Cloudy Sky: The Unlucky Thirteen

8 | setting a trap for yourself

Leilani

Shit," I mumble, "did you hear that?" I glance back at Leo, who nods his head.

"Yeah, I heard that scream. It was from behind us — do you think we should head back there?"

I bite my lip but swiftly stop myself; I can't allow myself to look worried. "Yeah. I don't ... I don't want it to be Vienna," I confess, wracked with worry. Leo hates her, but he'll probably understand —

And, shockingly, he doesn't curl his lip in disgust, he simply nods again in an understanding manner, a gesture I never thought a Hell Zoner could make. "Of course. I guess we'll go back there, then?"

I turn and angle myself in the direction of the scream, briefly wondering if I should just run, or if they'll already be dead.

I'm provided an answer by Leo, barreling past me. I have to sprint in order to catch up, hopping over tree roots and launching myself off rises in the earth. I can vaguely hear crashes behind me, but although it could be dangerous, I don't dare think about it. Not when Vienna could be in danger.

Leo slows to a stop, pressing himself against a tree. I copy his motion, my body uncomfortably pushed up against his. He doesn't even make a dirty joke. This is an obvious signal that the situation's getting rough.

And finally, we see the source of the crashing. A panting, wide eyed Sagitta. Her ruby hair is a nest of twigs and debris, and a haunted look roams her gaze. "Guys — oh Cemetas —" a light sob escapes her mouth and she literally throws herself at me, wrapping her arms around my waist and burying her face in my sweater as her body trembles. Sagitta is one of the daredevils among our group, and I distinctly remember the time that she'd casually thrown her backpack on the lounge table and mentioned that she'd passed a shoot–out on her way home. What the fuck did she see?

"Hey Sagitta," I murmur in a comforting voice despite how shaken I am, "what's up? What did you see?"

She lifts her face, her eyes seeking mine. "Leilani. I think," she swallows back obvious tears, "I think my sister's dead."

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"She was here," Sagitta gestures at the trail of destruction surrounding us. "I saw her and this guy, Pyxis I think. They were up in a tree, and ... it just ... threw the tree."

So, they are dead. If I'm calculating correctly, then it's impossible to survive an event like this. However, Aqualia and Pyxis are not really normal Celetherials. Aqualia is pure demonborn, and I've watched her literally leap off a building and grumble about a bit of pain in her legs. And Pyxis has almost died thrice. I remember the time we'd all thought he had actually drowned.

Still, I don't dare to hope they are alive as we approach the fallen tree. Debris is scattered around it, thick branches easily snapped off. I have to vault over several obstacles in order to reach the heart of the tree, the flattened fork in the branches that Sagitta says her sister was on.