Chapter Seven: Left and Right

3 0 0
                                        

Disclaimer: I don't own HOO or VE

Chapter Seven: Left and Right

Lily tried to reach for Ryan through the glass, but the guard pulled her away. They shoved her and Andi into an empty cell, cuffed their wrists to the wall, and locked the door behind her.

Andi tugged at the chains, but they didn't budge. "We need to get out before Lilith comes in here," Lily said. She tried to brace her feet against the wall but ended up slipping. "Do you know how to pick a lock?"

"Hold on," Andi said, trying to sit down, but the slack wasn't long enough. "Are we going to talk about this? Please?"

"Talk about what?" Lily asked, still pulling at the chains.

"About... about this!" Andi gestured around them, then at here. "You were gone for three months. You didn't tell us anything! I thought... I thought we were friends."

"We were." Lily sighed. "We are. I mean... you blamed me, Andi. And it hurt. I felt like everyone had turned against me, and I just needed to get away."

"I was angry and upset," Andi said. "my partner died. And I'm sorry I blamed you, and I'm sorry for everything, because I miss you."

"I miss you too," Lily said softly.

"And you're pregnant!" Andi smiled softly. "Is Roc happy."

Lily bit her lip. "Andi... about that..."

Suddenly there was the sound of an explosion, a booming tear of sound that reminded Lily of metal blocks slamming together. The building shook and dust rained down from the roof. "Lilith," Lily said.

The walls shook, and Lily watched in horror as the stone crumbled down and ten figures stepped through. It was all exiles, dressed and black and moving fast. They took out the Grigori guards with no casualties while Lily pulled helplessly at her chains and Andi did the same.

The guards moved first to Evelyn's room. James tried to move forward, but Lily's grandmother stepped in front to take the brunt of the attack. She took out one with a crack to the neck, another with a chair.

Lily turned away and tried to pull at the chains, but to no avail. Suddenly there was a hissing sound and Ryan was at the door, melting the lock. His ripped gloves had been thrown to the ground, his hands blazing. "Been working on these all week," he said.

All week? How long had he been captured?

Ryan got into the room just as the wall shook a second time. Lily's parents burst through the door, and Ryan moved for her chains, but she shook her head. "Andi's first," she said.

Andi's chains were gone in a second, but Ryan stopped at the manacles. "I can't free them without burning you," he said.

Andi held out her wrists. "Do it," she said.

Lily gripped her hand, and within a second the chains were gone. "Glamour," Lily told Andi. Ignoring her burnt wrists, Andi grabbed each of their hands and closed her eyes.

"What's happening?" Ryan asked.

"Shh," Lily said. "She made us invisible."

They watched as her parents came in just as another wall fell and two exiles walked through. Lily immediately recognized Phoenix- he looked younger, and his opal hair was longer, his face drawn and tired. Lilith stood beside him, dressed in golden splendor and hips swaying as she walked forward.

Ryan placed a hand on Lily's manacles, fingers burning red-hot through the metal. Lily removed them quietly, watching as Lilith issued her ultimatum and said she would let James live if she could take Evelyn. Violet looked furious but resigned as Lilith turned, and Phoenix paused to say something to her.

"What's going on?" Ryan asked.

"Lilith, the golden bad guy- girl- took my grandma," Lily said. "My parents have to run because the Academy thinks my mom is working with her."

"What about us?" Andi asked.

"We have to run too," Lily said, resigned.

They moved out of the cell, following her parents to the elevator shaft. They watched as Lincoln and Violet plunged into the darkness.

"I can hold on," Ryan said. "Fire won't hurt me.  But I can't carry both of you."

Lily took a deep breath. "My mom can heal me when we get down to the bottom." She said.

Andi cast her a sharp glance. "So we're following them?"

Lily shook her head. "We don't really have a choice, do we?"

Ryan reached for Andi, letting her climb onto his back. He climbed onto the hot metal ladder, going downwards and towards the fire.

Taking a deep breath, Lily followed him.

She moved as fast as she could, using her shirt to block the metal but when that burnt away she screamed as the hot metal tore through her flesh. Left, right, left, right, she thought, putting one hand and then another downwards. She wanted to fall to the ground, but the thought of injuring the baby stopped her.

Finally they reached the bottom. Her hands were nearly burnt down to the bones, her flesh peeling and burning. She screamed as she curled up on the ground, her ankles giving out. Ryan and Andi picked her up, supporting her as they limped after her parents.

At first they could follow them discreetly, but once they got down to the sewers they immediately turned around. "Why are you following us?" Violet demanded.

"They captured us too," Andi said. "It's hard to explain, but we're from the future."

"The future??" Lincoln looked at her dubiously.

"I know you're soulmates," Andi blurted. "I know Violet is of the Sole. You can heal, and you have the Sight, and lots of other things, but please, we need to get somewhere safe and my friend really needs your help."

Violet glanced at them all, then turned to Lincoln, who looked injured himself. He shrugged. "Ok," Violet finally said. "But if you screw us over, I will kill you."

"I don't doubt that," Andi said, and hoisting Lily higher, they followed them into the darkness.

Rising Heroes Book Four: The Sands of OuroborosWhere stories live. Discover now