The Burning Rose (Book I of The Incendium)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

       “ Hurry up Allison or we might miss the airplane!” Yelled Lalia from downstairs

       “ Just a minute!” I yelled back

       Lalia and me were going on a one week vacation to Italy. Mr. Blake strangely allowed Lalia a week off as well. Apparently he understands how it is too loose someone, no wonder he’s grumpy all this time.

       “ You know these few days have been so strange. It’s almost as if there is something missing in my life. Like it was there and all of a sudden it’s gone. You know what I mean.” I say coming down the stairs waddling my suitcase with me.

       “ Oh well. Perhaps it’s just one of these days.” said Lalia hesitating for a bit, “ We should hurry. The plane won’t wait for us forever.”

       “ Sorry, sorry. I just seem out of place for a time now.” I apologized to Lalia.

       The airport was packed with people rushing about to get to their planes and have all of the right luggage. It seemed that Eulalia and me were the only normal and calm people there.

       There were always creeps in the airport that made you really scared that they would kill you on the flight or in the bathroom. I didn’t see any of these people around but there was a very unusual group standing there in the corner of the airport dressed in rich, black fabrics and heavily tinted sunglasses. 

       I thought if I’d point them out to Eulalia it might calm me down or something. However I go a very unexpected reaction. She zoned out, started trembling and mumbling something about this being a very very bad thing. It was odd because once she snapped out of it she said:

       “ We need to go home!” in a very panicky voice, “ We can’t fly to Venice.Not on this flight. I know you really want to go so maybe we could take another flight if you’d like.”

       “ Eulalia, what I wan’t is for me to calm down and explain what is going on.” I told her firmly which made her tremble even more.

       “ I’m sorry, I really really am. I just wan’t to keep you safe.” 

       “ Ok, but what’s going on?” I ask her starting to get worried.

       “ You see these people,” started Lalia in a hushed tone as is anyone would hear us, gesturing with her eyes towards the people standing in the corner, “ they aren’t good people. Their dangerous and their getting on the same plane to Venice as us.”

       “ Bad people as in - they’d kill us or they make bad decisions.” I asked.

       “ The first option.” said Lalia.

       “ Still I’ll take my chances.” I said

       Lalia couldn’t stop me from taking another flight to Italy. I could see it through her eyes that she was either lying or not telling me the whole truth about who these people were. The oddest thing was, Eulalia was scared. I’ve never seen her as scared as this. Maybe if I knew the whole side of the story I would agree with her.

       The plane started flying and I saw how Lalia was very jittery the whole time from the beginning. It was beginning to be a little bit scary. With 40 minutes into the flight, Lalia got up and left, probably to the bathroom.

       Since she was gone for a long time, I was becoming worried about her. Lalia always had these strange gut feelings that would sound crazy to anyone but over the years I have learned to trust them. Maybe I should have this time too.

       Once I decided I was going to go look for her, Lalia was dragged in by a man the size of a baboon. She had tears streaming down her face but tried to seem strong. When she winced, I noticed Lalia was being held on gunpoint.

       “ Is that her, witch?” asked the guy in a deep rough voice. 

       “ No. That’s not her!” Lalia cried, but I was still grabbed by my arms and hauled up from my seat by a guy in a black suit.  

       “ Let her go!” contradicted Lalia, “ You have no idea what your dealing with! If the King finds out-”

       “ We are working for the King, little Witch.” said the man teasingly than in a serious voice he ordered the other men: “ Kill the humans. Their no use to us.”

       We were hauled to a first class part of the plane. As badly as the situation was I didn’t seem to mind the luxury. This room contained the group of people who we previously saw in the airport. They all sat or stood in perfect postures and were drinking a red liquid from expensive looking, crystal glasses. 

       “ Not so rough Victor. The girls aren’t our prisoners. We just simply want to talk to them.” said a man setting his glass down

       This Victor let Lalia go and nodded to the other man who was holding me with a death grip. The man that was sat, gestured us to a seat in front of him. I had many voices screaming in my head to try escape and not listen to these people but I obliged. 

       “ Eulalia, always nice to see you. Now you must be Rose-” started this man but I cut him off. Nobody ever calls me by my middle name.

       “ Allison.” I told him

       “ I’m sorry?” he said as if he didn’t understand

       “ That’s my name. No one calls me Rose.” 

       “ But  I thought the King-” I cut him off again

       “ Look. I don’t know who this King is and I was practically kidnapped. I could technically sue you for that. I have no clue what you people want from me.” I told him off.

       “ What does she mean? I was send by the King himself and Ro- Allison claims she has no idea who he is. What is going on?” asked the man turning to Lalia.

       “ She’s never met the King Sebastien. None of the Royal Family members have met her. Nor any of your kind.” said Lalia but I could clearly see she was lying.

       I never met anyone from a Royal Family and yet Lalia was lying. Not like I could have lost my memories or anything. Perhaps the lies were to save both of our asses. The man frowned.

       “ That’s odd. Why would the King need a human who he has no connection too?” wondered the man out loud.

       “ Who are you?” I asked all of a sudden.

       “ Oh sorry. I haven’t introduced myself yet I’m Hunter Daniels. Head of the hunters. Ironic really. My name’s Hunter and so is my profession.”

       “ Were your parents drunk when they named you?” I asked rudely, after I resized that I started apologizing. “ Gosh I’m so sorry. I say thinks when they pop to my mind. We haven’t formally introduced myself. My name is Allison Rose Serafino.”

       As I said my last name Hunter’s eyes went as round as plates. That was a bit surprising but perhaps he might know something. I tend not to do that now a days. It’s not like my last name was any special.

       “ Serafino? That’s your last name? No wonder the King made us get you...” continued Hunter half way talking to himself.

       “ What is he talking about?” I asked Lalia turning to her.

       “ No clue.” She answered a little to quickly

       “ Ok. But do you know these people?” I ask her in a hushed tone.

       “ Well yea, kind of.” said Lalia with her voice raising an octave. 

       How could anyone know someone kind of? This whole deal with the flight to Venice, being kidnapped from a sucky part of the plane to a first class one was making my head spin. With out knowing, I slipped out of consciousness. 

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Image:

--> Hunter Daniels