Denali

Chapter One - Auggie

The morning sun slowly rises as the car makes its way along the mountain road. The valley we are in is bathed in the soft glow and I begin to see the first signs of life in the woods that line my left. Birds fly overhead in order to reach the river that curves along on my right. I force myself to focus on the road as the vibrant morning colors are reflecting off the water. The temptation to pull over and admire the view almost wins out. Almost.

I knew that if I stopped driving and let my focus drift then the exhaustion would set in. That is the last thing I want. We are almost to our destination and that is my number one priority right now. I have to find us a safe place.

I hear shifting in the back seat and glance in the rear view mirror. Titus had rolled over on the seat. His hazel eyes are hidden behind his lids and his almost white hair was a scruffy mess. I feel guilty for what he's had to go through the last couple days.

Leaving the Coven hadn't been an easy choice. The decision was affirmed the night we left and the final straw was broken. I couldn't let Titus grow up in that environment. Seeing as Titus and I didn't have passports, I'd instilled the help of Nero. He was among the two people in this life that I trusted wholeheartedly.

It had taken some persuasion, but eventually he agreed to send us just across the border. He couldn't risk using a high energy portal for us because the Coven would feel it and know something was up.

It was once Titus and I were in a small town just over the Canadian border that I found a car to hotwire. I didn't enjoy doing it but it had to be done. There was no other way for us to make it.

Titus is confused. That's a given. There are only so many ways to explain to a four year old that leaving everything he knows behind is a good thing. Luckily, Titus trusts me enough to go along for the ride. He's such a brave boy. I've never been more proud of my little brother than I have been the last 72 hours.

The journey from Maine to Alaska was no easy feat. It had been two straight days of driving and I was running off of gas station coffee and paranoia. I kept checking the rear view to make sure we weren't being followed but also to check on Ti. He was the most important thing in the world to me, and I was doing this for him. He deserved a normal life. The one I never had.

The plan was to meet up with a solitary witch that was apparently close to Nero. I was hesitant to trust her but Nero assured me that she would do everything in her power to help us. It went against all my instincts, but I chose to put my trust in them both. That's where the trail ended. The less that knew the better. The witch would then send Ti and I to a safe location.  Nero had told her that I would prefer Alaska because it's farther away and US territory. She had promised that this town would be safe for us.

Our escape was hasty so I am putting a lot of faith in my close friend. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring him with me. It was safest if it was only my brother and I. I could protect him best that way. 

As the sun continues to rise in the sky, I feel the anxiety of what's to come in my veins. We are almost to the coordinates Nero had given me. I had hastily traced our route on the map at a rest stop just outside of Montreal. Only one more main road turn and then I'd have to drive up a beaten path. Nero had warned me that we might have to walk a ways so I had made sure to bring Titus' warmest clothes.

The asphalt soon turned to dirt and I found myself navigating a winding, uphill road. We bumped along for far too long before we rounded a sharp turn and I let out a loud groan. To my dismay, Nero was right. Approximately a half mile away from our checkpoint there was a huge tree in the road. My borrowed vehicle had been making a strange screeching sound for the past two miles or so. The smell of smoke and rubber drifts in through the windows as I wrench the car to a halt in front of the fallen tree. I kill the engine and slowly unfold myself out of the car. Turning around, I lean to grab my backpack and the map. After shutting the door and walking around the back, I open the trunk and set my stuff down on top of our duffel bags.