The Angel's Nature

Chapter 21

He barely managed to stop near a canyon. It was narrow, but deep and rocky, and falling in there would mean instant death. Cosmo figured it would be great if he got to the other side, to slow the chaser down for a while. As he turned around, however, he noticed no one was after him.

He sat down on the sand. His mind floated back to Willow. They could be already planning to kill him. Or Cosmo. After all, he had left visible footprints. The wind would probably make them vanish.

This was the first time someone was threatening his life. He went even further into his memories, reminding himself of the reason why he was here. It was Ivy.

And now he was desperate to return to Willow. But just the idea of crossing the forest was dangerous.

If Cosmo was going to stay here for a long time, he would get hungry. There was no visible possibility to safely get to food, but he was too tired to think. The daydreaming soon faded into something more, and he fell back on the sand.

In the middle of the night, he woke up. It was strange to realize that he was lying on the sand. He moved away from the canyon, fearing that he could fall down. The hunger had arrived, forming something that felt like a black hole in his stomach.

Then he thought of Archer. Cosmo couldn't trust him; he couldn't trust anyone but Willow. Archer might have given out the plans, but that didn't mean that he had no secrets.

He heard his own heavy breathing. How long would he last?

Then, noise. Chanting. Talking. Looking back, he saw the moon already closer to the side of setting than rising. Cosmo jumped up; his wings popped up immediately. He forced himself to hide them, proving that he wasn't a coward.

He was strong enough. He would have to be.

The crowd was distant and slow-moving, but loud. He had around an hour until they would get there.