Red Like Roses

Chapter 6

Willow and Solace are in deep conversation as Aidan and Ethan approach. But they stop as soon as they see the boys.

Normal? I think not, Aidan thinks to himself but decides not to press for answers.

"Hey guys!"Solace says giving them a small smile.

"Hi" Ethan says curtly as Aidan nods. Aidan never talked a lot and it wasn't that he was shy it was that he didn't see a reason to and he liked the silence. It made him feel in control.

"Come on Aidan," Willow says who's a lot like Aidan which is why she was one of Aidan's favorite instructors. She starts walking towards the window with Aidan following a knowing grin on his face. Ethan looked at them quizzically as Solace watches him barely suppressing her laughter.  Willow opens the window and jumps out feet first.

"WILLOW!" Ethan yells running to the window. But when he looks down he sees using some carefully placed zip lines and small bars attached to the walls of the Spire to get to outer walls. Ethan hears Aidan snicker behind him, his knuckles turn white as he grips the ledge of the window. He draws his staff and separates them into his short swords, whipping around with a growl to face his brother. He then charges with all his fury but Aidan smoothly dodges. Then Aidan grabs his brother's wrists and twists them making Ethan loose his grip on his swords. AS they clatter to the ground Solace come running up pushing the boys apart. Aidan smirks and runs to the window ledge. As he stands on the ledge he turns around back to the open air of the winter wind. He gives a mock salute and then lets himself fall backwards hood pulled down. He swings himself to Willow and lands gracefully. He turns to see his brother and sister looking down at them.

" How do you keep your hood on when you do that?!" she asks calling down. He shrugs.

"It's a gift," he calls back and then runs to catch up to Willow.

"Alright kid," says Solace turning to Ethan," time for us to go too." She then turns on her heel going back into the labyrinth of hallways withing the Spire with Ethan at her side.

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It's dark. There is nothing. Then a flash of white light and then screaming.

Why won't that person shut up?!she thinks to herself.

Then she realizes the people screaming are Ethan and Aidan. She'd connected to hem sub-consciously.  She opens her eyes and finds everything fuzzy. The sheets under her are stiff and everything smells of disinfectant.

Medical room, she thinks to herself.

Then the pain hits her. Her leg starts to burn and she grips the sheets to keep from crying out.  She stumbles out of her bed as her vision starts to clear due to her sheer force of will. She hears the sounds of battle and stumbles to the door seeing her weapons nearby. She closes her eyes concentrating. Soon her night hawk appears on her shoulder and she sets up a connection seeing through her hawks eyes. As she limps outside her hawk takes off circling above her. Her brothers, sisters, Uncle, Willow, and Winter are the first people she sees fighting off swarms of wolves and bandits. Aidan is fending off 5 as Ethan tries to stay alive while fighting 6. The others are faring just as well. She jumps off of her good leg and into the beams above the fighting.

How'd they get into the Spire, she wonders.

She takes out her sniper rifle and begins shooting mercilessly killing everything on sight. At one point Meghan sees Heather being attacked from behind. She shoots and as it falls dead Heather turns to her. Pride lights up her eyes along with joy and she nods to her. She turns to where she knows the Alpha will be and yells above the sounds of battle." GET OFF MY TURF B****!" She then charges into the ranks. As the fight continues Meghan hears a scream quickly followed by another. She looks into the direction of the screams and sees Heather clutching at her arm on the ground in front of the Alpha. Then a raven flies down and lands down next to Heather. Meghan's vision is blocked as a group of wolves and people from the Spire fighting get in the way. When she can see her sister again she's motionless and being carried out by the Alpha with Raven behind him. Solace screams Heather's name as she and Crow try to push through to get to them.