Once Upon a Midnight: Wanted

Chapter Fourteen

~~Sorry for the late (and short) update! Hope you guys enjoy this!~~

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Her heart was pounding in her chest. Did Maira know she was here?

Probably not. She would have come after her if she did.

Aeryn pulled her hood down further over her face, making sure her bag was hidden under her cloak before slowly stepping out of the dressing room. She spotted Claudia and Kristianna standing by a sales-person, Claudia chatting with them.

She tries to wave her arm a bit in hopes of getting one of their attention. But Claudia was engaged in conversation and Kristianna was busy looking at a dress.

Aeryn groans softly and steps back towards the door when Maira looks in her direction. How was she going to get across the store without attracting unwanted attention?

Maira turned her back to Aeryn and she bit her lip. Now was her chance. After once more tugging on her cloak to make sure it was covering her face, Aeryn sped-walked out of the dressing room area to where Claudia was.

"Oh, Aer--"

Aeryn shot her hand out to cover Claudia's mouth, quickly shaking her head.

"We have to go, now." She hissed, nodding her head toward where Maira was. Thankfully the other girl hadn't noticed them yet, but Aeryn didn't really want to linger and increase their chances of being caught.

Aeryn dropped her hand, walking briskly out of the store. Once Claudia grabbed Kristianna's attention she followed Aeryn.

"Hey!"

Aeryn froze for just a moment and, against her better judgement, glanced behind her. Maira was staring right at her, and once she recognized Aeryn began briskly walking towards the entrance.

"Stop!"

"Oh no." Aeryn muttered. "We have to run!" She said to Kristianna and Claudia. The three began running, the sound of Maira close behind.

She was fast but luckily the three were faster. They ran to where they'd left Casper, slowing down to a jog.

"Where did Casper go?" Kristianna asked.

"Nevermind that. We do not have time. We must keep moving." Claudia said, picking up speed once again. "We will go to the Neighborhoods. It is where we were going. Perhaps he will meet up with us there."

Kristianna and Aeryn nodded and allowed Claudia to take the lead. 

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The three ran for about an hour through the trees, hoping to weave through enough to lose Maira.

Finally Aeryn announced she couldn't smell the girl anymore, and so they slowed down to a walk, and then finally stopped walking altogether.

"We should have lost them." Claudia said, pulling her hood back over her head. It had fallen off during their running and she hadn't bothered to put it back on until now.

"What exactly is she? Do you think she can follow our scent?"

Claudia shook her head at Kristianna's question. "I do not know what she is. Clearly not human since she is here in Jyn. But we ran in circles enough that even if she could smell us she would not be able to catch up to us any time soon."

Though she wasn't out of breath Aeryn leaned against a tree, bending over at the waist and placing her hands on her knees. She let out a harsh breath. All of this was starting to get too much. Maira chasing after her like that meant she was definitely after her.

But why? As far as Aeryn knew, the other girl had only wanted her out of the village. Dead, maybe, but definitely out of the village.

So why go through all of the trouble of following her into Jyn?

Aeryn sighed again.

If Maira wasn't human, why had she been in the settlement in the first place? Was she like her, a half human-half something else? Had she also been abandoned?

Maira had been in the village longer than Aeryn had. She'd just assumed Maira had been born there, but what if she, like Aeryn, had been sent there for fear of being killed?

But that didn't make any sense. She shouldn't have been able to walk around Jyn so freely if she were human.

"Ahh none of this makes sense!" Aeryn cried, running a hand roughly through her hair.

Claudia placed a hand on Aeryn's shoulder. "It does not, but dwelling on it too much will not give you very many answers."

Aeryn nodded, straightening and looking around. "Where could Casper have run off too?"

"I do not know. Perhaps he went to feed. I do not think he did so when we were at the hotel." Claudia answered, crossing her arms. "Let us go towards the Neighborhood and see if we can not find your friend. We will worry about finding Casper afterward. Perhaps he will meet with us once he realizes he is alone."

Kristianna nodded, taking the lead. "I know where the house is. It is not too far from here."