During November

Chapter 10 - Blair

Chapter 11: Unmarred

Adara Aisling is something else. Inhumane. An untamed animal skulks in the depths of her eyes, clawing to get out. She stalks ahead of me, a malicious look in her eyes; a deadly undercurrent in the sway of her hips.

She remained quiet throughout the night before as we stalked the dark streets, and as the morning sun begins to breach the horizon, she begins to slow down. My legs ache, my head pounding in desperate need of sleep and rest but I don't dare ask Adara to stop.

As if in reply to my thoughts, the woman halts for a split second before swiftly pulling me into an alley.

Her breath fans across my throat as she leans in to whisper to me. "We're being followed," her husky voice is calm, yet there is a gleam in her hazel eyes. My brow furrows, but I nod, eyes scanning the sliver of street I can see. "Stay here," she whispers before slipping out of the narrow passageway and back into the street, a swagger in her walk.

I wait a moment. Two. Deep breaths. As I'm about to round the corner of the alleyway, a scream sends me stumbling out into the street, eyes wide.

An inaudible sound claws it's way out of my throat as I look at the scene in front of me. I'm moving before I can think, grabbing Adara and jerking her off the young boy. I give her a sharp glare before spinning around to face the frightened, emerald eyes peering up at me in utter terror, another scream resting on the tip of his tongue.

I look at him in utter disbelief. "For fuck's sake Enzo," I groan as anger, surprise and frustration slam into me.

"I-I'm s-sorry Blair," Enzo sobs as he curls in on himself.

My heart is still racing as I let out an exasperated sigh, something between relief and hatred for this retched world. "What on earth are doing here Enzo?" I crouch down in front of him, mildly aware of Adara's piercing glare toward the pair of us. I try to put aside my frustrations as I look up at the dark-haired boy.

Watery emerald eyes find their way to mine, churning with shame and desperation. His lips tremble as his explanation turns into racking sobs. Letting out another sigh, I pull the small boy into my arms and lift him up. Enzo clutches to me, head pressed into my neck as I turn around to face Adara.

"You know that we can't take him, Blair," she mutters, a stubbornness in her clenched jaw and crossed arms. I knew that. Enzo would be dead weight, a liability and a weakness to me when we were walking into somewhere that any weakness would compromise what I needed to do.

And yet, "We don't have the time to turn back around." It was a lie, really. We could go back, but having Enzo in my arms, knowing that I'd have to consciously leave him behind for a second time, it caused an ache in my heart that was only sated with his small hands clutching onto me. Ever since I'd found him curled up inside that warehouse we had rarely parted, and I couldn't bring myself to leave him after everything we'd gone through. It hadn't seemed so difficult the night before, but the judgement of the sun beat down on me and I couldn't let him go.

I set my jaw in a way that said I wouldn't argue about this. Enzo was coming with us, whether either of us liked it or not.

With frustration in her gaze, Adara Aisling continues walking without a glance back to check if I follow. Not for the first time, I wonder if trusting her was going to be my ultimate downfall. More likely my own need for self-assurance will ruin the both of us. I'd chosen this path, mulled over it for months now, yet uncertainty creeps quietly toward the edges of my raging thoughts.

Will any of this really be worth it in end? Am I only seeking some kind of sick satisfaction from this?

I drag out a long sigh of confusion. With Enzo in my arms, I hoist up my pack and follow Adara toward my demise.