The Last Elementalist

Chapter 8

"Oh, Connor, I'm so sorry," she sputtered. "We've got to go."

They shoved through the crowds, holding hands in order to stay together, but at some point Connor must have lost his hood because someone yelled, "Travis's son!" and cameras clicked all around them. Once they finally made it off the train, Connor shoved his hood back on and they ran for the steps. There they rendezvoused with a shocked looking Lielle and run down the city streets together.

Lielle abruptly stopped in front of a building with faded red letters that read; Castle Valley Farmer Mart. The building had long since been abandoned, but a crash from inside indicated that this was their destination.

* * * * *

Every step made the floorboards creak. Every breath sounded too loud. Every sniff of air made Evie's throat burn. Perspiration ran down her back, making her shiver.

The cool air smelled of rotted fruit and old people. It was dark, but Evie allowed her fingers to scale the wall as they climbed up the stairs with only the creak of the floorboards and the occasional squeak of a sneaker.

The trio scaled the wall pressing their backs up against it. Strands of Lielle's hair brushed Evie's face as they crept along. The dark hall began to lighten and Lielle thrust her hand out to stop Evie causing Connor to walk into her. A finger's silhouette raised itself in front of Evie's face.

"Stay still," Lielle hissed.

Her faint outline peered cautiously around the corner.

"I see them," she whispered in her ear, so Evie passed the message on.

Evie turned back around just in time to see a wisp of Lielle's hair fly past her face. A shocked grunt and a moan emerged from around the bend as the two friends pushed out to help, but the man was already on the floor, held at Lielle's knife point.

The pair of them stared in shock at Lielle and the man crouched on the floor, but for two different reasons. Connor was obviously shocked as he ran over to help untie Cassidy from the chair at the edge of a hole in the wall. Evie stared because she knew this man. She knew this man from the day her brother was killed. She hated this man because he killed Alastair Hallman and he haunted her nightmares whenever she thought about that day.

Without thinking she launched herself at the man on the floor, seeking revenge in any possible way. No one had ever known her as vengeful, but as she drew her fist back, there was no remorse, no guilt for what she was doing as she punched his throat, causing Lielle to retract her knife.

She punched him in any place she could possibly find to hit. She made him bleed with her sore muscles, crying as Connor grabbed her waist and attempted to pull her back.

"Stop," she sobbed.

She kicked Connor back and resumed her revenge, she could never get true revenge until he died. Until he died like Alastair did. By making his life miserable until that smug smile from the day her brother was lost was wiped off his face.

She felt a new set of hands grab her waist firmly. They pulled back and Evie spun, trying to place a punch in the jaw of whoever interrupted her, but she anticipated this attack and pulled her closer into her chest, trapping her arms between them. She buried her face in Lielle's shoulder as she heaved a sob.

"He killed him," she moaned.

She cried and cried until there were no more tears left. Lielle's comforting arms released her and she inhaled a long breath. When she turned, the man was gone. Evie sniffed because now he would be able to hurt more of the people she loved, and she still didn't feel satisfied.

"Evie," Lielle cooed, "What happened?"

Evie heaved a sigh and told them the story from when she was four with wet eyes and the guilt of not trying to get help filling her all over again.

* * * * *

Nausea filled Evie as they walked through the streets of Castle Valley. Hills with steep slopes slowed their trek. Perspiration dripped into Evie's eyes as she hiked on through the warm, sticky air. Chugging down some water, she fought to stay awake and upright. Finally, after what felt like days, they reached a highway.

Dehydrating and exhausted, Lielle climbed over a fence and walked a few more yards before collapsing. She looked horrible with sweat soaking her T-shirt and frizzy hair that had been tied back to keep it out of her face, but strands of it still stuck to her wet forehead. Not that any of the others looked much better.

After a minute or two, Lielle stood up again, brushing off her torn up jeans.

"Where are you going?" Connor wheezed, clutching his bruised side.

A pang of guilt passed through Evie as Lielle sighed, "Getting wood for a fire."

"But it's hot," Evie said quietly.

"A fire does more than provide heat," she reasoned, and she hobbled off.

Connor limped after her, doing his best to stay in the shadows. Once they both disappeared, Cassidy turned to Evie.

"She isn't getting wood for a fire," she predicted. "Notice how she was walking? I think she sprained her ankle. Dan stepped on her foot while she was running in there. He kicked it after. It can't be in great shape and the walk here must've been no help."

Evie frowned. Their best fighter was injured and they all had to walk for who knows how many more miles. "We need a new mode of transportation. We can't walk to Edmond if we don't have a GPS and Lielle wouldn't make it too far."

Evie chewed on her bottom lip until she tasted blood in her mouth. Then Cassidy said, "We could find an airport in the next town over. No car dealership would give a car to four kids, much less you two. Especially not for free, and I'd rather not resort to stealing."

"How would we buy tickets? We don't have enough money."

"We only need one," Cassidy reasoned. "We'd have three very overweight suitcases, but it would work."

"A minor can't purchase a plane ticket. We'd need an adult. We would also have to hope that we can put the suitcases on conveyor belts ourselves. Plus, one plane ticket could be anywhere between two hundred dollars and four or five hundred dollars. We're not rich, you know."

Cassidy stared. "You are rich. Besides, there's something called a bank. And we can look up tickets at a library."

Evie heaved a sigh. "I guess-"

There was a howl in the distance, then a scream, then dark.