Beyond the Border | ✔

46 | rule 146

RULE 146: STRAY FROM OUR IDEALS AND THE ENTIRE BORDERLANDS WILL BE AGAINST YOU

✷ C H A P T E R      F O U R T Y - S I X ✷

The Council was prepared for war. At the sight of Theo and his pack, Councilman Henry retreated while Beatrice took a step forward to try and secure Vanessa. However, before Beatrice could open her mouth to speak, Vanessa disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving me alone, standing between the oncoming Borderlanders and the wolves behind me.

At the sight of Vanessa's disappearance, Councilmen Beatrice and Fletcher also retreated, leaving others to fight in place for them. Taking a step back, I tried to search for Pa in the crowd of Borderlanders. While I saw many familiar faces, none of them belonged to Pa. None of them belonged to my family.

Frantically looking about, I took cover behind a tree as a shot rang out; the shot barely missed the skin of a gray wolf, but the Borderlanders had made the first move. Theo's pack did not hesitate to attack in response, full force. Hundreds of wolves lunged forwards, and I braced myself for the impending impact of each wolf hitting the Border. But no such impact came. Instead, the wolves were able to step foot over the threshold to the Borderlands.

The Border had fallen.

For the first time in eighty years, a supernatural creature was able to walk on the ground of the Borderlands. Just a couple months ago, I would have been gutted at the sight of a beast entering my hallowed homeland. But, it was not a couple months, and I had no room or want to wallow about my past life disintegrating before my very eyes.

Without thinking, I ran out from underneath the cover of the tree and sprinted towards the Borderlands. Knowing I would be a terrible fighter, I ran as far down from the action as I could, where the crowd of Borderlanders was more sparse.

As I ran, I heard someone shout, "Sage!"

My ears started to ring, the sound of my name making me halt for just a second. Adrenaline propelled me forward as I almost tripped over my feet. I didn't look back to see who was calling my name. I could not let myself be distracted.

I needed to find Pa.

Seeing people I had grown up with, people I held near and dear, fight for their lives blindly caused tears to roll down my cheeks, but I willed myself to continue forward.

I had to find Pa.

The air was knocked out of my lungs when my foot walked over the place the Border had stood strong and unwavering for eighty years. Again, my body halted as I stared at the line drawn in the dirt; a line that held no meaning anymore. It was simply a reminder of what was. A bullet whizzed past my head. I dropped to the group, looking around but could see no one with their gun aimed at me.

My mouth went dry at the thought of someone trying to kill me. It wasn't impossible to think my fellow Borderlanders would view me with disdain. The Council fooled me for two months. A couple months ago, and I would have been on their side. I couldn't blame them.

Seeing it was safe to get back up, I darted into the thick forest. While I was running, I had to think of where Pa might be. I had to think of a good place to make an example of Pa.

The town square.

Taking a deep breath in, I lunged forward, branches scraping my exposed arms as I marched to the town square. It would be just up ahead. I could tell the fighting picked up in intensity as I trudged away from said action. The sounds of wolves howling out and people screaming in terror filled the air – sounds worse than anything I conjured up in my nightmares.