Time is Running Out

Chapter 47

Greyling, who was really Vaymore, defended both Xana and Alden's attacks easily.

"You won't win like this," he called out.

Xana felt as though she was transported back to when she was young.

Why... does it have to be like this?

Arder.

Alden, who was really Arder, looked at her.

She felt a sense of nostalgia.

He still looked exactly the same, except for the hair and eye colour...

Footsteps jolted her out of her trance.

"Come kill me, if you can," Vaymore taunted.

Xana growled. He shouldn't count her out yet.

Arder looked at Xana. "Xana."

"What?"

"Remember."

That one word was enough. She knew what he meant.

They'd used to be best friends, after all.

A small smirk grew on Xana's face. "You aren't my only teacher... Vaymore."

"I--"

"Shut up. I don't want to hear it," Alden cut his former master off.

"What?!" Emma shouted.

She was ignored.

"Arder..." Xana said as Arder ran towards Vaymore and she ran towards the wall.

"Yes?" Arder asked as he blocked a strike.

"Lo siento."

"Fue mi culpa."

"Nunc cludere."

"Ut semper."

"Whatcha talking about?" Vaymore asked as he jumped out of the way of Arder's kick.

Xana ran up the wall.

"You ain't gonna know that," Arder shouted as he punched again.

Vaymore grabbed his wrist.

Xana jumped.

Arder leaped out of the way as Xana landed, kicking the back of Vaymore's head in the process.

"Ow--"

"You deserved that, you lying trickster!" Xana shouted. "You lied to Mathew."

"Don't you hate him?!" Vaymore asked.

"No. We hated you," Arder snapped.

"Because I found out the truth, you bastard," Xana growled.

"Dang, so you found out," Vaymore said as he stole Xana's gun.

"That's what I said. Wait--" Xana's eyes narrowed. "Not the gun! Never the gun!"

"Hah. That gets you every time, doesn't it? Too la--" Vaymore stopped as Arder snatched the gun back from him.

"She's still got me," he growled.

"I don't need you," Xana hissed.

"I—"

"You are no longer who I knew," Xana growled, "nor am I your friend anymore."

"You're not going on again about the--"

"Yes I am, you sexist bastard," Xana cut Vaymore off.

"I never told you how much I want to rip that head of yours off, right?" Xana said.

"No."

"Well then, lemme show you by ripping it off."

"Sexist?" said Emma, Gemma and Rachel at the same time.

"Gosh, kids these days. They know nothing," Arder muttered.

"How will we know if everyone says it's a secret? They keep all of this stuff from us," Gemma said.

"Ah, idiots," Xana said. "You should've stolen a book on it."

"Are you implying that you did that?" Emma asked.

"Actually, she did," Arder said as he jumped back. "I did it with her!"

"WHAT?!" they screamed.

"Idiots," Xana said again.

"You are more of one," Vaymore said.

Xana looked at him. "Looks like I should really end this."

"Why? Getting tired already?"

"Actually-- wait, look behind you!" Xana shouted.

"That's like, the oldest trick in the book," Vaymore scoffed.

"Uh then I'll just let that car crash into you. Sure."

"What--"

A cat crashed into Vaymore.

"What?! A cat?!" Vaymore shrieked.

"Whoops. I meant 'cat'."

"What."

The cat purred. It was white with green eyes and Vaymore knelt next to it, picking it up. "It's so cu--" He stopped and choked as he touched the sword Xana had inserted into his torso, dropping the cat.

The cat squeaked.

"ARGH!" Vaymore shouted. "Not the cat! Never the cat!"

"Hah. Gets you every time, doesn't it?"

"Don't copy me!"

"When have I ever done that?"