The Hunted - Book 1 of the Lost Royals Series

Chapter 13: Reunion

Crow Haven, Satis Orbis
Year: 4998

    Adrastea dangled from the wall in shock, staring at the familiar face of her childhood friend. He looked older, so much older than what three years should have granted him. However, Adrastea could still see the young scout that had gotten her out of so many terrible situations without a scratch and at that moment when she was suspended in midair, the only thought that ran through her mind was that Evert had done it once more. Even though they had not seen each other in three years he managed to appear just in the nick of time, like some sort of guardian angel. It would take a million years to repay him, and Adrastea knew that.

    "Evert...?" she muttered, still not quite believing it.

    He did not answer quickly pulled her up over the wall with ease, putting her lightly down on the boardwalk. 

    "One minute I'm gone is one minute disaster for you," he said. Although his face was strait Adrastea could see a small twinkle of amusement in his green eyes and she could not help but smile with pleasure.

    "Somebody hit me," Daphne suddenly spoke up.

    Adrastea snapped out of her shocked state and looked to her right where Daphne was sitting perched on the top of the wall.

    "I think I just saw you smile so I must be hallucinating," Daphne continued in shock.

    Adrastea coughed and went back to her regular stone face, looking Daphne up at down as though she were chicken in the sky.

    "How did you get up here?" she asked.

    "Uh, I climbed?" Daphne replied, as though it was a regular thing that everyone did.

    Then, noticing not for the first the tall Cieven scout who, for no other reason than it was blindingly obvious, she discovered to be rather good looking.

    "Who is this?" she asked casually in Satarian. "I thought for a moment down their we had been caught."

    "You were," Evert replied, equally casual. His Satarian was far better than Daphne's Arieten, she noted glumly. "Luckily for you it was I and not one of the Crows." He said the last part nodding down to the courtyard below. 

    "The place is crawling with them," Daphne whispered, suddenly realizing the danger they were still in.

    "Precisely," Evert replied. "I suggest you depart the way you came."

    Adrastea, who for a short moment had been softened by the chance meeting of Evert, quickly remembered why she had come and folded her arms stubbornly.

    "I am not leaving," she said stubbornly, her lips a thin line.

   "Yes you are," Evert replied.

   "Oh ho!" Daphne chuckled. "I like him."

   Adrastea rolled her eyes at Daphne but continued to be stubborn, Evert standing there like a father scolding a disobedient child. Which, if he had been slightly older, would have been the case.

    "I am no-"

    Evert quickly covered her mouth with a large hand and placed one finger over his lips, looking off over his shoulder and listening carefully. 

    "This is not safe," he whispered, removing his hand and brushing past the two girls. "Follow me."

    Adrastea stood there for a moment, wondering if she wanted to be contrary or not, but once Daphne quickly hopped off the wall and jogged after Evert she decided it was probably the best way to go.