"We don't have... much time," Ghost Boy said, panting as he leaned against the brick wall. The three—or actually two, since Nettle had been riding on Aris's shoulder the entire time—had run all the way to the town. They left the motorcycle because the crash had damaged its steering, as well as dented its light. Aris wasn't exactly happy with their current situation.
"Why did that guy recognize you?" she asked, breathing even more throaty than Ghost Boy's.
"He didn't," Ghost Boy replied. "He thought I was someone else."
"How did you know you weren't who he thought you were? ... if that even makes sense."
Ghost Boy pushed himself from the wall. "Because I know who he thought I was. ... if that makes sense."
"Well... who did he think you were?"
Ghost Boy looked at her. "No one."
She rolled her eyes. "Sure. Don't tell me."
Aris pushed herself from the wall and let out a small gasp as pain spiraled through her leg. Ghost Boy crouched down next to it and rolled up her jeans as best as he could.
"Is it sprained?" she asked. "Oh, please don't tell me it's sprained. That would be just great. In the middle of nowhere with two killers on our tail and my ankle is-"
"It's not sprained," Ghost Boy interrupted, voice a little agitated.
"... Oh."
He pulled her jeans back down and stood up. "Just twisted."
"Well... I guess that's good." She put her weight back on it. "So what are we gonna do now? We don't have any mode of transportation."
"It won't be much longer before they realize I'm not who they think I am. We have to hide until they pass through the town. Then we can try to find something."
"How far is the rift from here?"
"Actually... not far. We can get there tonight if we hurry."
"Great. How much time do we have?"
He shrugged.
"Nettle?" Aris asked, trying to look at the pixie on her shoulder. "You've been quiet. Are you still there?"
"Just trying to figure something out," Nettle answered calmly, standing up. She looked at Ghost Boy almost accusingly. "I'm wondering why you told those two men you would protect me."
"Well, for one, it means they won't continue attacking us," Ghost Boy answered coolly.
"Until they figure out you're not who they think you are," Aris interrupted. "Guys, come on. We have to find somewhere to hide."
Nettle harrumphed and crossed her arms. "What's wrong with this alley?"
Ghost Boy didn't dignify her with a response, instead saying, "I know the perfect place."
He led them through the town as if he knew the place, which Aris wouldn't be surprised if he did. They walked the streets like normal bystanders. Seeing all these ordinary people made her almost cringe. She tried to act as normal as she could with her quiver of arrows and bow.
"Here it is."
Aris gazed up at the billboard of the restaurant in front of them. It said: Ze Italian Restarrant.
"Even I know how to spell better English than that," Nettle said, high voice sounding whiny.
"And even I can be more original than that," Aris agreed. "Why are we here?"
YOU ARE READING
Finding the Rift (The Traveling Rifts Trilogy: Book One)
Fantasy"If you were looking for... answers to something, and this random stranger approached you, saying he knew where to find them... would you follow him?" ~~~ Aris lost her memory as a sixteen-year-old. Aris's parents lost all their memories of her at...
