Amber & Ice

Chapter 38: It would make it real

"Oh thank god!" Bree exclaimed when she saw them, pulling Ariadne in with a big hug. "When I saw the blast I-" she stopped abruptly. "But, of course, we knew they would get you out. Come on, into the bathrooms quickly." The girls rushed down the stairs to the public bathrooms and, after making sure they were alone, Bree pushed Ariadne into a stall at the end. "Get changed," she ordered, throwing her a green jumper and emerald jeans. "And these are for your hair," she added, handing her a pair of scissors. "We should really dye it, but there isn't time and it would leave too much evidence in the sink. You'll have to do it later. Flush the hair. We don't want to make it obvious."

She closed the stall door and went over to the sinks to splash some water on her flushed face. "You did great," her reflection told Athena. "Thank you. I'm sorry I ever doubted you. We're lucky Dyo brought you into the group." She laughed. "I wonder where he ended up to today. It's not like him to miss an adventure. The more dangerous the better, usually!"

Athena felt her stomach dip, but she just shrugged non-committaly, unable to tell Bree the truth.

They were interrupted anyway by Ariadne's emergence from the stalls. She had hacked off chunks of her hair, leaving her with a punk-pixie mess.

Bree giggled. "That always works so much better in films!"

"Well the character is usually allowed to use a mirror!"

"Never mind, my sister will fix it for you when we get to her place."

"No." Athena said suddenly. Taking Ariadne to Bree's sister in Manchester had been Dyo's idea. They couldn't trust anything he had suggested anymore. "Nothing today has gone to plan, so this shouldn't either. We need to take Ari somewhere else."

"Like where?"

Athena was prevented from answering by a panicked message from her mother.

Just heard about the mob from someone in the shop. Are you safe? Maybe you should come home for a few days?

"Hastings. My parents will take us in. They don't keep up with the feeds, so they won't have a clue who Ari is, and definitely won't recognise her. We'll just say that we wanted to get out of London for a few days."

Bree hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay, that sounds like a plan. We really do all need to get out of London for a few days. Don and I will head to Manchester, in case the plan did get leaked somehow. You, Ariadne and Orion should go to Hastings. My train leaves in five, so I need to get going. We will be in touch soon." Bree gave both girls a quick hug before leaving the bathroom.

"You didn't tell her about Dyo," Ariadne said as she watched her own reflection, moving her head from side to side to take in her new haircut from different angels.

"I couldn't bring myself to say it out loud. It would make it real."

Ariadne nodded, her face sombre. "Thank you, for saving me."

Athena forced herself to smile. "Anytime. Actually, on second thoughts, let's not make a habit of it - that was hard work!"

"So Hastings then?"

Athena sighed and pulled a face at her reflection in the mirror. "Hastings. Back to mum and dad."