Julian’s way as he pursued .
My fangs descended and I groaned. Holding Monica became more of a challenge, but I finally caught a break when I crossed a bustling intersection and forced Julian to wait for traffic to pass before he could continue. The lull gave me a chance to reach behind and pull the bolt from my shoulder. Although it would leave him a breadcrumb, I threw the projectile down when it began to singe my hand. A few swift turns and one final, push brought us deep into the thick of a dilapidate d row of houses. A group of men on their front porches watched us disappear down another alley and away from sight.
Rounding a set of garbage cans, we advanced a few paces forward until I spied an open window leading down into a basement. The scant knowledge I retained about the area reminded me this was a portion of town notorious for gang members and drug addicts sleeping off their chosen poison in one of the many abandoned houses . Gingerly, I crouched and shoved the window as far open as it could manage with my foot . I clutched my watcher tighter , and carefully, I slid my legs through the passage and lowered us down into the basement. My knees buckled slightly when I hit the ground, inviting a fre sh burst of pain . We had made it, though, and I silently hoped for a chance to figure out how to make it back to the safe house unnoticed.
I sighed and glanced around the basement. A mattress lay in the far corner, reeking of booze and cigarettes and things I dared not try to categorize. It gave me a place to set Monica down, though, so I laid her gingerly atop it and motioned for the window again in an effort to make our hiding place more secure. A short ledge by the window granted me enough leverage to pull myself up. With a quick jerk, the window shut again. Gravity brought my feet back to the ground and I dusted off my hands once my task was finished. The sight of Monica, however, provoked me to frown again.
My knees ached and my shoulder burned, but they would mend when I sought sustenance. My watcher, however, was much worse for the wear. Crouching, I could not help but curse myself for underestimating our adversary. Now, I saw with my own eyes how selfish I had been. Whatever punishment the Order had in store for Monica, I doubted it entailed being hunted like an animal. Like a monster. Like me. I opened my hands and stared at the palms which should have been stained crimson red by now. The High Council had condemned me as a powerful threat, whereas before I had been a formidable, if uncertain, evil.
And now, an innocent girl had to suffer the consequences.
I shut my eyes, feeling my fangs snap back into place. Indeed, I thought, if my powers as a seer were not enough to spring them into action, laying waste to six of the Order’s elders had assuredly raised their ire beyond the breaking point. Lowering myself to a sit, my mind spun dizzy with the epiphany that Julian might be the first of many challengers yet to come. I should not have been so daft as to drag Monica from the meeting room.
“Flynn, silence your thoughts before they give us away.”
My head snapped up, eyes opening to behold the most peculiar thing I had seen in a long while . Monica peered back at me, her gaze meeting mine weakly as she visibly held a grimace of pain at bay. I motioned to stand, but she shook her head and glanced from the floor back up to me. I read the instruction; she wished me to remain seated and keep my mind veiled from the prodding of our enemy. Nodding, I indulged a few steadying breaths and opened a direct psychic channel to her.
‘ I apologize for the rude awakening , ’ I said, ‘ but we have a seer chasing us. I did not wish to move you. My hand was forced. ’
Monica furrowed her brow. ‘ I figured seer when I heard you thinking about the Order. The Council sent him? ’
I nodded. ‘ Yes , one arrived just as you suspected. T he son of a bitch has been shooting crossbow bolts at me for the past half