Chapter 1 Prologue

Two years had passed since she'd last looked down from this cliff. Memories of the past screamed in her ears.

"No, no Prudence hold on. Please hold on!"

"I love you..."

She can still feel his hand in hers as he let go. Tears sting her eyes and her hands tighten their hold on the flowers. Gentle drops of rain begin to fall, wetting her clothes and sticking strands of hair to her face. She closes her eyes against the pain as images float through her mind.

"We're in this together, right?" He smiles at her and flips his ash blonde hair out of his hazel eyes.

"Together for eternity and more," he answers.

Anger rushes through her like fire as thoughts of the attack drown out her happy memories with him.

Stryder smiled at her before swinging his sword, severing the rope in one clean cut. The bridge falls to a tightrope and she only barely grabs hold of a loose strip. She catches his hand with an iron grip, crying out as their momentum stops, ripping her shoulder out of the socket. She looks over to where the others stood. At least they were halfway across and maybe they could reach the other side. They jerk and she looks up to see the frayed end of their rope begin to break.

Stryder was the one to steal their future away. He took everything from her in the breath of a moment. He'd stolen her true purpose for living.

He's almost within my grasp, baby. I'll make him pay for what he did.

She lays the rose bouquet before two lonely tombstones, her hand resting lovingly over the names written in the polished stone. Her vow hardens her heart and she turns away before the tears can fall.

A car waits for her at the bottom of the hill and she hesitates, looking into the abyss one final time.

"I love you," she whispers softly before walking down to the car and driving away.