Chapter 4 - Walking Through Fire
The walk to the loading dock was the longest of my life. Liam was there, his breathing ragged, his hand still gripping my arm as if he could anchor me to the earth.
"Maisie, we're leaving," he whispered. "Right now."
"We're taking him," I said.
The path through the crowd was parted as if by an invisible blade. People stepped back, not out of respect, but out of a primal, guttural fear. They didn't see a dog; they saw a ghost.
Julian followed us, his stride predatory but contained. As we reached the heavy steel doors, he pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and pressed it into Liam’s hand.
"If anyone bothers you, show them that," Julian said, his voice cold. "It’s my seal. It’ll buy you a lifetime of silence."
I didn't turn back. I stepped out into the night air. The cool breeze hit my face, a stark contrast to the stifling, metallic heat of the arena. Cyrus stayed glued to my leg, his breathing deep and even, the frantic pace of the cage a distant memory.
We reached the car, and Liam opened the back door. Cyrus hopped in, a massive, graceful motion, and settled down, his head resting on my lap. As we drove away, leaving the flickering industrial lights and the ghosts of the underground arena behind, I realized that I hadn't just saved a dog. I had stepped into a world I didn't belong to and walked away with a piece of it that no one else could touch.
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"We're going to need a place to hide," Liam said, his voice finally steadier. "A place where no one can find us."
"We don't need to hide," I said, petting Cyrus’s ears. "He’s with me now. And for the first time in my life, I don't feel like I’m waiting for the dark to come."
