Unfamiliar (Unfamiliar Series #1)

Chapter 13

It takes several, long moments for her words to register and make any sense to me. I nearly ask Indigo to repeat herself, as I could swear that I heard her wrong. 

That can't be right, can it? I wasn't supposed to? 

It takes even longer for me to process them.

"What?" I croak, my voice weak as the air leaves my lungs. 

Indigo's eyes are bright with something I've never seen before, and I realize then that it's fear. She turns away from me, peering into the darkness like she's making sure we're alone. When she turns back, I notice that she's a few shades paler and almost looks like she's about to get sick. 

"Indigo, you...you knew that I was an Unfamiliar?"

She sighs at this and nods as she pulls out her phone and texts on it. There's a faint tremor to them and my unease rises unbidden. 

She's being completely serious, and she is terrified. 

I'm suddenly dizzy, my vision spinning slightly before I take a breath to calm myself. I resist the urge to crouch, needing to stay upright as scenarios play through my head. I could fix this, someone could fix this and everything would be okay. 

"Yes, now we need to get home to mom and dad, maybe they'll know what to do about this mess that you've made," Indigo retorts. 

"But-, but the curfew!" I hiss in a soft voice as she turns and walks away from me.

"Doesn't matter," she replies as the shadows greedily swallow her, "we're sneaking out."

"You know how to sneak out?" I ask incredulously as I feel a rush of shock.

Indigo has always been the good child, the responsible one and even a bit of a snitch growing up. To see her so flippantly ignore the rules of the academy was...far outside of character for her. 

In spite of it all, she smirks over her shoulder at me. 

"Of course I do, now come on, my illusion spell won't last long."

I realize then that the air feels cooler and as I move, it ripples slightly like water. We're invisible, I conclude as I jog after her, joining her in the night. The moon is our only source of light as we run on silent feet, my eyes just barely being able to focus on Indigo's rapidly disappearing form as her dark jacket billows behind her like a cape.

Has she done this before? 

Fear grips me tightly like a vise, every beat of my heart making it feel like it's going to burst as it hammers uncomfortably in my chest. 

I can't risk getting caught. 

At last, Indigo comes to a stop a few paces away from a wrought iron fence and motions for me to stay behind her. She makes a quick hand motion and the bars begin to glow a light blue before the light flickers out and she gestures for me to follow her.

I don't know if she's expecting me to climb the fence or what, but I get my answer as she simply walks through the fence, the bars rippling in the process. I follow her more slowly, suddenly anxious as a flush of warmth crawls across my skin, like a summer breeze has blown through when I pass through the bars. I revel in the warmth for a moment before it is replaced with the autumn-like chill and disappointment gnaws at me.

Indigo is standing a few feet away as she watches me impatiently. 

"Come on," she rasps.

I pick up the pace to a light jog and follow her through the winding, creeping undergrowth. Brambles snag at my pant legs while low bearing branches claw at my face as I trip through the brush after her in the near darkness. I pull my phone out of my pocket after nearly falling and turn on its flashlight, only to have Indigo stop and spin around to face me.