Unsure if anyone was watching from outside, Evangeline cautiously poked her head through the opening.


    The warehouse was in a clearing, with a single car parked in the yard. The area was surrounded by dense forest, with only one road leading up into the mountains.


    After confirming that the coast was clear, Evangeline turned to get Poppy. But when she saw the scene inside the warehouse, she froze.


    The door, which had been closed, was now wide open. Mr. Howard sat in his wheelchair, watching her with an amused expression. He was nked by several of his men. One of them had Poppy in a chokehold, his hand mped tightly over her mouth.


    Another man walked over to the unconscious guards and doused them with water, jolting them awake.


    "Damn you! You ambushed me!" one of them roared, stumbling toward her in a rage.


    Mr. Howard raised a hand, stopping them.


    Evangeline pressed her lips together and climbed back down to the floor.


    "Miss Whitmore, you are quite clever, aren''t you?" Mr. Howard sneered. "You seem to know a lot of tricks."


    Evangeline remained silent. It was true. After being locked up so many times in the past, she had learned a thing or two.


    Mr. Howard nced up at the bent bars behind her. "Good thing I had a camera installed in here. Otherwise, you might have actually gotten away."


    As he spoke, a man grabbed her and forcefully retied her hands. He then dragged her in front of Mr. Howard.


    "Take off her ring," Howard ordered.


    The man yanked at the ring on her finger with rough, pulling motions. Evangeline felt a sharp pain, as if her knuckle was about to break.


    The ring was handed to Mr. Howard. He examined it, pressed a small catch, and watched as the tiny dagger sprang out. He raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. But I doubt you''ll be needing this anymore."


    Before Evangeline could process his words, Mr. Howard flung the ring into the darkness.


    Evangeline watched, helpless, as the ring Finn had given her disappeared into the night. She gritted her teeth in frustration.


    "Take them," Mr. Howardmanded.


    Evangeline and Poppy were shoved into the car in the yard, and ck hoods were thrown over their heads. As the vehicle started to move, Evangeline''s right eyelid began to twitch violently. Asense of deep unsettling dread washed over her.


    She didn''t know where they were going or what Mr. Howard had nned, so she didn''t dare to make another move.


    After what felt like a long time, the car stopped. Someone pulled her out, and the hood was ripped from her head. Blinding light assaulted her eyes.


    She had no time to take in her surroundings. The moment her feet touched the ground, a powerful force yanked on her wrists. Her feet left the ground and a wave vertigo swept over her.


    "Ah!" Poppy''s scream echoed from nearby.


    Evangeline instinctively looked in her direction, but before she could see


    Poppy the world around her came caught in her


    into focus. Her breath came


    throat, and the blood in her veins


    seemed to freeze. ''


    Below her was a bottomless ravine. She and Poppy were at the top of a mountain.


    No, that wasn''t right. They were suspended from the top of the mountain.


    A rope was tied around each of their wrists. The two ropes were looped over a thick tree branch and then secured to the trunk of arge tree a short distance away.


    Mr. Howard was standing next to the tree, calmly polishing a dagger with a soft cloth. All he had to do was cut the ropes, and she and Poppy would plunge to their deaths.


    "Soren, save me!" Poppy screamed again.


    Evangeline forced her gaze away from the abyss and saw him. Soren was walking toward them.