Oracle

Part 39

"Why?" Nathan whispered in shock. "I don't know anything."

"Likely whoever has taken this out know that," Oct mused. "For now, I'd assume they want to use you as bait," he tilted his head with a warning look on his face. "Bait doesn't survive long in the underworld."

Nathan paled at the warning, knowing Oct would be telling the truth about that. It was very obvious. "What am I supposed to do?" he whispered.

"Not sure pet," Oct admitted. "You're underage. Not many will bodyguard you because the normal benefits aren't there. For now, I'd suggest getting ourselves back to the Rook. John might help you. It was cost, but he might."

"I have no money," Nathan breathed, his heart clenching with fear. If he needed help, he had no way to get it which wouldn't involve him being in deep trouble himself.

"John doesn't want money usually. He wants things more precious than that," Oct admitted almost sheepishly, "But the Rook is safer than here at the moment," he looked over to the side. "Someone's going to make a move," he mused quietly, shifting out of the seat.

Nathan followed his action, jumping as a gunshot went off, his body instinctively throwing itself to the ground. There was a scream but it didn't hit him. The world almost seemed to explode as screams filled the room, screams and the loud sounds of gunshots. His head hit the stone floor and he felt dizzy for a moment as the yelling seemed to spin around him. Fear paralysing him.

He cowered on the floor but Oct wrapped a hand around his bicep and forced him up and into action. Nathan was running before he really knew it, gunshot still going on near him but not quite hitting him.

Oct pulled him forcefully to the exit, the journey was a blur as he flinched and kept his eyes closed for most of it. Too scared as the loud bangs echoed through him, and wood splinters occasionally splattered against him. Someone set off the fire alarm adding that siren to the chaos as well. In the madness and screams, he thought he saw Oct get hit but the man continued to run with him, forcing him towards the exit.

Suddenly they were out of the library and on the streets, Oct forcing Nathan into an old beat car. The men appeared but Oct's foot was already on the pedal and the car spun away and into traffic.

"What was that?" Nathan wheezed, clutching his chest in pain, yelling in pain as his face in the window as Oct turned a corner fast.

"Don't ask," Oct growled darkly, sounding about to kill someone. "Twats. Who tried to shoot up a library?" he cursed darkly. "People are going to die over this! The accord rules are clear! You don't do that!"

"What?" Nathan panted confused as he put a seat belt on with shaky hands, eyes widening as he saw what was on Oct's back.

"Shooting up a library! Meant to be a safe place. In this part of town as well," Oct tutted disapprovingly. "A lot of people are going to be having nightmares tonight," He commented with a slightly more grim tone. "The gargoyles won't be happy."

"Your back..." Nathan said in an almost horrified tone, too distracted by what he was seeing to pay much attention to the words.

"My back?" Oct glanced over his shoulder and groaned as he saw what Nathan was shocked over. "Sorry kid, we're definitely heading to the Rook now," he said in a slightly apologetic tone.

"I'm so confused," Nathan whispered, eyes glued to the protrusions on Oct's back which were now sticking through the rips in Oct's coat. They looked sharp and a little sore. His fingers twitched with a strange desire to touch them and his own spine burned strangely.

"Not the time to explain. I can't really knock you out yet either so just stay calm and everything will be fine," Oct ordered firmly. "If we have followers, I need you to be able to move," he added seriously as he took out a corner.

Nathan's head hit the back of the seat from the impact and the words snapped him out of his daze from seeing the strange things. "Followers, right," Nathan nodded, looking behind them for any clues. "Would be connected to my brother and why he has a bounty?" he demanded, gripping the soft leather of the chair.

"Possibly if he stumbled into the underbelly. The prize is big enough on both of your heads to warrant attention from the more unusual bounty hunters," Oct commented idly like he was discussing the weather. "Might be that but city folk don't typically fall in through. There are too many regulations in place to protect them. We don't exactly want attention drawn to the underbelly by the human city officials after all. There are accidents, we can't stop anything from happening, especially if your brother went looking for it, of course," Oct murmured darkly as he came to that conclusion.

"Looking for it? Who the fuck would go looking for it?" Nathan demanded in disbelieve.

Oct laughed sounding genuinely amused by his statement. "You'd be surprised how many people go looking for something more than what they can see," he grinned, extremely sharp looking teeth gleaming. Nathan just shuddered. He wasn't sure why anyone would want to enter a world of guns and strange creatures.