ARIA POV
The screams split the night air. They were getting closer.
"We need to move now!" I grabbed Lucien's arm, but he was too weak to stand.
Mira looked back frightened through the trees. "They're coming from all directions."
Lucien's eyes rolled back, his body shaking. Whatever was happening to him was getting worse. The cut on his head kept bleeding, leaving dark drops on the forest floor.
"I can't leave him," I said, though my feelings screamed at me to run.
Mira's face paled as flashlight beams cut through the blackness. "Aria, we don't have a choice!"
A hand clamped over my mouth from behind. I tried to scream, but the sound died in my throat.
"Quiet," a familiar voice whispered in my ear. "Or they'll hear you."
Jaxon.
He released me and crouched beside us, his golden eyes glinting in the darkness.
"How did you find us?" I asked.
"I never lost you," he answered with a small smile. "I've been tracking you since you left headquarters."
