I ran the entire rest of the night through the trees. Then kept going until I hadn't heard any wolves howl for a long while. Whole world colored gold with the new light of the sunrise. I was exhausted. I tied myself to a tree limb. High in the canopy. Settling into a twined oak tree. Using the high juncture of two old trees cradle me in relative safety with my very last bit of cord. I opened up the lunch from Rutherford. There was more than enough for several meals. Which was good considering how far I was going to need to walk to get back to the castle. It might take me two days to get back.
I ate a quick meal, some bread with a fruit spread and cheese. Drank a fair bit of water and settled in to finally sleep a little bit before heading back to the castle. I had done it. I had outrun everyone and everything.My legs and arms were going to be worn out when I woke up. I was faster. Had been smarter. I reclined as well as I could in a tree. Feeling half smug as nearly every muscle in my body burned from overuse as I slipped into sleep and relaxed for the first time since yesterday when I had started to run from Rama to my room.
I awoke to the sun straight overhead. Gentle birdsong and the sounds of small mammals going about their business in the woods around me. I felt like I had been woken up by something. The entire world seemed peaceful right now though. I help my breath trying to listen for any subtle sound or threat. In the distance came a nearly hoarse voice calling my name. A long pause before I heard it again. I untied myself from the tree, climbed down, with all my remaining supplies. Eating a snack as I started to follow my own scent trail home. I had practised cloaking my scent from others until neither my mom or Aaron could find me. I could however always retrace my steps exactly.
It was the one skill that was only mine. Cats could mask their scent fairly well from other shifters, but also from themselves. Deer couldn't mask, mom had described it more as a link with the grass she ate in an area. It remembered if she had been there, could lead her, guide her according to the grass way. There was an extra connection to the earth she always had. Unfortunately, neither Hilda nor I were very interested in just eating grass, so the way of the grass wasn't going to reveal itself to me. Hilda and I were our own. I hadn't ever had that many chances to feel proud of what we were.
Today I was glowing like the sun I was so proud of myself. Every muscle burned as I kept putting one foot in front of the other. Retracing my steps. I had been running so quickly, the distance between my small footprints was impressive. If you knew the exact path I had walked, and could find the small toe point indent in the thick greenery and grasses of the field. I had been good last night. I could be great at this. My trail and evidence of my passing was well concealed. Not bad for a city girl on her first run.
"Here" I finally called back when the voice sounded like I was close enough to the source to be heard. I immediately heard a return call of my name, the voice even more strained than before calling out again so soon.
"On my way. Just a minute." I shouted back. Louder than I thought I had ever been. I could smell Rama on the wind. His scent more musky on the breeze than it had been in the castle. He smelled of earth and herbs and man. It was calling to me differently colored by the shift. I found him, standing just ahead of me. The moment our eyes met, I could tell he wanted to come to me. Could see the strain in his body. He was literally locked in place unable to take another step. He hadn't lied to me.
I was in trouble. He had tied the shredded tatters of his cloak around his waist, a weird, black loincloth made from silk. Every muscle on his body was chiselled like a horny sculptor had been in charge. Rama was built like a god under his clothes. His skin rich and dark. Thick chest hair and a happy trail leading into his loincloth that I wanted to follow with my tongue. I didn't know thighs had as many muscles as I could see clearly defined on his body. I licked my lips, thirsty, and it wasn't for water. I was in big big trouble now.
"Hi Rama." I said, in my normal voice as I closed the distance between us. There was a slight shiver in my body as I slowly crossed the barrier this time, instead of flying through it maxed out on stress, adrenaline and exhaustion. Certainly not something I would have noticed on my first passing. He looked at me like I was magical.
He put his hands on my shoulders. A beautiful goofy grin on his face and he looked me over top to bottom. "You never shifted? You ran all this way?" He asked, the grin never leaving his handsome face."You're unharmed?" He looked amazed, and proud, and then as he repeated, "Avalon, you're okay?" I saw lust reflected in his eyes. Only for him to take my hand and teleport us back to the pond where he had shown me Aaron and my mother. I was hoping for my bed, this was at least much closer to a wash and bed than I had been a moment ago.
"Thanks for bringing me back, I'd like to head back to my room for a bath and a lot of sleep before I eat everything in your kitchen tonight." I was near delirious with exhaustion. I had never not once in my life pushed my body as hard as I did last night.
"Wait, Avalon. Icarus has reported a problem at your mother's home." Everything in my body turned to frigid ice. Mom was all I had. My sweet, loving couldn't hurt flies or spiders mom. Mom who was so in tune with the earth the grass spoke to her. No, she was fine. Safe at home, cleaning the apartment or baking.
"No. Mom is fine." I protested. Looking to Rama's eyes, eyes that just a moment ago had been so happy to see me unharmed, now looking devastated. A depth of despair I wasn't ready to see. "No." I said again as Rama waved his arm over the fish pond. "No. Mom is fine." My voice weak as I saw our apartment. The kitchen was a mess. Doors knocked and hanging off the cupboards. The faucet on the sink was broken, a steady arch of water making a mess everywhere as water sprayed endlessly. The floor was warping under the ever building pool of water.
The whole apartment was a mess. The table overturned in the dining room. Tv smashed on the floor in the living room. Pictures crooked and knocked off the walls everywhere. My mother nowhere to be seen. "Where is she?" I asked. I didn't see any blood in the apartment, that didn't mean she was safe. I should have gone home. I should have been with her. I could have stopped whatever this was. Mom wasn't a fighter. I shouldn't have left her alone. "Where is my mom Rama?" Hilda was with me now her strength adding to mine.
"Icarius is trying to follow them. A dark coven has taken her. Ones with an ancient grimoire; Written by the first witch to steal the power in a hybrid. Her descendants and followers walking in the evil paths she built. Gisella, one of the earliest dark witches, only intent on power and strength, as are any who join the coven." Rama answered me.
"I need to help mom." I said. I had to leave him. Just as I was starting to consider that Rama might be right, that he was my mate. I searched his eyes and saw only sadness.
"I know, I have assembled my best warriors, they are preparing." He snapped his fingers and I was no longer wearing my self made adventure gear. I was wearing real, modern combat gear. Kevlar body protection. It was heavy. Rama snapped his finger. I was in something like a locker room, everyone dressed like I was. Rama wasn't here. "We are waiting for the Raven signal. Be ready everyone." I heard fingers snap, the smell of burning Almonds and smoke. I was teleported to a war zone in the middle of american suburbia. With the everyone else from the staging room. A glowing red ruby necklace was shoved into my hands by one of the other camo dressed people I had appeared here with.
"When you have your mother. Call for Rama." Was the only instruction I was given as everyone moved to begin their assault. No one was looking while I tried to slip away to find my mother. Her heart was my heart. My blood was her blood. I could find her. I could. I listened to my heart, to Hilda as she searched for my mom.
Gunfire became thick in the air behind me as I ran around to the back of the house. It was larger than it looked from the street, the entire backyard had been filled with a square addition instead of a pool like all the neighbors had. I looked around closer at the neighbors I could see. The pool wasn't functional, the water was too low and was clearly green even in the dim light. Shots went wide and ricocheted from the main battle on the street and struck the building near me. Making me flinch with fear every single time. I wasn't made for this.
I felt something similar to the shiver's I felt when I crossed the boundary of Rama's land. There was magic around, and enough of it that I could feel it. I watched in awe as a wave of something moved around me like painted colors flowing on the wind. I stayed to the inside of the subtle glimmer of colors in the air. Nearly touching the wall I followed the flow of power to the source. Finding a young witch. Trying to hold her spell in place, while also making a move against me as I walked closer and caught her attention. She didn't look old enough to have finished high school yet. Her determination to keep her spell intact was unbreakable.
I saw fear in her eyes, not of me. No I was a bug she was sure she could crush. She was terrified of failure. Before either myself or the witch could move to attack each other. A murder of ravens was descending down upon the girl. Starting to peck at her. Endlessly. I didn't want that. I didn't want her hurt. I just needed to her stop whatever spells she was doing. I tried to shoo the birds away. They wouldn't listen but wouldn't attack me. I watched as the colors faded from the air.
I stopped my fruitless efforts the moment I heard my mom's voice call out my name from nearby. I looked at the witch. She wouldn't be casting any more spells. She was covered in Ravens. Dozens working together to take their pound of flesh. I followed the sound of my mom's voice. Ignoring the gruesome screams and wet tearing sounds from behind me. My whole body shuddering when the screams and cries stopped.
I was following the sound inside the home. The modest unassuming front door hid what this place was. There was a cluttered mudroom that could be seen from the street, full of all the things a family might keep by the door, or have dropped off after an outing. The second door would have revealed a completely industrial complex if I had of used the front door that is what I would have seen. I had entered on the side, already deep in the complex. I had no idea what to do next. How to navigate in a space this spartan and dedicated to function. Every corridor, every option was set up the same. A repeating pattern of wall sections.
I was trying to make up my mind when I realized I could hear a rhythmic banging from down one corridor. Mom was nearby. Somewhere in this building. I had heard her, probably through a window. Now she would be trying to get my attention if she thought she could get away with it. I ran towards the sound. It changed pattern and tempo several times, without being the sharp percussion of the gunfire that I could still hear outside.
Why weren't the police here? I knew the couple of houses nearby looked vacant, there had to be people who could hear the gunfire in their neighbourhood and would call the authorities. I needed to get mom and have Rama teleport us out of here. I turned a corner, and saw the shadow reflecting on a wall. The first unique feature I had seen in the corridor section varieties. Door. Storage. Utility, in an endless random pattern lead to this. I ran, seeing my mom's bruised face in the small cell window. There was a small flap at the bottom of the door. I opened the small slide lock, lifting the flap as mom joined me on the floor.
"Mom!" I screamed taking her hand in mine.
"Avalon! You can't be here! They will kill you, they know what you are, you need to run baby!" Mom was frantic trying to tell me everything, what they were going to do to me. I tried to not hear her, holding the ruby in my hand I screamed for Rama.
Hearing my mother scream my name, as I was pulled back to Rama as he sat on a throne. Without mom with me.