Forever

Eye Of The Hurricane

     It felt as if they ran for days. Switching between pounding the ground on shaky legs and Jayden carrying her in his freezing arms, dancing around the glistening drops of water that soaked them through. Though the darkness never faded to sunlight, so there was no real way to tell how much time had passed. It was exhausting and disorienting, the shadows nipping at their heels. 

     True to his word, Austin had been waiting for them outside the Moore Manor. He was far more reserved than usual, running along side them instead of disappearing into the shadows. She could feel the unease in Jayden's tense arms as he carried her, distrust for the demon never faltering.

     Hazel felt useless, clinging onto Jayden as they ran. He had sacrificed everything for her, everything to keep her safe. For all this power they spoke of, she was worthless when they actually needed it. Having to rely solely on these two creatures to keep her alive. Even holding onto the tug she so desperately clung to, she couldn't shake the feeling of something missing. Something she needed. And it was terrifying. She had put so much trust into this boy without really knowing the reason. Without knowing what true motives laid within. Why? Why had he sacrificed everything?  Why was this entire realm of creatures fighting over her life?

     Hazel's stomach lurched into her throat as they stopped suddenly, everything around spinning in dizzying circles. Gently, Jayden sat her on the wet ground, pushing the hair back from her face as his concerned eyes met hers.

     "Are you ok?"

     She didn't dare answer, scared any sudden movement might cause the contents of her stomach to come tumbling out. The nausea was far more violent than last time, her body not used to such long periods of magic.

     "Moore, this is a bad idea. You know as well as I how dangerous it is to stop. Your sister can't be the only one who knew about this place," Austin's voice held no sarcasm as he glanced around them, demon eyes searching for things she wouldn't pretend to see.

     "I swear to you, no one else knows. If I did not still need you, you would not know either."

     Havel forced her eyes open, swallowing the nausea and focusing on the sight before her. The rain had slowed somewhat, a light breeze taking it's place and chilling her soaked body to the core. Only feet away from them sat a beautiful lake, rain drops bouncing off the clear surface. The moon reflected off the ripples in bright beams, barely illuminating the trio's faces. Trees bent in and swayed around them, almost as if trying to hide the lake, blocking all other light out around them. The image of the boy in the rain flashed in her mind, an almost serene peace settling in her heart. She couldn't have fought it if she wanted to.

     "Where," she choked on her own voice, "where are we?"

     He stared at her curiously. "My safehouse. Well, the edge of it. I need to make sure it's actually safe first. I have not been here... In some time."

     "Or," Austin interjected, "we could keep going. It's foolish to stop here, even for a night. There is not a safe spot left on this earth for us, not anymore."

     Jayden's body bristled with unspoken anger beside her as he fought to keep his voice steady. "We are staying here until we form a real plan. I'm not letting you lead her on a suicide mission."

     "The only suicide mission is staying here and letting us be slaughtered like animals in our sleep. We're out of time, this needs to be dealt with before it's too late."

     "We're staying here Austin, wherever here is," she surprised herself by speaking, an aura of authority clear in her voice. The tug inside had taken over again, scaring her with how easily the magic could take full control of her thoughts.