Chapter 16

“We’re meeting someone tonight. They’re going to try and get us to the coast and from there, they said it’ll be easier to leave. If we pay enough, we can make it to Lysau.”

That’s what Sai told me earlier. Which is why I’m standing outside waiting for him. I’m trying not let on that I’m freaked out over this whole thing since Sai seems to be holding it together. But I’m freaking out.

I know it’s crazy for someone like me to say this, but I’m risk adverse to breaking the law. Me being born a mythic wasn’t my fault. I would prefer to be normal if I had a say.

A pain shoots through my stomach causing me to double over. Not eating when I woke up was a good call on my part. I would have thrown up a few times already if I did.

I make myself busy by side stepping back and forth. At least I have my hood up, so people’s curious glances don’t bother me. Let them stare.

After what I’m sure is at least ten minutes, I get nervous for an entirely different reason. There’s no sign of Sai. Shaking out my sweaty palms, I scan both sides of the street. I don’t see him, but with the streets being this crowded, I’m not surprised.

A dark blue uniform I recognize well approaches someone to my left. Once I spot him, my mind picks out the other soldiers dispersed throughout the street. I count about twenty. My heart is thundering in my chest, and my blood is pumping so fast, nothing else is audible.

The only reason I can think of for there being so many soldiers in Wirra, is that they’re here for me. My body moves before I can think of a better solution. If I stay here, not only will I get caught, but Sai will also when he gets here. If he saw me getting arrested, Sai wouldn’t be able to act like he didn’t know me like a sensible person. No, he would end up right next to me on the executioner block.

I urge my body to relax and to keep pace with the people on the street. If I go too fast, the soldiers will pick up that I’m running away. Keeping as centered as I can in the crowd, I decide that the best course of action is to get out of Wirra for now. After I leave, I’ll find a place to hide and plan my next step from there.

As I pass the entry point into Wirra, my breath stalls as I pass a soldier that’s checking over the faces of people that are leaving and entering. His hand stretches out towards me, and I mentally prepare myself for what’s about to come next.

“Sir, can you step over this way?”

The man next to me is stopped by the soldier, but I don’t waste time staring. I take the hand that the Divinity of Chaos has extended to me, and press on.

At first, I expect to see more soldiers checking people on the road that leads back to my house, but I don’t see anyone. Of course, I’m not actually intending to go home. But still, it makes me question if my assumption was wrong. Maybe they aren’t here for me. Blue hair does stand out after all.

I contemplate how I should get a message to Sai about where I am when I sense someone’s eyes on me. Scanning the area around me reveals what I already know. No one’s on the street. My eyes then focus on the forest line. It’s the only place a person could hide and watching me without being spotted.

‘Go in the forest. Run.’

It’s not the first time the voice has tried to convince me to go into the forest. “I told you, I’m not going into that—"

Strong hands shove my shoulder. As I fall, I turn to the side and catch auburn hair and a sneering face I know all too well. My arms fly in all directions only stopping when I skid against the road. My right forearm slides across the surface of the gravel and flat stones that make up the road removing several layers of skin, but it’s my left hand that catches my attention.

A rock that was jutting out of the ground cut open my palm causing searing pain. I grip my wrist and hold my injured palm out as I turn to glare up at Asher. I open my mouth to say something, but he cuts me off.

“Thanks for coming out for me. I was wondering how I was going to drag you out.” Asher’s tone has all pleasantries dropped, not like he was ever that pleasant.

“Did you stay out here for days and wait for me?”

It’s been days. Did he seriously stake out on this road waiting for me to leave Wirra. I clearly underestimated the delusional state of this man.

“And if I did? You know, I was just going to sleep with you. But now, now I’m going to do that, and then I’m going kill you.”

His hand reaches out for the front of my dress and with a hard yank, I hear my breast binding rip. He blocks my first attempt to kick him, but I keep trying. I just need enough time to get to my feet and then I can run. At this point, getting lost in that forest would be safer than getting stuck out of here with him.

Adrenaline courses through me demanding my body to work harder for my own survival, but my strength can’t keep up with his. Asher grabs both of my hands as they wildly swing at him. He rears back his right fist and brings it down connecting with my head.

My head’s ringing, and with the second blow, my vision shifts between blurry and dark.

Was he always this strong?

Even with my eyes being unable to focus after that blow, I recognize the shimmering silver light emanating from the brand on his hand. He’s syphoning. When Asher realized he couldn’t beat Sai or Rumi, he must have decided to borrow someone else’s power.

“You should have just said yes.” Asher whispers in my ear as he flips me on my stomach.

Divinity of Chaos, I need your strength.

I receive, no help.

Somehow, my blurred vision seems to be impacting my strength, because my muscles aren’t working. My kicks and flailing have decreased enough for Asher to gain full control over me. I’m about to bet everything on a headbutt when I hear a voice behind me.

“Guess you really wanted to die.”

The voice that speaks is neither mine nor Asher’s. As I try to place it, Asher’s weight lifts off of me.

‘Move!’

I obey the voice, for once. Without questioning my orders, I get up and run. My vision is crystal clear as I head towards the forest that’s only a few steps from me.

“Blue!” The familiarity of Sai’s voice leads me to spin around; however, momentum demands I take a few more steps back before I can come to a full halt.

There he is. Sai dressed in full black. But where is—

I take one step back. A body lays on the path a few paces from Sai. Blood spills from a neck that no longer holds a head.

Two steps. Sai’s eyes are locked on me. I see him standing there gripping a sword in his hand. The other hand holds what I think is a faceless black mask just like the poster.

“Sai?”

On my third step, Sai vanishes from my sight as my world goes dark.