Bloodstream

-chapter 8-

I laugh, "How do clouds even have a specific shape? They're just lumpy."

He clicks his tongue, "You're just not creative." Then he lets out a gasp, "See! Look at that one, it's a dog."

I look at where he's pointing and squint my eyes in an attempt to see what he's seeing.

"You're just messing with me, Elson. There's no way you can see a dog."

He lets out an exaggerated sigh, "You just don't have the cloud vision, Avila."

This earns another laugh, and we lay like that for awhile. Him pointing out clouds and making me laugh. It's nice.

It's the most peace I've felt in my entire life.

Then it's ruined.

"What was that?" Elson asks, leaning up.

"What was what?"

Then I hear it, the movement. The breaking of twigs, and movement against leaves and grass.

I drop my voice to a whisper, "Maybe it's just someone visiting this place?"

"No. Arcane doesn't like people coming into the woods, it's basically off limits. People are scared of it."

We stand up slowly and cautiously as the steps get closer. That's when I can tell it's a lot of them. I'm frozen for a second, processing things. Then it hits me.

This the retaliation.

"Elson I need you to go back and warn Zalina. Oleas is retaliating. They're coming for the castle. You need to get everything secured."

He gapes at me, "Avila I'm not leaving you here."

"I can hold them off, you need to go. Now, Elson. I mean it. Right now."

He hesitates, then nods. He hops on his horse, giving me one nod, then riding off.

I hide behind the biggest tree I can find as the steps enter the clearing on the opposite end.

Then the voices start.

"Alright. I want half of you on the west side and half of you on the east side. I'll lead the east. Ren you lead west.

"Actually, Lee. I think Xander should lead the West. I have a little plan myself if you don't mind."

"Actually—" Lee starts.

"Nope. Wasn't asking, Lee. You guys go. I got this." Ren says.

My blood runs cold at her voice. Something in it has changed. I can't pinpoint what it is, but it's different. It's not her.

The footsteps and voices eventually fade, and I wait to make sure it's silent before peeking around the tree.

That was a mistake, though.

"Well, well, well. Avila, how I've missed you." Ren grins at me.

"I thought you went with them." I reach for a gun on instinct, until I remember I don't have weapons. Elson had his knives and that was it.

"Oh come on," She rolls her eyes, "You think I didn't see you when you and your little friend were sitting out right in the open? Looks like Arcane has made you weak. I never thought I'd see the day."

She steps closer, I step closer. The space between us gets shorter.

"Why are you doing this, Ren? Why couldn't you have just come with me, or left well enough alone?"

Her facade begins to crack, anger replacing the cool expression she was previously wearing.

"I didn't want to come with you, Avila. I wanted you to come with me."

Everything switches in my mind when she says that. The sadness and desperation turn to anger and disbelief.

"You're so fucking pathetic, you know that Ren? You're pathetic and weak. It's sad to see really."

She steps closer, "Watch it, Astor."

"Oh please. What are you gonna do? Use your gun on me? Use your sword on me? What? Are you going to kill me because I wouldn't come back to Oleas with you? Like I said, Price. It's pathetic."

In an instant she's tackled me to the ground and pressed her knife against my throat.

I don't move. In anything other situation I'd fight back, but I know her. I might have a chance to beat her if I fought back, but I can't risk it. Not right now.

"Really, Avila? Who's the weak one?" She leans closer and presses the blade harder against me, "I pitied you when I first met you. You were just some sad lonely girl. You came from nothing, and I thought you were nothing. Then things changed, you went from nothing to something."

She smiles and presses her lips right against my ear, "Everyone was wrong about you, though. You're still nothing."

I grit my teeth and use her being distracted to my advantage. I land a hard punch on her face and roll over so I'm on top so I have the advantage. Her grip loosens on the knife and I grab it from her hands, pressing it against her throat. It's the same position we were just in, except the roles are reversed.

My luck doesn't last long though, because she manages to get her gun out of it's holster and press it to my head.

A knife to her throat, a gun to my head. I'd never thought I'd be in this position with her. It's the last thing I ever would have thought.

"I'm warning you, Astor. Get the fuck off of me or you're dead." She says through gritted teeth.

"I'm warning you, Price. You try anything and I will kill you." I dig it in deeper. It's not enough to draw blood, but enough to get the point across.

I don't know how long we stay like that. Weapons against each other, my knees planted on either side of her hips, eyes blazing with an unrecognizable mix of emotions.

"Drop it!" A voice shouts from the trees, both of our heads whip around and we stand up together, not letting either weapon slip from their position.

Elson. It's Elson.

"I don't know who you are, but you drop the gun. Now." He says, a knife in one of his hands.

"Oh please. What are you gonna do with that pathetic little thing." She scoffs.

His eyes flash, then he throws it at her.

I barely have time to react before it's sticking straight out of her upper arm and the gun topples out of her hand.

"You fucking dickhead!" She screams at him.

"Arcane has the advantage in this battle. You won't get away with this again. Get out." He pulls another knife out of a small bag on his hip, "Get out know or I'm making a kill shot."

She keeps the knife in her arm, knowing if she pulls it out now she'll probably bleed way more than what's safe.

She glances at Elson, then at me.

"You win this one, Astor. Just this once. Because this is war," She steps closer, "and I won't stop until you're dead."