My throat was sore. I felt like I'd just swallowed my own heart, hammering so hard I was numb to everything else. I couldn't feel my legs racing beneath me, or the freezing cold wind tearing at my skin, or Alex's hand in mine as he pulled me along. All I could think about were the men behind us, all armed to the teeth with guns.
But it wasn't the guns those men had that worried me.
"Gracie, come on!" Alex urged under his breath, pulling me further. I stumbled, taking a breath that seared the inside of my throat, but forced myself to move faster still. My brother didn't stop to look back, doubling his grip around my hand.
We skidded around the corner, Alex's free hand flying out to steady himself against the side of the train station building before he collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Ignoring the stitch burning in my side, I clamped my hands around his arm and hauled him back to his feet as best as I could, my panicked eyes flicking over the scene around us.
What I saw by the train made my stomach turn cold.
"Oh god," I gulped, shaking in fear. "Alex, look!"
He lifted his head wryly. Stood by the door of the train, three huge thugs dressed completely in black were scanning the platform, obviously looking for us. They looked almost like military men, strong and decisive. Each of them probably carried at least one gun, concealed beneath their jackets. Still, as threatening as they appeared, it was the unseen that scared me the most.
They were Savants. All three of them. And if they were here for us, they had to be strong. Really strong.
Alex tightened his hold on me. I knew by looking at him that he wanted to give in as much as I did. I was that tired, it felt that even my bones ached in exhaustion. But his eyes narrowed when he followed my gaze, his entire body stiffening in anger. If I'd received the flight instinct when we were born, he'd definitely been given fight.
"We need to leave," I insisted quietly, pulling him back. His eyes flashed angrily, locked onto the men that still hadn't seen us. "Alex, please! There's no time!"
"Gracie," he started, flicking his eyes toward me irritably. I met his gaze, gulping hard. Shouts of frustration sounded behind me and I knew that we didn't have much time. Fear swelled in my chest and I felt my hands shaking in his. Slowly – far too slowly – Alex's expression softened and he nodded stiffly, shifting the bag awkwardly on his shoulder and almost kicking the door into the train station open.
A few on-lookers jumped in surprise as we stampeded through the station, ducking and weaving through the crowds without ever letting each other go. A murmur of unease seemed to collect around us, as though everyone knew we were in trouble and there was no way out.
But there had to be. I couldn't go back to that place. I wouldn't. I'd rather die.
The speakers overhead suddenly blared, and the announcer's voice rang in my head as he informed the passengers that the train into Glasgow had just pulled up at Platform 3 and would be departing in five minutes. Ahead of me, Alex slowed and I collided into the back of him abruptly, catching the back of his jacket to steady myself as he pushed his way slowly through a much thicker group of passengers, all rushing the same way as us.
"How much change have you got on you?" he asked me over his shoulder, shuffling as close to me as he could to keep his voice low and quiet.
I had to stretch onto my toes to hiss my reply in his ear. "Much more than we'll ever need."
"Good," he nodded with a frown. "There's a taxi rank out of this door and to the left. The moment we get out, run for the first one. If we get split up for any reason, head straight for the airport and get the first flight out to New York, okay?"
I hesitated. One, I didn't like the sound of going anywhere without Alex. He was in much more trouble than I was and if I left him here . . . I couldn't stand thinking about what they'd do to him. Two, we weren't supposed to be going to New York. He'd be expecting us to go there.
"Trust me," Alex said when we saw the sceptical look on my face. "We'll take another flight from there, but if they see us boarding a flight straight to Cassandra, they'll find us in no time. The harder we make it for them, the better."
It made sense, but I still didn't like it. Unfortunately, there wasn't any more time to formulate a safer plan. The huddled group of passengers we'd fought our way into had reached the door and Alex yanked my hood over my head before I could argue. Pursing my lips, I tucked my dark red hair behind my ears in an attempt to conceal it and reluctantly released Alex's hand. Casting him a sideways look, I ducked my head and fought my way out of the crowd onto Platform 3.
We should have known, even back then, that no matter where we ran, he'd always find us. The problem was, this time, I was unwittingly leading him straight to the one person I could never bear to lose.