Escapade

EIGHTEEN - MARELLA

   It was only a few moments after Alvar first boarded the bus, the Neverseen members searching for us, neared the back, where we sat. I started to panic, and Dex seemed to be doing the same thing. It was now, that I really wished that I had a leaping crystal. Rays of light streamed through the window. It would be a clean escape. But both of our home crystals had been confiscated when we were taken.

   I heard the sound of scraping, and then Dex nudged me.

   "Ever heard of a fire escape?" he asked, motioning towards the window. I was confused.

   "There's no fire, though."

   "No, stupid. In case there is a fire, humans have these opening windows, so that people can get out in case they can't get to the door." He looked proud. "And I just opened it up for us."

   I gasped as I realized that the window was open, rather than just being clean.

   "C'mon," he smiled. "No use in sticking around."

   At his insistence, I climbed out first. I dropped to the ground, and felt relief that the Neverseen hadn't posted anyone around the bus. I guess they thought they had us.

   Dex climbed out, and tried to push the window closed, but he didn't have time. One of the members looked over at the empty seats. They looked up to the window, and gasped. Their mouth opened, as they began to yell, but we saw nothing more, as we began to run.

   I heard running footsteps behind us, and I glanced back, to see Alvar tearing after us. I could tell it was him, because he started blinking in and out of sight as he moved. Just as I turned back to continue looking where I was running, I saw his hood fall down. I only caught a flash of his teal blue eyes.

   I fuelled my sprint, reminding myself of all the P.E. sessions I had taken at Foxfire. All of the years I had practised. I felt Dex doing the same, as he matched my pace. Alvar seemed not to catch the hint, and continued running from strength. He started to fall behind. And soon, he was just another person on the street. I watched him panting, as he slipped out of sight. We turned a corner.

   Verpera stood, in completely normal elvin clothes, and her blocking hairnet. She smiled when she saw us, some how making the sunny street feel colder.

   "Lovely to see young people walking outside, isn't it." White light shot around us, and the street seemed to disappear in the brightness. "Isn't it interesting how you rely on Obscurers so often, when your enemy—me—was the one to create them. Well, create the design and the plans. A rather famous technopath helped me with the rest. Just like every time you enter Atlantis, you depend upon the Balefire Fintan created, to see. Isn't it ironic."

   It took me a moment to realize she was stalling. She was waiting for backup. She was keeping us in this illusion. She was bending light to keep us hidden, and to keep the advancing enemies from our sight. They had prepared for us to escape, after all.

   "When you designed Obscurers, did you originally make them to hide us from humans?" If she would stall, I would play along. She seemed surprised by the question. She replied anyway.

   "I actually designed the first Obscurers for a dear friend of mine. Her name was Luzia. I believe you heard of her. She was trying to protect many things from curious eyes, not just from the humans."

   Dex stepped sideways, and Vespera didn't seem to notice.

   "Did you suspect Luzia when you made them for her?" Vespera seemed to believe that I was sincerely curious.

   "I knew she had something to hide, but I never suspected that she was hiding something as big as the secret she was." Vespera smiled, as if looking back on her younger years. Then it struck me. She was a kid once. She had friends, and went to school. She was just like anyone else. Some wrong choices had made her life that of a villain. "But she was my best friend. She couldn't possibly be evil, could she? It's funny, how the people closest to you, are always, always the ones to betray you. The people you think of as friends. The people you would risk your life for. The people you love." She stared at a far off memory, her face wistful. I felt terrible to use her sadness escape, but we needed to get out. We bolted.

   Since the light was only an illusion, we slipped through seamlessly. When I looked back, nothing was there.

   I spotted a cloaked figure down the street. We increased our speed, and I could almost hear Dex's heart pumping. I was willing to bet mine was equally as loud.

   We ran.