'Who I am and who I became to survive are two different people' - unknown
Chapter 35: Star-Crossed Lovers
"This is not in my job description," Hugo huffed as he wheeled a dining cart with a white table cloth, into the bathroom.
He was still dressed as a waiter at this art gala. I locked the door behind him. We didn't need any guests walking in on the three of us, a dining cart and a dead demon.
I just couldn't make up an excuse for that.
My dress was partly ripped from the vicious fight scene a moment ago. My dagger was now in the chest of a dead demon, courtesy of Nate.
Nate, Hugo and I stuffed the demon count's body onto the lower level of the cart, folding him so he would fit.
"Uh, he's heavy," I complained.
Both boys gave me a look. I forget strength is meant to be my thing.
We pulled the white sheet on the cart down over the dead demon. I quickly retracted the dagger from out of his chest, wiped it clean and put it back in the holster around my thigh.
"If his foot sticks out while I'm wheeling him around, I am so dead," Hugo said, "Why would he follow you into the bathroom anyway?"
"It's more private in here," I mumbled, turning pink in the face.
I hadn't exactly been alone.
"You did a good job with the dagger though. Well done, I didn't expect you to be able to do that," Hugo applauded me.
I looked up at Nate. I was taking credit for his work.
"Let's just get out of here," Nate said, "The other two are still around and they'll notice him missing soon."
We didn't tell Hugo that we had been in here together.
"Did you get it though?" Hugo asked me, "The prison keys?"
I nodded.
"Good. So did I," he grinned and handed over his own pair of keys that he'd swiped off one of the targets after 'accidentally' spilling wine over it.
"Well done," Nate nodded.
"I'll meet you later then," Hugo said, "I'll focus on getting this body out and you give the keys to mom."
Nate took the keys and told me that we should leave. I guess it's just the two of us then.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The new prison was located near the Rome metro station. Our exchange point was at Villiers, one stop after Rome. I studied the map intently while we took the metro line across Paris.
I was standing in my gown and Nate was in his tuxedo.
Casual.
At each stop, locals would get on and off, staring at us. It was pretty hard to blend in.
We were nervous, knowing the other demons would sniff us out. They would be hunting us down right about now if they could.
We held onto a pole.
"Next stop is ours," I told him.
He nodded and in his eyes, I saw his emotion. He lowered his hand on the pole so that it covered mine.
The train doors opened.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
We walked into a café as planned and asked to see the menu.
Cafés were open late in Paris and a waft of smoke passed us from the trio sitting at a table outside.
Nate pretended to look through the menu, while I walked by a plant near the window of the café. This was all rehearsed, all part of the plan.
I slipped the two keys into the soil and covered it up, getting my hands dirty in the process. Then I walked back towards Nate.
"Nothing gluten free here, darling," he said to me in a more American accent than his own, "It's France I suppose."
"Oh well, let's try somewhere else."
He put his menu down and took my hand, letting the dirt from my palm rub onto his.
We left the café and, in the back of the room, we saw Mrs Maythorne, barely recognizable in her wig and outfit. She got up slowly and moved to the front.
We weren't going to join them on their mission. Ours was still not over.
Demons were also trackers; just like the demon that followed Mohan and Mrs Maythorne after their escape from the former prison site. So we expected to be followed.
Mrs Maythorne would now pick up the keys incognito and go to where the real action was about to take place: the prison site.
And we would be the decoys. If demons had caught onto us at the art gala, they were likely tracking us now. Apparently, female specters leave a greater scent.
So, as decoys, we would not lead the trackers to where the action was actually happening.
And that terrified me - the idea that I was being hunted down. I was grateful that Nate was with me.
It was midnight when we arrived at the gates of Parc Monceau. Heavy black gates with gold on them. We walked inside and through the storybook setting. Park benches, luscious green and a picturesque brown walkway. We'd chosen somewhere secluded, where there would be no witnesses.
"How long do you think it will take?" I asked him.
"Thirty minutes maybe? Depends if the tracker gets to Hugo first."
After a small walk we came across a carousel. Painted red, green and white with little horses and carriages. It was the middle of the night, so nothing was on.
"This is a bit over my head," I said, "These demons are more advanced than the one back home. They have more skills, they can speak English and French..."
"Don't let fear get the best of you," he took my hand and stepped onto the carousel, "We can have fun. We're still in Paris."
Nate was a bad influence but he cleansed my worries with the touch of his lips. His hand caressed my face as his lips came down on mine again. I pressed my hand against his chest, feeling the muscles underneath his shirt. I left dirt on his white shirt from the soil at the café but he didn't care. He was into it.
I held onto the pole from the horse behind me as Nate pressed himself against me. We were getting hot and heavy, reckless considering the circumstances.
"Damn," Nate's lips broke away from mine, breathing heavily, "They keep interrupting."
I didn't need to ask who.
Demons.
Nate's senses had spiked before mine. But suddenly, the carousel lit up with colors and lights and a terrifyingly creepy children's song. With a jerk, the platform started to rotate. The horse behind me started to move up and down.
"What's happening?" I asked, terrified.
I couldn't see into the darkness of the park.
"They're here."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The waiting is the worst part. The suspense of knowing you're under attack but not from which direction it's coming from. Nate stood in front of me, protecting me from the onslaught.
But when it came, it was a barrage that split it up.
I thought there was only one demon tracker, but they must have gathered a group after finding the count dead. Six or so encircled us. Two pounced.
I screamed and ducked. I ran under the wooden horse, to the other side and saw Nate surrounded by four of them. They obviously knew who the better fighter was.
One launched itself at me and I ran around the carousel, like a kid gone crazy. I heard the fighting sounds from Nate's area behind me. I wish I could help but I couldn't even protect myself.
One of the monsters grabbed me by the arm and pulled me back. Fear engulfed me as I remembered the last time demon claws dug into my skin and ripped into me.
I gripped onto a pole of another wooden horse with all my might to stop me from falling into his cold embrace. The top of the pole cracked.
I guess I was pulling with too much strength.
The monster opened his mouth, baring sharp teeth and he bit down on my arm. I screamed and the pain gushed through me again.
I ripped the pole with the horse still on it. The carousel creaked under the break.
Suddenly, with one hand, I was able to wield it. A giant wooden horse on top of a pole.
While the monster bit into me, I took the pole, pointing it with its jagged, crooked end and pierced the monster's chest. Blood came gushing out and he squealed loudly. I pushed deeper, using both hands now. I heard a crack – must be his ribcage breaking. The blood starting coming out of his chest and mouth.
He was dying.
I would've continued but something grabbed me by my hair and I fell to the ground, being dragged by another monster.
I raised my hands, flailing to grab the demon as he pulled my hair, ripping some of it out. I was screaming again, the pain from my arm not subsiding at all. I had to lower it, blood trickling down my skin. I only had one good arm to defend myself.
The demon was dragging me back to the main group, to flaunt my failure in front to Nate, to weaken him by distraction.
I wasn't going to let that happen.
Finally, my one good hand caught onto his wrist. He tried to push it away but I locked onto his wrist with all my strength. And it wasn't my human strength any more. I cracked it. I twisted and cracked it, forcing him to let go of my hair and to bend to his knees at the same time. I kicked my own knee into his face. He punched me, knocking me down. I got back up and started to run.
I jumped off the carousel and ran as fast as I could through the park. The monster came chasing after me.
I ran over an old romantic bridge and then around a pond. There were old roman pillars connected at the top in a semi-circle that touched the edge of the river. It must be a historical site of some kind. I didn't have time to admire it.
I hid behind one of the pillars and fumbled for the knife tied around my thigh. It was still bloody from the count's. I held it in both hands, not sure how to use this thing at all.
I could hear the demon running after me. I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping to use my senses better. I could hear its footsteps. I could hear its breathing.
I came out from behind the pillar and rammed the dagger into him with a yell. He gripped me in his arms, ready to attack, but I had gotten to him a second early. A second saved my life.
He held onto me as he died. We were locked in this death embrace. My hands gripped around the dagger began to shake. When I let go, he fell back, splashing into the pond. He choked on his own blood and died, sinking underwater.
A patch of water turned red from his blood. I dropped the dagger and stared down at the blood on my hands and all down my dress.
"GEORGIA!"
I stared up. On the other side of the lake, standing on the bridge, was Nate. He was alive.
He came down and stood, looking at me, relieved to see that I had made it. Maybe we looked like star-crossed lovers in that park. Standing on opposite sides of the lake, our reflections in the water. The reflection in the moon in the center.
We made it.
A/N: What did you think of the chapter?
Georgia's strength came into play. How do you think Mrs Maythorne, Zander and Mohan are doing? Hopefully Hugo is well too.
I'll post next chapter on Thursday if you want :) Please consider a vote if you liked the story!!