated by plasma matter, but the blast never came. Prince Trouble yanked me through the door without hesitation, and I tumbled outside, his arms keeping me upright.

  Thank God one of us was quick on his feet.

  I inhaled greedily as I got my first taste of freedom, fresh air filling my lungs. I couldn’t remember the air ever smelling so sweet. How long had it been since I was outside? A day? A month? A year? A decade? I couldn’t say, but it was the earthiest scent—damp and luscious.

  While I basked in the twilight, Prince Trouble put his weight against the door, shoving it shut. The sound vibrated over the trees that hid the building. “Run!” he hollered, grabbing my hand.

  I barely had time to process what he had said before I found myself being dragged through dense woods. Tangled brush and overgrown thorns thrashed at my feet and ankles, snagging my gown at every step. It would be shredded to pieces before we got to wherever we were going.

  But more than anything, I couldn’t wait to shower and change into something more practical. Why the hell am I in a formal dress, anyway?

  I winced as a pine needle jabbed me for the hundredth time, going through the sole of my slipper, but I didn’t slow my pace. He didn’t give me much choice. If we hadn’t been running for our lives, I would have dug my feet in and given him a verbal thrashing that would have made his ears bleed. I wasn’t a ragdoll to be pulled about.

  A light drizzle fell from the dark sky, soothing the fire blazing on the bottoms of my feet and the scratches bleeding on my legs. I cursed him to hell and back. Moving through the shadows, he pulled us under a mossy cypress, pressing a finger to his lips. I watched his face as he looked to see if we were being followed. He was focused on the sounds of the night.

  Under moonlight, his features were softer, but no less drool-worthy. He had a street thug quality—rough around the edges. Who are you?

  As minutes passed, nothing but the chirping and singing o
f wildlife and the occasional rustle of leaves sounded through the forest. He relaxed his shoulders. “Come on. Let’s go,” he instructed. “Before those idiots grow a brain.”

  I tugged my hand from his, turning my blazing eyes on him. “I. Am. Not. Running. Anymore,” I panted, still trying to catch my breath. I was winded for a number of reasons.

  His features bordered on annoyed. “Listen, Freckles, what you want is not my concern. Right now, all I care about is finding shelter and somewhere to rest my head. It’s been a helluva night. I’ve been traveling for days to get to that holding cell, and now, I want to sleep. If you have other plans, have at it.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “My name’s not Freckles.”

  His lips twisted as if he knew something he wasn’t telling me. “Oh yeah, what is it?”

  I wracked my brain, trying to pluck the answer that should have come naturally. Why couldn’t I remember my name? It was right there on the tip of my memory, but something was blocking it. My brows drew together in concentration.

  “Don’t hurt yourself,” he mumbled.

  That does it. The anger gave me the extra push, and bam, the memory slammed into me. “Charlotte! My name is Charlotte Winston,” I said smugly.

  “Is it really?” he challenged, folding his arms across his broad chest.

  I was curious about his age. Nineteen, maybe? “Why would I lie about my name?”

  “For starters, most people don’t remember who they are after waking, not right away.”

  Okay, that didn’t really mean a whole lot to me. “You didn’t tell me your name,” I prompted.

  “It’s Dash,” he replied, walking out from under the tree branches, leaving me no choice but to follow or be left stranded in the wilderness with no food, no sense of direction, and defenseless in a foreign place.

  Uh, no, thank you.

  I forced my legs to move. “Tell me where we are going.”

  A corner of his lips lifted. “See for yourself, Freckles. We’re here,” he stated and proceeded to walk a few feet in front of the weeping tree and into the mouth of a very dark, dingy cave.

  Umm, he had another thing coming if he thought I was going to climb in there. It looked like a family of monstrous spiders had already set up camp. Webs covered the top of the rocky cave, extending to the tree branches across from it. Scary, big-ass webs.

  These weren’t the weavings of a normal daddy-long-legs. Hell, no. These looked like they could capture small children.

  Drops of rain glistened off the sheer webs, reflecting in the moonlight. Dash poked his head out of the cave entrance. “What are you waiting for? An invitation?”

  Mocking him under my breath, I muttered and cursed as I made my way to the entry, all the while trying to avoid touching the spun silk. “I’m waiting for someone to tell me this is a joke.”

  This place gave me the willies. Nothing good ever lived in the dark.

  I shivered as I entered the mouth of the cave, unable to shake that heebie-jeebies feeling, the kind where it feels as if there are invisible spiders crawling over my skin. I fought the urge to swat at my arms and shake my hair.

  Inside, I could see absolutely nothing. A small beam of twilight streamed in behind me, shining on the rocky floor and offering only a minimal amount of light. In front of me was utter darkness.

  “Don’t you have a flashlight or something?” I grumbled. My hand fumbled along the wall, afraid to move any farther. Who knew, I could fall down a giant hole for Pete’s sake! Okay, so I was a tad dramatic, but still. …

  Dash chuckled in the dark, and the sound was like sex on a hot summer’s night. “Freckles, you’re in for the shock of your life. Give me just another minute and. …” There was a bunch of noises—scraping, snapping, and chafing—followed by a flicker of firelight. It caught and illuminated the dark cavern. He gave me a crooked grin. “There. Happy now?”

  Leaning against the wall, I rubbed my arms, feeling the damp chill in the air. “Not really.” I moved farther into the cave and sat in front of the roaring fire.

  Now that there was light, I let my eyes wander the room. The walls were jagged, jutting and carving out the cavern. I pulled the lengthy material of my white dress around me like a blanket and turned my gaze to Dash. He looked awfully comfortable in the cave. “You’re just a regular Boy Scout. How did you know how to do that?” I asked, inquiring about the fire.

  He shrugged his broad shoulders. “You learn all kinds of things to survive. We should be safe here for the evening. The Night’s Guard don’t know about this little gem.”

  “We’re actually spending the night here?” I asked, my eyes surfing over the cavern. I’d been glamping before, but this brought a whole new meaning to roughing it. What I wouldn’t give for some silk sheets and a down pillow.

  “It’s either that or you can brace yourself for the harsh elements out there. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take my chances in here. But hey, it’s up to you. No one is going to force you to do anything, least of all me.”

  God, he was so infuriating. Why did he have to turn and twist everything I said? My eyes drifted to the bedroll spread out on the other side of the fire and a backpack of sorts leaned up against the wall. Someone had definitely been here before. Had it really been him? “How do I know I can trust you?” I asked in a small voice.

  He eyed me with a watchful gaze, measuring me. “You don’t. It would be wise if you didn’t trust anyone, especially me.”

  My shoulders heaved and sagged with a long breath. “Great,” I mumbled. My hands outstretched toward the flames, and I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the warmth seep into my chilled bones.

  I felt his eyes on me.

  “Take a picture. It will last longer,” I snapped, letting my lashes flutter open. The events of the day were catching up to me, making me crabby.

  He snorted, leaning his head back against the cave wall. “You’re in for a rude awakening. Cameras don’t exist anymore. Pretty much everything you remember is gone.”

  If he was trying to frighten me, he’d already done a bang-up job. I could only handle so much before I reached my breaking point, and the tears I’d been keeping at bay threatened to break free. “What does that mean? Why were those guys after you?”

  I could see the weariness in his face, and I thought for a moment he wouldn’t explain. He sighed, placing his hands behind his head, and stared into the fire. “I bet you’re just brimming with questions. I’ll give you the gist, as I am too tired to answer them all right now. What do you remember from before? What’s your last memory?”

  I pulled my legs to my chest, resting my chin on my knees. “I was shopping with some friends at the mall.”

  He made a noise in the back of his throat.

  I glared at him. I could see in his eyes he’d already made his mind up about me. Rich, pampered brat. Honestly, he wasn’t that far off, but I would be damned if I told him so. “I got a call from my father. And. …” Black wall. There was nothing after that.

  His eyes softened, understanding gathering. “You can’t recall, can you?”

  My heart lurched. “No.” Apprehension galloped through my veins. What the hell? Was I suffering from amnesia?

  “Don’t panic. It’s normal to have memory loss after coming out of the slumber. It’s the aftereffects of the drug and the mist, assuming you were exposed.”

  If that was supposed to make me feel better, he failed … by epic proportions. Bleak thoughts rampaged through my head. “Mist? Drugs? What are you talking about?”

  His chin dipped, and the soft, yellow glow of the fire glanced off his defined cheekbones. “In the year 2016, a toxic mist was released into the air. It spread from state to state, country to country, sweeping over the country at alarming rates. A state of emergency was issued, and everyone went ape-shit bananas.”

  Nice analogy. If I hadn’t been so bewildered, I would have found the statement humorous, but there was nothing funny about Earth being destroyed. I could
imagine the absolute terror that must have ensued. And then I realized, it wasn’t my imagination. I could remember it. The frantic faces screaming in horror, pushing and shoving. My dad’s voice instructing me to get to his office immediately. It all came rushing back in tumultuous waves. Fear clawed at my insides as I relived those dreadful moments.

  My breath quickened, and my stomach contracted into a tight ball.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Dash was crouched down in front of me, watching me with concerned eyes.

  Tears stuck to my lashes. “I remember.”

  He raked his fingers through his dark hair, taking a seat beside me. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

  “We were ushered into safe houses.” I continued down memory lane. It wasn’t a delightful trip.

  “You were one of the lucky ones.”

  I blinked up at him. “I don’t know about that. I almost didn’t make it. My friends and I wanted to make one more stop, for shoes.” What outfit isn’t complete without the perfect pair of shoes? “My phone rang. It was my father. He was so pissed at me, yelling and screaming for me to get to his office. I never made it.”

  Dash’s lips turned down, probably thinking the same thing my father had at the time. Shoes weren’t going to save my life. How stupid I’d been. “Let me guess, you stuck it to the old man.”

  My lips twisted into a sad smile. “He was always on my case, harping on me to be the best: get the best grades, be the model student, grow up to be incredibly smart like him, change the world. It didn’t matter what I wanted.” None of that was important now. I would give anything to see him right now. It was hard to even drum up his image from my memory, but there was one thing that came through, clear as day. “The … mist.” I got a bit choked up before I could continue. “It burned, everywhere. My nose, my skin—I could barely breathe.”

  Dash nodded, awareness reflecting in his face. “That explains the eyes.”

  My forehead wrinkled. “What’s wrong with my eyes?”