Chapter 197

But then, a voice, a familiar one, cut through the haze of fear and exhaustion. ‘Elodie? Is that you?’ The voice was hesitant, tinged with disbelief. ‘Ellie?’ A flicker of recognition sparked through the fog in her mind. Elodie forced her eyes open a sliver. Her vision blurred, then focused on a pair of scuffed black leather shoes mere inches from her face. Slowly, her gaze travelled upwards, taking in dirt-stained suit pants, a rumpled white shirt and jacket, and finally, a face. A face etched with worry, framed by a mess of windblown hair. It couldn’t be. It had to be a hallucination. ‘Ari?’ Her voice rasped. A relieved smile, so bright it seemed to chase away the gloom of the forest, split Ari’s face. ‘Elodie! Thank God I found you!’ He knelt beside her, his touch gentle as he grasped her shoulders. ‘Are you all right? You look terrible.’ Powerful relief washed over Elodie. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision even more. ‘Ari,’ she choked out, the single word a dam breaking