City of Lies

Chapter 30 - Running to Stand Still

Just as everything seems to be going good, we hear human and troll yells. They're not yells of danger, but more of a battle cry. Through the corner of my eye, I catch Nathan and Claire taking a quick look at one another. Could they have planned this?

"I'll go check it out," Nathan offers. Claire tags along with him. Soon they disappear into the trees.

"This is our chance to leave them," Chase whispers to me.

Jane looks confused. We haven't told her yet. "Why would we leave them? We agreed to help them."

Chase and I look at each other. He decides to explain the truth about them. I look around to make sure no one is coming or around us.

Janes eyes widen in shock. "Oh my God. I can't believe I was interested in him," I laugh a little but she ignores it. "Wait, why didn't you guys tell any of us before?"

"There was never a right time," I say. "And to be fair, we did only find this out three days ago."

"Wow only three days ago," Jane sarcastically says and rolls her eyes at me.

An arrow goes flying past us and misses Chase's head by an inch. They did plan this. The three of us look at each other not sure what to do. More arrows come flying toward us and we jump behind a couple of rocks. I scrape my arm during the process.

"Let's just run into the borders," Chase offers.

"It's not that easy to get into borders. I think you have to go through the main entrance if you don't have permission to get in," I explain. And it's true. In Colina you can't get it without permission unless if it's through the main entrance.

"Great," Jane says in a bit of an attitude. "We're being Hunted and we don't have any protection."

"To find the main entrance isn't even that hard," I say. "I'll know the main entrance when I see it."

"So we have to rely on you?" Jane hisses.

I want to hit her so bad. She just gets on my nerves. I cross my arms. "Why are you always so mean?" I raise my voice a bit. "I've done nothing to you and you hate me for no reason!"

"You got my guards killed because you're a weak little girl! No you're arguing with me in the middle of us being hunted by some maniacs! And you keep a huge secret from all of us that could have gotten us all killed! You're an idiot!"

I'm about to say something back but Chase cuts in. "Jane stop! If you don't shut up you're the one that's going to get us killed," he hisses at her before getting up.

Jane shoots snake eyes at me before she gets up and follows Chase. "Why do you like her?" Jane just won't stop. "Can't you see-" she gets cut off by another arrow flying. It would have hit her in the head if she didn't duck.

A Hunter comes up from behind me and wraps his arm around my torso and hovers a blade over my throat. I put both my hands on his arms to try and loosen his grip. He looks at Chase and says "if you move I'll cut her."

"No you won't," he flicks his hand and the blade goes flying out of his hand and lands in Chase's. Chase can move things with his mind.

The Hunter throws me to the side and I tumble to the ground. He tries and makes a run for Chase but Chase has already thrown the blade at him. He has perfect aim and it pierces his heart. The Hunter drops dead to the ground.

Chase rushed to my side to help me up from the ground. "Are you alright?" He asks holding my hands. Jane looks annoyed.

I nod. "I'm fine, thank you again for saving my life," I smile and blush.

He smiles and is about to say something but Jane comes between us. "Okay love birds, let's go," she grabs both our arms and tugs us down the mountain.

Soon the three of us break into a full on sprint. It doesn't take long to get to the bottom of the mountain. When we do, I'm bending over to catch my breathe. I look around and there's mountains and trees everywhere. The Down Worlders really put up some protection.

"Which way now Princess?" Jane sarcastically says to me.

I roll my eyes and get the map. The Down Worlders territory is divided up into three sections : vampires, werewolves, and warlocks/witches. The warlocks are located on the very far side to the North. Vampires are to West and werewolves are to the East. The main entrance looks to only be about half a mile from here.

I point in the direction we're supposed to go. "It's maybe about half a mile."

We hear more battle cries coming from the mountain. Seconds later I see Nathan and Claire coming down with Hunters and trolls. They don't look happy.

The three of us break into another sprint, this one faster than before. Luckily we make it before them and enter the borders. When I step in, it feels like Colina. The air has gotten warmer and thicker. Jane must be used to this feeling too because of the Fae borders. Chase quickly adjusts to it.

We look behind us and the Hunters and everyone else are starring blankly into space. They can't see past the borders since neither of them are Down Worlders. Only people part of the certain territory can see past a certain border.

The Hunters don't know, but they might be able to come in. Borders protect us from demons or demon blood, so that's why the trolls and Nathan or Claire can't come in. Trolls are half demon and apparently so is Claire and Nathan. Soon, they leave and disappear into the mountains again.

Chase, Jane, and I don't take more than ten steps before we land into another trap. A net comes out from the floor and hangs us above the ground. This is the kind of net where you can't break it with magic or metal.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Jane kicks at the net but her foot just goes through.

I feel defeated too. I'm tired and hungry and weak. I lean back and decide to just lay down.

~*~

I roll around to wake up to Chase's sleeping face. Oh my gosh! I can't believe we slept in this tent all night. I try my best to sit up. Outside its bright and sunny and a bit warmer than usual.

"Who do we have here?" A male voice says. I turn around to face them, and in the process of it, I flip my long light brown hair. There's three boys about the age of twenty or so (at least they look like it). I can tell one's a vampire, because he's carrying an umberalla, a werewolf and a warlock.

The warlock looks exactly like Arthur Handel, the one in my visions, the one who sent Lilith back to Hell. He has the same golden cat eyes and slick black hair. "Arthur Handel?" I ask shocked.

The vampire and werewolf look at Arthur very confused. Arthur smirks and eyes me. "Let them down," when they don't move, Arthur raises his voice.

"Now! I need to talk to the girl!"