Endless Skye

Edinburgh

Her ragged breathing was so loud she could barely hear her shoes slapping against the wet cobblestones. Willa Ryan slipped as she turned a corner and pressed her back against a building to listen and catch her breath. Sweat clung to her, driving away the cool March air and the dampness of the recent rain.

Her hands shook as she lifted her mobile to text her brother a warning, but her fingers wouldn’t work properly, and it was one of the rare times when autocorrect didn’t do its job. She wanted to scream in frustration as she deleted the message and tried again, only to mess up once more. It would be easier to call Scott. She’d have to keep her voice down, but at least she could warn him. Willa was about to dial when she heard her pursuers. She clutched her mobile as she raced through the city, the streetlamps seeming to reach out with their light to find her.

She needed to hide, rest, and think. And notify Scott.

Willa turned onto another street. She continued to weave around the clusters of people out for dinner or looking for some fun. She kept her attention in front of her, watching where she planted her feet, allowing her to move quickly when someone stepped before her.

“Sorry,” she hurriedly muttered when she hit a woman’s shoulder.

Willa didn’t look back. She knew those chasing her were still there. They were relentless. And they wouldn’t stop until they found her. Willa’s eyes darted about, scanning faces as she came to another intersection. She glanced at the crosswalk lights and noticed the cars traveling across her path.

When she spotted a group of people crossing the large intersection, she hurried to join them. She hated slowing to a casual walk, but at least she blended for the moment. It allowed her to rest and look back the way she had come. She saw the man and woman who had been trailing her anxiously searching. She wouldn’t stay hidden for long. Willa had to make the most of it.

She shoved a long strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail away from her face. Her chest burned, and her lungs ached. Her legs were so fatigued they could barely hold her up. She brought her mobile up again to call Scott. She navigated to her favorites and was about to press his name when someone bumped into her from behind. Magic pooled in her palms as Willa whirled, ready to launch it, only to find two very drunk women.

“Ooh. You’re pretty,” the blonde said as she wound an arm around Willa’s shoulder. “You should come hang with us.”

Willa saw they were pulling her toward a nightclub. It would be a good place to hide, but she had no money or ID to get inside. She forced herself to smile, but she wasn’t sure it appeared as relaxed as she wanted since both women gave her a funny look. “I don’t have my wallet.”

“You’re not gonna need it,” the bleached blonde said with a wink.

Willa continued with the group as the women talked loudly in between whistling at people. She couldn’t see behind her, which meant her hunters likely couldn’t find her. Then she was at the doors of the club. Someone at the front held up a black credit card and slurred, stating he was paying for the entire group. A bouncer counted them, and then, before she knew it, Willa was through the door.

She quickly maneuvered off by herself. The music was so loud her ears rang. Clusters of people were everywhere, leaving her barely any room to move. She had to shove people aside just to get to the bar and order a water. She gulped it quickly.

Willa wiped her mouth and looked around the dark club. When she spotted some stairs, she made her way to them. She weaved between people as she headed up, hoping she could find a quieter place to call her brother.

The flashing lights bothered her, but she tried to ignore them. There was a second bar upstairs, and she snagged another water. She debated her location. Scott would never be able to hear her over the music. She needed to text him instead. At least now, she could do that without worrying about being found, and maybe her hands wouldn’t shake so badly. Once she warned him, she would make her way out of Edinburgh. Her father was probably already on his way to Skye.

Willa found a column near the balcony so she could watch the entrance. She didn’t see her pursuers. Still, she kept one eye on the door as she typed out her message. She was on the last sentence when something slammed into her ribs, shoving her painfully into the balcony railing. The impact snapped her head to the side.

She immediately ducked when she spotted a fist coming at her face. Willa recognized the woman as one of her pursuers. How had they found her again? Her only thought was getting away. Willa slid to the right to bolt when a thick forearm connected with her throat. The lights spun above her before vanishing out of sight as she gasped for breath. Then, she was falling. She panicked and reached out for something to grab. Anything. Her fingers latched on to the cool metal of the railing as screams filled the building.

Willa tried to lift her right arm, but pain shot through her. She bit back a cry and looked at her hand on the railing. Her palms were sweating. She wouldn’t be able to hold on for long. She then lowered her gaze to see the dance floor cleared, people rushing out and glancing back at someone. No. Not someone. They were looking at her.

“What the fuck are you doing?” someone shouted from above her.

She tried to imagine how far she was about to fall. If she landed wrong, she could twist an ankle. Or worse, break something. She glanced at her left hand and then looked back at the floor below. Her only choice was to drop and land as best she could.