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PROLOGUE

Thirteen Years Ago

Kandace cried out as her foot caught on a thick root, pitching forward before catching herself, glancing back, and stuht, but it only shone in feathery pools,trees that swished andwind

She could hear the h the forest in pursuit, their breathing labored, heavy, a word or two drifting to her here and there as they gave each other instructions

Up ahead There! Goddaet away!

Kandace’s lungs burned, the agony of the gunshot wound in her upper back screa in pain with every desperate twist and turn of her escape

Please, please, don’t let them catch me

She was dead if they did She had no doubt of that They hadn’t hesitated in shooting her in the back as she’d run fro anyway There was soat the dip of her spine She eak, terrified, but she could still run Obviously, nothing vital had been hit—she hoped If she could just find a place to hide, wait them out

She had been so sure she could get away undetected She’d had a plan How had they known?

Kandace broke right, ducking through the vegetation that grew thick between two trees She ran, hopping over i around trees, ducking under branches that seerasp at her, slow her down, too afraid of those pursuing to waste fear on the fact that she was being sed up by the forest where a horned demon was said to roam

Through a break in the trees she saw soone in the blink of an eye She slowed, glancing back once, terror seizing her throat,it even more difficult to pull in air