The Raven Society

Chapter IX

If Raven was being honest, she didn't really know what the best place in the city would be to hide a group of mercatos with guards swarming the city like crazy.

Raven had her back against the wall of an alley, panting heavily and peering over the corner of the building. White uniforms patrolled the streets incessantly, even at the ungodly hour. She sighed and leaned her head back against the cool brick.

Aria stared daggers at her. "Where, exactly, are we going?" She could have sworn she saw fire flash in the reflection of her eyes.

Raven didn't answer. She looked hard at the cobblestones beneath her, telling herself to just think. After all these years prowling the streets, and she didn't know one damn good place to hide?

She pondered for a second asking Godwin for housing, but immediately ridiculed herself for even letting the thought enter her head. She would not endanger him any further. Not after everything he's done for her.

Lucas, back into his bird-form, flapped just above. She could feel the group looking intently at her. Who the hell was she to suddenly take over, anyways? She had known these people for what, a couple days?

Darien shifted uncomfortably where he stood. Aria, just beyond him, had her arms crossed over her chest, heat rolling off her in waves. The other, powerless man, was more quiet. They all seemed very skeptical of her. And so was she. She needed to be observing the group's actions, looking out for any sign of betrayal or weakness. Not blindly leading them and telling them where to go.

"I... " she began, hesitant. "I thought I knew of a good place, but when I ran through the options I realized we would probably be caught there, and of all the time I've been here in this city I thought I would know..." God, was she rambling? She shut her mouth before she could say another word.

Aria gave a deep, annoyed sigh. "Typical," she ground out. Her voice was like a slap in the face. Darien loosed a tight breath, clenching and unclenching his hand absently. Raven stood straighter, brushing her hand against the hilt of a dagger. She would run if she needed to.

A small voice broke the silence.

"Maybe we could go back," began Elena, looking up at them. "Maybe we could go back home."

Darien knelt next to Elena until he reached eye-level and looked at her kindly. "The guards will search for us there. Now that they know that we've escaped... that'll be the first place they'll look." His voice was filled with sadness.

"But the hole," whispered Elena softly. Raven noticed how Darien's eyes flashed. With shock, surprise, she couldn't tell.

"If the guards ever came, we could escape through the hole," continued Elena.

"Not a bad idea," chimed Aria from where she stood.

Raven glanced around at the group, wanting so badly to melt back into the shadows. She felt so out of place. What was the hole?

Lucas circled above them, coming slowly closer. He cawed once. Twice.

Darien chuckled and stood.

"Why, I think that just might work," he said, smile tugging on his face.

He turned to look at the rest of the group, his eyes reflecting his shocked happiness.

"Let's go home."

-------

It took a long time for a group their size to travel the mere five blocks to the underground compound with the insane number of guards patrolling the streets. Their white uniforms, even in the night, almost seemed to blend into the landscape as the full moon illuminated the city.