The Bride

Chapter 28//: Thieves in the making

♕✿~♕✿~ Chapter 28//: Thieves in the making♕✿~♕✿~

Madison's POV

I huff out a breath, my lungs feeling like they're on fire and my legs aching. I felt like I could collapse at any moment.

After having waited for almost half an hour, I had seen Damon and Lucas come down from their trees. I had quickly climbed down from the tree I had been settled in to join up with them. We had quickly ran away from that clearing, not wanting to have another close call with Nathan. We had continued to switch between running and walking, not knowing what was going to happen now. After a couple of hours of wandering about, we had finally come upon what seemed to be a village.

The sun had come up just half an hour ago, yet there were some people awake and moving around to do work already. I moved languidly, feeling exhausted. I follow Lucas and Damon's lead, keeping my head down low. I didn't really want anyone recognizing me.

We walk between two stores, staying hidden in the small alleyway. I turn to Lucas. "We have to get back to the palace before Ahren's coronation. Nathan is going to kill him then," I quickly tell Lucas.

A look of worry crosses Lucas' expression. "That'll be basically impossible to achieve, Madison. Based on what I've heard, Ahren's coronation is probably going to happen this week. We're really far away from Archeon. We'd never make it there on time," Lucas argues.

I shake my head, refusing to give up and accept defeat. "No. There has to be a way to get there on time."

"It takes hours to get to Archeon from here by car," Lucas tells me. "It'll take days for us since we don't have any transportation method except for our own two feet."

My panic level spikes at his words. How were we going to get to the palace before Nathan arrived there? The coronation was most likely going to happen this week, and we'd probably never make it to Archeon in time unless we had a car. Everything seemed impossible right now. I had escaped, but I didn't feel victorious yet.

"I'll help you guys figure out a plan. We can do this," Damon puts in. I look sharply up at him, confusion coming over my face.

"I thought we were going to go our own ways? You know, one of the rules," I tell him. It's not that I didn't want him to leave, but I had been expecting him to do so.

He gives me a teasing smile. "Well, you already broke one of the rules anyway." He glances at Lucas. "And anyways, I don't really have anything to do or anyplace to go to right now. I'll use my time for a good cause."

A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. Even though I had been expecting Damon to leave, I couldn't help but feel immense relief that he was staying around for a little while longer. During the past few weeks, he had been one of the few people I could confide in, and he has proven to be a good, dare I say it, friend. I was glad I had a little more time to spend with him before I would have to say goodbye.

"Alright. Well, thanks," I tell Damon. "So, we need a car to even have a slight chance of getting back to the palace in time." We're all silent for a moment. "Do you think we can hitchhike?" I say out loud.

Lucas visibly flinches. "Madison, you and I are faces everyone knows. I'm probably wanted for treason, and you're a missing girl. It'll probably be risky to hitchhike. But let's keep it in mind as a last resort," Lucas says. I nod in agreement.