Guardians: Dark Stars

Chapter 6: When it Finds You

Dear readers, I realize the current disconnect in the story. I was a bit confused at first who the first main villian was going to be. After reading how the story was progressing, I decided to introduce the idea of Wyatt Scarlett earlier. Do not worry, I am currently working to connect the earlier chapters and fix the flow. These chapters, however, still convey the storyline that will, ultimately, be followed. 

Thanks for reading. Please comment ideas and share this story! Tell me how you think I can fix the flow right now.

Tears collected in her cloudy vision. Short breathes escaped her. Pushing, panting, she forced herself through the crowd. Strangers shouted after her angrily. Drunk men complained loudly when she collided into them forcefully. It still wasn't enough. Emily Ridland continued to shove dead-weight body after body. She couldn't afford herself the second it would take to look back. Whatever it took, she would leave Incipiens tonight. If she wanted to continue living, she knew she would have to run away as fast as she could.

Cascella's was flooded with off-key customers when she finally arrived. She fell out of the rebellious current of people and into the cramped tavern's bar. Just in case Chain or Cain were behind her, she stealthily slipped from behind one group of merry company to the next. This extra precaution cost her another valuable minute. Soon, she managed to reach the bar counter where one of the Cascella siblings, the boy, was bar-tending. 

"Get me Caitlin, kid," she choked back her panic in front of the boy so as to not arise suspicions. 

Many were trying to get the young boy's attention. He was quickly, somewhat erratically, preparing individual orders being flung into the air. It took too many moments for him to finally realize she had called to him. His eyes wildly scanned the drunken order before noticing her towards the right end of the bar counter. There was no pep to his steps, he took too long to walk over to her. She was wasting precious time and  it wouldn't be long before her pursuers reached her. Emily had to dig her nails into the dark wood top so as to ground herself in place. As much as she wanted to leave immediately, there was still one loose end to tie up. 

"She's in the kitchen helping Leticia," he shouted over the noise, his green eyes glistening with innocence as he added, "and I'm not a kid, my name's Mason."

It took her another precious beat to realize what he was talking about, "great for you. Excuse me."

Without so much as a another glance in his direction, Emily jumped over the counter. She assumed, by the reaching light of a blazing furnace, that the kitchen was through the curtain-veiled archway behind him. Behind the curtain, she glared at Caitlin intensely so that the woman knew they were knee-deep in serious trouble. Caitlin seemed to shrink at the icy look Emily directed solely at her.

"What's wrong," she asked softly.

She had been preparing plates before Emily had charged in. Leticia Cascella stopped mixing a large pot over the fire pit, her attention flickering from killer to slave then back to killer. Emily released as much tension in her shoulders as she could. The woman in question bluntly showed her confusion. She wasn't taking Emily seriously, perhaps because it wouldn't be the first time Emily pulled her to the side for little more than a scolding on something she was doing wrong. For example, on an ordinary day, Emily would criticize her for being so cozy, to the point of clearly letting her guard down, with the tavern's siblings. Tonight, of course, was different. It was essential Caitlin came with her. This was the only way.

"Something's come up, I need to speak with you privately," Emily smiled sweetly, more to distract Leticia from the venom in her voice.

"What's going on in here, I need those orders," another woman, whom revealed herself to be Odessa, barged in.