Escape (Solaris Cane: Book One)

Escape - Chapter 10

Nikos is pissed at me, I can feel it by how tense his body is and, even with my temporarily less sensitized senses, that’s really saying something. I’m pretty sure that when we leave S’leroca he is definitely going to give me a piece of his mind.

The street is getting less crowded the more we head to wherever our destination is. When we first passed through, before I saw Andrea and Markus, I went through the street with my head bowed, but this time, I scan the street, expecting to see the two of them, maybe even Seal. It helps that I don’t blink, I don’t miss a single person.

With me alert, I notice something else, too.

Someone’s following us.

Nikos nudges me closer, his grip on my shoulder tightening. “Don’t look at him.”

The apothecary makes eye contact with me, though I can’t be sure if he knows I’m looking at him. He narrows his purple eyes and purses his lips.

Yup. He knows.

“We’ll turn that corner and you’ll have to run with me, alright?” Nikos informs me and I nod in reply.

We turn into a relatively empty street and are ready to run for it when someone tugs on my arm. I look back, Nikos’ arm slipping off my shoulders and to my waist, expecting to see the apothecary, but instead, I see a man. I’m not apprehensive at first, but then I see the raised, flower shaped scar just above the neckline that’s gone down.

Instinctively, I kick him and pull my arm away, and with Nikos’ push on my waist, it’s easier. He and I both break into a run through the less crowded street.

Immediately, I’m tackled to the ground.

 “Nikos!” I scream as the comfort of Nikos’ arm around my waist is dragged away. Panic floods through me as I’m lifted up. My heart pounding and I feel like my body’s very light.

The next thing I know, the man who grabbed me is on the ground, unconscious, and so are three others. There’s a distinct ringing in my ears, reminding me of the time when I had first seen Claudius.

People crowd around the area, looking at me and Nikos. I look at him and see that he’s already thought ahead, parting the people to make a path for us and I follow.

“How’d you do that?” Nikos asks once we’re out of the crowd and running again.

“Do what?” I return the question, still slightly freaked out at what just happened.

What had I done?

A blood curdling scream pierces the air and it takes a while for me to register that it’s mine.

There’s so much pain, but not from the bruises on my body. I clutch my head. It hurts. Like someone has just placed a thousand razors inside and shook it.

I’m not sure what happened, but I’m suddenly on the floor, writhing in pain and screaming. People are gone, Nikos is gone and I can’t see anything but black.

But I know I’m awake.

I know because I can faintly feel the ground under me, and the very distant buzz of the street is still there. But now that I can’t see, the pain intensifies and I scream again, arching my back off the ground.

“What’s happening?” I scream and sob, feeling warm tears stream down the side of my face.

I can’t feel the ground anymore, and I can’t hear the buzz of the street. I open my mouth and try to move, but I can’t hear or feel or smell anything either.

I’ve lost all my senses. I can’t see, smell, feel, taste and hear.

It’s like I’m stuck in a dark room, with nothing. No feeling, no hearing, no seeing, nothing, and there is absolutely no escape. Mercifully, the pain is gone.