Rule of The Monarch

Nine: Scream Fire or No One Will Hear You

11 September

'Where are we heading?'

'You'll see.' Astor said, pushing through a row of neatly kept hedges. 'Miss Soon-to-be Royal Majesty,' he whispered, crouching behind a bush. 'I give you Ellington Park, home to various woodland creatures and apparently Ealdran vandals.' They turned to the sight of three men smoking in the hidden clearing in front of them.

'Close your ears.' Heather waited until he did so before pulling out a small silver gun and firing a row of shots into the air. 'Come on,' she beckoned him out as the three scurried away.

'You are a strange woman, Heather Carlton.'

'You're not so normal yourself,' she grinned. 'Now, let's see what other criminal activity takes place here.'

A good ten minutes passed with them scouring every inch of the hidden field.

'Did you get anything?'

'A half empty pack of matches,' she held up the box. 'Any luck?'

'Nothing.'

'Why would Christopher lead us here? Maybe you read the code wrong. This isn't exactly an evil dungeon.'

'No but—' he stopped as one polished shoe squelched in mud. 'What the hell?'

'It's only mud Mr. Hemingway. You aren't the cleanest person either.' Heather watched him sniff the sludge on his shoe.

'It isn't mud.'

'What are you talking about? Of course it is. Dirt and water. What else?'

'Well it isn't water. It hasn't rained in weeks.'

'How would you know? You've only arrived two days ago.'

'I read the paper,' he said smugly and held up his shoe. 'What do you smell?'

'Is that oil?' She scrunched her nose animatedly.

'Gasoline,' he corrected her.

'Now what would anyone do,' Their heads turned to the source of the new voice. 'With a trail of gasoline in the park?' It was a boy in equally dark clothing, a brown newsboy's cap and a silver gun in his hand, matching Heather's. 'Hello, Heather,' he smiled, a bit less sincere than their surprise.

'Miss Carlton,' she hissed.

'Of course, princess,' he bowed mockingly as Heather glared, fire burning under her skin. 'Do you want a cigarette to go with that?' he gestured to the box of matches.

'Sure,' she gave a bitter smile as she plucked the cigarette from his hand.

'You smoke?' Astor questioned in a whisper as she turned and lit the cigarette.

'Of course not,' she said indignantly. 'The very notion of me smoking,' she laughed drily. 'It's simply ridiculous.'

'Then what are you doing?' he pointed to the clear act of smoking.

'Putting on a show,' she cleared her throat and immediately shoved him to the ground past the mud. Run, she mouthed.

Her plan fell apart as soon as it started. Astor ran away remarkably fast as soon as he read her words, but that's where it stopped working. Heather dropped her cigarette a few seconds too early, trapping herself and the boy behind a rapidly growing wall of fire.Two, maybe three shots were aimed at her as she faced the flames.

'What the hell is your problem?' She yelled. 'Are you trying to kill me?' She spun on her heel with fury.

'What else would I be doing?' He took of the cap, letting locks of raven hair tumble down.

'You have some nerve Evelynn. Parading around like a man. I see you've taken up smoking as well.' Heather cocked her own gun. 'I should just shoot you for ruining my dress,' she examined the tear in her sleeve.

'Try.' Evelynn challenged. 'You may have had three years of practice,' she knocked on her chest, a clang coming in response. 'But you know I never go anywhere unarmed.'

'What are you doing here?'

'Being blunt I see. Well I could ask the same of you,' she removed her coat and used it to fight the flames growing around her. 'Shouldn't you be at the palace, bathing in golds and silks or drowning in a million royal duties?'

'I should, shouldn't I?' Heather smiled half-heartedly. 'Stop that. You're only making it worse,' she looked to the singed coat. 'The fire department will be here soon enough.' A siren was heard right after. 'Here they are now.'

'How do you—?'

'Let's say I've had a few mishaps in the last two years,' she rubbed the back of her neck. 'They usually take no more than three minutes to respond to fires. A miracle really.'

'Why aren't you at the palace?' Evelynn asked again.

'I ran, Evelynn. Of course I ran. We all run don't we?' Heather tossed her gun to the girl. 'It's just a matter of 'where to?''

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