AYASHA'S POV
I couldn't move from the spot where Imara had shut the door in my face. My legs felt weak, my hands shaking as I pressed them against the cold stone wall. The messenger's footsteps echoed down the hallway, growing fainter with each step, but I couldn't let him leave. Not like this. Not when he looked so much like Tariq that it made my chest ache.
I pushed myself off the wall and followed the sound of his boots on stone. He was walking quickly, trying to get away from me, but I was faster. I had grown up chasing my brother through the forests of Whitewater. I knew how to move silently, how to catch up to someone who didn't want to be caught.
"Wait," I called out, my voice carrying down the empty corridor.
He didn't stop. If anything, he walked faster.
I broke into a run, my bare feet slapping against the cold floor. "Please, just wait."
