A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

the lack of answer it wasn’t my brother.
    The smell of damp earth and oncoming storm
lingered in the air. Fear grabbed hold of me as realization kicked in. Maybe
whoever followed us killed Dallas and was back to get me. I was alone in the
middle of nowhere. No one would ever hear my screams. My heart hammered like a
drum in my ears, stifling the usual sounds of the woods. My breathing came
shallow and labored as I leaned against the wall of the shed, unsteady on my
legs, my eyes scanning my surroundings. I feared my irregular panting would
betray my presence. When seconds passed and nothing moved, I breathed out,
feeling silly. The woods sheltered all sorts of creatures, mice, foxes and the
likes. They probably found me just as scary as I found them. My imagination was
running wild again. It used to do that a lot lately.
    Just to be on the safe side, I counted to
three and dashed down the path. When I reached the clearing I stopped, panting,
my sides burning from the effort. I leaned against a tree trunk and bent
forward, palms pressed against my thighs, to gather my breath. Something
shuffled through the thicket. My gaze darted toward the thick wall of bushes as
I straightened, ready to sprint again.
    A shadow stepped out of the darkness, his
long, black coat swaying in the cold breeze. “Drop your backpack,” a male voice
demanded. It was barely more than a whisper, but there was something in his
tone that left no doubt he usually got his way. I hesitated, frozen to the
spot. My mind screamed to run, but my legs wouldn’t budge. The man took a step
closer and lifted a gloved hand. Something thin like a long string swished past
me, leaving a trail of burning flames in the high grass. The air smelled of
burnt wood. “I said drop it. Or you won’t live to see tomorrow.”
    I stared at him, wide-eyed. Should I give
up the bag? What was the point since he’d kill me anyway? Whatever happened, I
wouldn’t give up without putting up a fight. Even though my hands trembled, my
mind remained surprisingly cool. I took a steadying breath. The flashlight
dropped to the ground as I tore down the path, twigs snapping beneath my feet. I
didn’t think, didn’t slow down to see whether the man gave chase, just ran
until I reached the car and dropped to my knees a few feet away, shaking, my
heart pounding hard.
    The door opened and Dallas stepped out. “Where’ve
you been? I’ve been waiting for ages.”
    “Get in the car. Go, go, go!” I could
barely speak. My lungs sucked the cold air in, making a whistling sound.
    “We’re not leaving until we have the
stones,” Dallas said.
    I grabbed his shoulders and shook. “Listen,
idiot! Someone armed is following me. Either you move now, or I’ll drive
without you.” For a moment he just stared at me, then opened his mouth to
speak. I cut him off, “Get in, Dallas. Don’t tick me off. From all the stupid
ideas you’ve ever had this was by far the worst.”
    He mumbled something that sounded like, “I
don’t believe it,” then held the passenger door open for me, got in and started
the engine. I peered out the window into the darkness stretching behind me,
only then realizing the full impact of what just happened. My heart started to
race again. I could only hope my pursuer didn’t see my face inside the shed.
    Dallas switched on the overhead light. I
spun toward him. Why wasn’t he driving?
    “You’re sweaty and look like you’ve seen a
ghost. Tell me what happened,” he said. “I’m not going anywhere until you do.” I
could see the stubborn line between his brows.
    “You and your stupid ideas,” I shouted. “Only
you could get lost going to the bathroom.”
    He glared. “You had the flashlight. I didn’t
see the way back from all the trees. When I returned you were gone.”
    “I called your name. You didn’t reply.” I
took a deep breath and dropped my voice a notch.
    “I didn’t hear you. What happened?” Dallas
prompted.
    I pushed my trembling hands underneath my
thighs to stop them from shaking. “I found the hut.”
    He shot me a disbelieving look. “You did?
Did you get the gemstones?”
    “Yes.”
    “Woo hoo !” Dallas
laughed, then stopped when he registered the expression on my face. “What?”
    “I told you someone followed me. We might
end up dead any minute if you don’t drive soon.”
    “What? Did they see you?”
    Moistening my lips, I shook my head. “Don’t
think so. It was too dark, but I had the flashlight