Thunder boomed in the air, rain pounding down as I ran through mud puddles. I could barely see, lightning providing my only source of light. The small crystals on the ground illuminated my path, water sloshing all over my feet. My entire body was soaking wet, goosebumps risen all along my skin as the wind only turned my clothes to ice.

The apartment buildings loomed in the distance behind a blanket of fog, my stomach tightening in a knot. The storm was worsening with every minute, only growing fiercer and more wild. Finn had practically jumped out of his skin when Secta had mentioned the storm, and my heart hurt for him.

I had to get to him down in the basement. I had to hold him and kiss him, to try and make him forget about the thunder over our heads for just long enough to give him a little bit of peace. My poor baby.

I'd left Secta's immediately when he was done with me, the storm hardly stopping me from suiting up in a raincoat and my slippers, the only shoes I had that weren't already destroyed from training.

The raincoat hardly helped me in the monsoon and my slippers were soaked with water as soon as I stepped out of the tube door. I didn't care; Finn was alone, worrying about Rufus with each bolt of lightning. My problems were miniature in comparison. All he wanted was to be able to get through the night.

My heart pounded in my chest as I darted towards the side door of Finn's apartment building, fumbling to open it. It was always a little rusty, sticking as I tried to pry it open. Wind blew hair into my face as I cursed under my breath, barely able to see as the overhead light had gone out with the rest of the electricity.

Something gripped my shoulder, yanking me away from the door. My back slammed into the side of the building, rain blurring my vision. Fear filled my gut as I raised my arm, ready to throw a strong punch.

"Woah! Easy!" Gabriel shouted, blocking my hand with his. Water covered his face even under his coat as he blinked down at me. "Are you ok? Fates, what a storm we have tonight!"

"Fine..." I stuttered, "The door won't open."

He raised an eyebrow, "this isn't your building."

"It's goddamn storming, Gabriel, so I'm crashing somewhere in here. It's too far of a walk back up the hill."

"Alright, let me help you get inside..." A black blur shot around the corner of the building, a sickening crack echoing in the air as it collided straight on with Gabriel's body. Gabriel pushed me backwards as he raised his hands, but it was too late. I fell back onto the ground in a pile, Gabriel letting out a scream of pain as thunder clapped over us. Then, there was silence.

My heart pounded in my chest, the only sound being a clap of thunder. I eventually found the courage to look up through strands of my hair, my lips quivering. A black dog stood over Gabriel who laid unconscious on the ground. Then in the next flash of lightning, the dog was gone, and Rufus stood in his place, blooding pooling around his bare feet from the claw marks across Gabriel's chest.

"Gabriel!" I cried out, more gravel staining red with each passing second. "No! Gabriel!"

"I never took you for a cheating bitch. I bet Finn didn't like seeing you two walking around together. His attraction to you smells as strong as vinegar." Rufus said with a snarl. He stalked forward and I tried to crawl away from him. Lacing my fingers on the door knob, I managed to pull it open before Rufus grabbed my hair, making me cry out.

He threw me backwards onto the ground, my muscles aching from the impact. I rolled in the mud before pushing myself up onto my forearms. I looked up into his wild eyes, screaming at the top of my lungs, "what the hell is your problem? Why are you doing this to me? To Gabriel! He's my friend, and he hasn't done anything to you."

"Run." Rufus simply smiled, showing off his long fangs as a devious, malicious glow appeared in his eyes. "The boy Gabriel was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. As for yourself, I want to hurt Finn, and what better way than you?"

Finn's words echoed in my head as my heart seized in my chest, a numbing coldness seeping into my veins. I stood up, looking at his silhouette in the pouring rain. I'd worn my slippers and now they were discarded on the ground, coated in mud. The slippers Finn had given me were destroyed.

"Please don't do this." I pleaded with him, glancing around us. There was not a single person in sight. "This isn't how it has to be. How did you even manage to escape that cell?"

"The guardians are idiots and very gullible. All I had to do was ask to be let out to pee once I heard a storm was rolling in. Don't think my little outing wasn't unplanned. I know my enemy's weaknesses." His body gave a violent shudder that I knew well, making me take a step back. He was changing, lightning streaking across the sky. "I'm bored with this conversation. I'm giving you a head start, so take it before it's too late and I maul you to death in the middle of the field. I'm going to kill you, but I'll make it quick. You aren't my enemy, and I won't make you suffer in his place."

"Rufus..." I choked, knowing fully well that he wasn't joking. His eyes had come to life, a haunting color of dark gold as steam seemed to rise off his shoulders.

"Run." He snarled and I did, trying to weave back around him towards the guardian barracks or to Secta, but he was on me in seconds.

His arm slammed into my stomach, knocking the wind out of my body. I flew backwards before crumbling to the ground. Gagging for breath, I laid in the grass, tears beginning to run from my eyes at how hard I'd landed on the ground. The back of skull started to pound, making me feel sick.

I raised my head, trying to claw my way back onto my feet. Rufus kneeled in front of me with a snarl. "That's cheating. Only run towards the woods."

"I'm going to lose that way."

"What a shame." He stood to his feet as I struggled to do the same. "You still have the opportunity to run as I am trying to be kind and extend your time breathing."

"What a gentleman." I snapped, making him smile.

"You're feisty. I'm surprised he picked a girl like you. He was never much of a fighter, yet here you are with his scent all over you. He only fucked you to piss me off you know."

"Fuck you! He loves me and I love him too!" His eyes only widened with amusement as I screamed at him, "You abused him, you sick monster. He was a good kid, and you decided to break every single one of his bones for fun! He's a damn good fighter too, and you'll get a nice taste of it when he kicks your ass into the afterlife for trying to hurt me."

"I did torment him, and he's inside shivering at the lightning while I'll be tearing you to pieces. He's weak, Kate. He will choose to stay inside because he's more terrified of me than losing you. He won't be coming to save you anytime soon so don't get your hopes up."

"I hope I kill you." I snarled, trying to call out to my meraki. It remained dormant, oddly the image of Rufus and Leighton chanting out the word 'monster' echoing through my head. I'm screwed.

"Best of luck with that one." Rufus chuckled, "I've seen you train, and you are both incompetent with weapons and meraki. You don't stand a chance against me, and you know it. I always stalk my prey before I pounce."

"I'll find a way, especially after what you did to Finn." I snarled, taking a step forward to give him my meanest, Raphael-inspired glare. "You are the biggest piece of shit I've ever met in my life, and Finn is a million times the man that you are. Even after what you've done to him, he is still honest, loyal, kind, and someone I respect with all my heart. I'm constantly impressed about how good of a man he is especially with someone like you tormenting him his entire life. I have no respect for you, Rufus, and even if you get rid of me, no matter how much you hurt him he will always be better than you ever will be."

"15, 14, 13..." Rufus began to count, his eyes glowing with a vicious anger as he roared at me. His bones began to shatter and realign as he sunk onto his hands and knees. His words began to die away into grunts and growls, his facial features turning from man slowly into animal. In horror, I took off running towards the woods. I prayed my meraki would decide to shoot into action now if no one else could find me in time.

My lungs burned as I ran with all my strength, barely able to see in the dark. The tall grass cut back and forth against my legs, adrenaline pumping through my veins. I was sprinting for my life, and the world was a black blur around me. How the hell was I going to do this?

A powerful punch of deja vu swarmed my system, making me curse out loud. I couldn't concentrate on running with this aching welt that seemed to be growing inside my chest.

It was like I was at home again, running from the railway tracks as the Guard chased after me. I could imagine the warm air and the golden light of the sun, thinking that everything was at peace.

Except now I didn't have Malaki to shoot my enemies down. I was falling alone; there was no safety net.

A dark shadow loomed ahead as I rushed across the training field. I knew it was the forest, and my stomach dropped. He'd overtake me easily. I was running blind and he was in his element.

No weapons laid out on the field either to my horror, my only thought of salvation besides a rescuer being a sturdy sword. I'd picked up a few moves and tricks in training; I wasn't a master but having a sword was better than having nothing.

Tree leaves swiped across my face as I stumbled through the underbrush. I crashed through bushes and hedges, sliding in mud and damp foliage that coated the forest floor.

Rain splattered over my face as I fell, the ground dropping out from underneath me. I cried out, my body spiraling down the generous hill I couldn't see. Branches and prickly tree gumballs pierced my skin.

My body lost all its inertia when my shoulder came into harsh contact with a tree trunk, pain so acute radiating down my arm and my neck from the whiplash that I couldn't hold in a small scream.

From behind me, I could hear Rufus' distant howl, which set my blood to ice as I clumsily stood to my feet.

He was toying with me now. If he wanted he could have already killed me. My mind flickered back to Shadowthief and how little time it took Finn to track me down among the trees. I wasn't fast enough, and Rufus wanted to remind me of it before he struck.

On my feet again, I ran as though I were trying to beat Samaria in a sprint. Thunder boomed over my head as I tried to weave around tree trunks and dodge thick bushes that blocked my path.

Lightning illuminated the sky, panic filling my body as I realized that the ground dropped out once again ahead of me. I slid to a stop, gripping a tree branch to stop myself from falling.

I gazed at the tree clearing ahead, rain pummeling down in buckets as my vision adjusted. I recognized this place, and understanding filled my body.

The swimming hole. And from where I stood, I realized in shock that I was right at the place where the guardians cliff jumped.

I looked back, hearing Rufus as he crashed through the trees behind me. He was close.

Closing my eyes with fear, I threw my body forward and jumped.