Eli

Chapter 13

Garret

It'd been a day since she had disappeared and still there was no trace of her.

"It's getting dark, sir. You should get some rest," Stephan urged, but the prince just shook his head.

"No, the night is when they are most active. We must stay alert for anything suspicious."

"I understand, sir," Stephan looked worriedly at the prince, whose eyes were searching restlessly through all passing passengers, secluded places, abandoned debris and suspicious corners.

***

Eli

Under the cloak of night, she was searching for her way out of the city, occasionally hiding in the shadows when a dark figure appeared in the street and then when her furious heartbeat slightly quietened, she continued.

They are unsteady selfish creatures, consciously harming themselves.... This disease must be erased because it is already spreading even among us... Every man is looking for her out there...Rose is gone, and the same fate awaits each one of them...lower beings who don't deserve to live...We must stop it...

Her thoughts were running around the words that had been said over and over again and were penetrating through her skin and stabbing her in a heart with sharp needles. But the worst thing was that somewhere deep within she felt the same about herself as Mary's husband thought of her... Maybe she was really infected by this mental disease... Maybe it was the reason of Madame Teller's hardship with her... Maybe she was a defective good of which should be taken care of. Maybe it was her who caused the disappearance of her parents...they could no longer bear the defective existence of hers... Selfish... She had heard that word before... from Madame Teller. Was that all she was? Selfish, unsteady, self-destructive, causing harm to those around her, ungrateful lower-being...Deep in her heart she felt painful synergy with every word... Yes, that was all that Eli Auburne was...

Suddenly Eli felt a hard tremor of steps approaching her from behind. She tried to look back, but she was too slow, someone had already covered her mouth and was pressing a dagger to her throat. A strip of blood ran down her chest.

She felt a warm breath on her neck, and it made her gorge rose. Her knees started to tremble as a man was dragging her backwards to a dark alley...

Garret

They might have thought he didn't notice them, but he was well-aware of them - the infected-hunters. It was a group of people driven by a rumour about an infection spreading from deaf people. An infection which caused people to behave oddly, distantly, and self-destructively.

And this time he won't let them get away with it...

"Prince, did you notice?" So, Stephan knows about them too...

Garret nodded. "We should split up and follow them. And if anyone of them finds her, we have to stop them from taking unnecessary actions."

"Yes, sir. I'll tell the orders to my subordinates," Stephan said and left prince's side.

"Can we trust them?" Garret asked, pointing his stare at knight's back. Stephan halted. "Pardon, sir?"

"The rumour finds its believers throughout the entire kingdoms and lands... It wouldn't be a surprise, if one of your subordinates was a believer as well..." Garret looked solemnly at Stephan.

"What shall we do, then?" Stephan asked.

"Tell them she is to be interrogated and held captive, that it's a top priority mission...This should make them believe we share the same interest..." Garret said looking ahead at someone searching desperately through all the dark alleys and broken windows.

"Yes, sir." Stephan bent his head and set off in a direction of his subordinates. Meanwhile Garret went off after the man wearing a cloak and a hood covering his face.

I hope it's not too late...

Eli

The capturer dragged her to the alley and was about to dig his dagger into her throat when his movements halted.

Suddenly a figure wearing a hood appeared on a scene in front of her. It was too dark to see his face, but it seemed that the two knew each other, because man's grip slightly loosened.