The Black Rose

Chapter 2

May and John landed hard on the dirt floor. John groaned in pain, May swore under her breath. Did they not hear her when she said he had a bullet wound in his chest.

"Get him to the infirmary and take her to the dungeons."

"Yes, ma'am."

May shot up when she heard the word dungeon.

"Wait, what! Dungeon? I'm here to get away from The Black Rose not get sent to prison." As she got up she saw a tall, stern-looking woman. She had jet black hair with streaks of silver that was tied up in a tight updo. Her clothes were simple, but it was her stature that let May know she was talking to someone of much importance.

"Excuse me miss, but it is not your place to decide where you will and will not go. Besides, we have yet to decide whether or not you should even be here."

"I knew where the safe house was. Isn't that enough."

"You may have known, but so did The Black Rose. You expect us to believe you didn't lead them here."

"Why would I do that. The Black Rose are murderers.  I would never lead them to a place that I knew was filled with people that have magic."

The woman was getting angry now. She clearly did not like being talked back to. 

"Whether or not you intentionally led The Back Rose here is up for the Council to decide. Now guards take her away." She waved her hand as if it was final. Some people, who must be guards, started to walk towards May. No way was she going to some dungeon, so she did the only thing she knew how to do. She ran.

May was hiding in a dark indent in the wall. While she ran she had spotted it, but only barely. She hoped they wouldn't find her here.

A little while later she heard shouts as that ladies' guards ran past her. Once they passed she let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

May was absolutely furious right now. They had wanted to put her in a dungeon. Couldn't having John with her be enough! Who would intentionally bring The Black Rose to a safe house! The whole situation just infuriated her. She started to see red creep into her vision, like ink in water. She took a deep breath to calm down and the red receded. May had been battling this since she was ten. It wasn't getting much better but John had been helping her with it recently.

After about another ten minutes May crawled out of her hiding spot. No one was around; good. She had decided that the best course of action was to find John and have him explain to these people she was no criminal. But to do that would mean she'd have to find the infirmary and she didn't know where that was. Meaning she was either going to have to wander around or ask for directions.

May let out a sigh. Asking for directions was the easiest way to do this, but she didn't want to alert anyone of her presence. I'll just wander around until I find someone and ask them for directions, She thought. It was the best course of action, so she started walking down the dank hallway.

She barely went ten feet when she ran right into someone.

"Oh my goodness! I am so sorry," the person said.

"That's okay. I wasn't really paying attention."

"Well, I should have been."

After they said that a lamp was lit so they could see better and May realized she was talking to a boy. Not just any boy, a dangerously cute boy. He had blonde hair that looked like he spent forever styling, the most piercing shade of blue eyes. His smile looked like more of a smirk and she could see his muscles right through his shirt.

"I-uh, yeah well, you know that's okay." She was making a complete fool of herself and she knew it, but he was so cute.

"My name is Jack," he said as he held his hand out.

"My name is May." she shook his hand and could feel his callouses.

"You know. I know just about everyone here, but I don't know you."

May froze if he figured out that people were looking for her she was done for.

"Well, you might have just forgotten about me."

"I don't think so. I have a photographic memory and I think I'd remember someone as pretty as you."

May blushed so hard. No one had ever called her pretty before.

"Well, I-uh."

"Don't worry I won't reveal your secret," he said with a wink and a smirk.

"What secret?"

"You know, I did hear about The Black Rose coming right outside our door. Supposedly a boy and a girl were found. I heard that the boy is in the infirmary and the girl ran. Now I may not be the brightest but I think you're the girl. That secret."

May's eyes went wide. News traveled fast.

"Well, since you already know my secret could you direct me to the infirmary?"

Jack smiled, "Of course I can. Follow me. I am the official guide to the underground safe house of Marias."

May lifted an eyebrow, "Seriously. The official guide to the underground safe house of Marias?"

"Well, someone has to do it." May just rolled her eyes and followed him down the hallway.

"And this is the ," Jack said waving his arms in front of a damp and musty room.

"This is where you guys eat?" May said giving the room a funny look.

"Well, considering all of us are hiding from a blood-thirsty group of killers and we all left everything we know and love behind. The budget is kind of tight."

May glared at Jack, "I understand that, but that doesn't mean this place can't look nice. I mean you eat food here it shouldn't look," May waved her hand at the mold on the walls, "like that."

Jack shrugged, "No one has the time to do anything about it. We're all either practicing our magic or fighting skills. Or, plotting against The Black Rose."

May just shook her head, "If all of you have magic then why don't you magically clean it up."

Jack doubled over laughing, "Oh goodness. You came from one of those towns that use magic for everything, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah. What's so wrong with that?"

"That's just not how we do it here. In fact, we rarely use magic. We only practice it in case The Black Rose attacks us,"

"Well, what's so funny about me using magic a lot."

"It's just if you use magic for pretty much everything, you are really going to hate it here."

"Ugh, that's great. Now, can you please take me to the infirmary."

"Woah, hold your horses. That's the finale of the grand tour of the underground safe house of Marias."

"That's a real mouthful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but it's still fun to say."

May shook her head and continued following Jack.