Isle of Sanctum | The Aya Thrasher Chronicles | Book 1 |[Editing]

Chapter Forty-Four

CHAPTER FORTY- FOUR

AYA

As soon as we exited the hotel, I could feel something sinister lurking all around us. I turned around and no one was there, yet the feeling didn't cease. I started to think it was my imagination running rampant – it tended to do that from time to time. Of course there wasn't actually anyone following me. Though, I tried to ignore it as we started to wander away from the hotel.

We approached the end of the downtown area and that's when a heard a sharp snap. Like a twig had broken in two.

"Did you hear that?" I asked both Brennan and Trevor. "I think someone's following us."

After I said that, both of them turned around. Again, no one was there.

"I think everything had made you paranoid," Trevor said. "I mean I kind of feel that way too."

"Don't look, Aya's right," Brennan said. "I noticed someone back there. I think he's following us."

We took a left on the wrong street just to see if the person would stop following us. Brennan had told us not to turn around, but I couldn't help myself. Two men in trench coats were now following us.

"Now, there's two," I pointed out.

"I told you not to look," Brennan said. "Okay, when I say go, run. Got it?"

"Got it," Trevor and I said simultaneously.

"One, two, three..." Brennan whispered. "Go!'

I started sprinting. Well at least I tried. I wasn't in the best of shape. Never really had to be. I looked forward as my tired legs trudged along. The boys were way ahead of me and there I was out of breath.

"Hey stop!" One of the men yelled out as they were gaining on us.

"I think I know a place we can go that's not too far from here," I yelled to them. "We can go to the soda fountain."

"I thought that's where we're going," Trevor stated.

I was still mad at Trevor for that little incident back in the Hinterlands. I couldn't get the image of him and Wren out of my brain. It's like it was seared on with a hot iron. I wasn't trying to be rude to him, I was just acting aloof. I felt bad about being mean to Brennan, even though a few days had passed since we made up, it was still wrong of me. He wasn't like Trevor. He seemed to genuinely like me.

They slowed down letting me catch up. "Shh. We're going to throw them off..." I paused trying to catch my breath. I turned around I noticed the men were no longer following us. We had succeeded in throwing them off. "My mentor, Emmy. She told me about this safe place."

We continued running down the rest of the alley until we reached the cove. There was a small lighthouse structure sitting at the edge of the cove. We made it there in no time.

"What is this place?" Brennan asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," I replied coming upon the entrance.

Trevor tried the door, but it was locked. Then I spotted the keypad. A voice rang out, "Please provide a blood sample. Only those of Sciusian descent are allowed in".

The needle pricked the tiny surface of his fingertip, spilling a minimal amount of blood which drizzled down the length of his finger as he moved it over to the sensor. Several miniscule drops of blood dripped onto the surface. The door should have opened within one or two drops. Now, I realized something was off.

He turned to me. Panicked. "I think it's broken."

"Try it again." I nodded.