Rise or Burn

Chapter Nineteen

The sun rose. Andy woke next to Arlin, who was already wide awake. He sat with a jarred look on his face as he used a sharp edged rock to sharpen a stick into a short spear. He was also muttering to himself. Andy assumed he hadn't slept well.

"Morning," he said as he pulled his body up into a sitting position. Every part of him still ached. But the ache had been dulled by sleep and his joints stiffened by the hard ground.

Arlin turned to him and then his expression softened. "You're up," he stated.

"And you're making weapons," Andy's voice was scratchy. "Are you going to go hunting for some breakfast for us? I could really use something to eat."

Arlin shook his head. "Unfortunately not," he said. "We need something to defend ourselves with for when the Kuth or the Wythynians come after us," he explained. "I lost all my knives. I feel naked without them."

Andy frowned. "Exactly how many knives were you carrying around?"

"Enough to keep us alive." He got to his feet. Sunlight was flooding the forest, washing over everything, including Arlin. It lightened his ash blonde hair, which was short again, Andy noted. In the sun's glow his bluebell eyes softened to something warmer and kinder. His skin, normally porcelain fair was flushed with life. Andy couldn't help but think about how beautiful he looked in that moment. Whether in a flowing gown, a torn one or covered in grime and dirt, Andy realized that he thought Arlin would always be beautiful. "We should start moving," Arlin said and Andy brought himself back. He got up.

They were hiding the evidence of their presence, scattering the ash from the fire and mixing it in with the dirt, when Arlin went still. He was like a startled deer, his eyes going wide and his body stiff.

"Did you hear that?" he whispered.

Andy shook his head. No, he hadn't heard anything. "What is it?" he asked in the same whispered tone.

"Someone is coming," Arlin said and took Andy's hand. He pulled him away from destroyed makeshift camp. "We have to run."

Andy heard it then. Voices. He couldn't hear what was being said but one voice stood out. He knew that voice. He knew that voice like he knew his own voice. Anna. "Wait." Andy said as he yanked at his hand away. He turned in the direction of where the voices where coming from. Arlin whisper-yelled for him to stop but he couldn't. His sister, she was here. She'd come to find him. Anna. She was so close.

"It says he's here," Anna's voice said.

"Well, I don't see him," another voice answered. Kol? That sounded like Kol.

"He should be here," Anna spoke again. Andy's heart skipped. She's here. She's really here. He wanted to call out to her. But for some reason his voice stopped working. No, not some reason. He was scared. Terrified that this was a trick. A lie. A dream. He'd call to her and then wake up. He'd never reach her. He had to reach her.

Someone grabbed his shoulder and for second he panicked. He thought the Kuth had caught him. It wasn't the Kuth, it was Arlin.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

He didn't have answers. He had to keep going. He had to get to her. 'This isn't a dream,' he told himself, 'she found me.'

Just then she emerged from behind the trees. Their eyes met. Ebony meeting ebony. There she was. Standing a few inches shorter than he was, thick and kinky hair tied in high pony and dressed in the same purple cloaked she'd been wearing the last time they'd seen each other. It was her. Annabel Anesu Echowood, his sister. Words failed him. They failed her too, because all she did was stare.