Perilous Flames [clifford a.u]

chapter thirty six - final escape

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX - FINAL ESCAPE

The next few moments went by in slow motion.

It seemed like everyone in the stadium, even the firing gunshots, had slowed down and all I could hear was the slamming of my heart against my rib-cage. My vision still wavered and my body ached but in the midst of the new chaos that erupted, I managed to push myself to my feet hastily.

Somewhere, in the back of my mind, a voice was still alerting me on the dangers around me; like Scarlet, who stood behind me, and would recover from her shock any second, or Nick who was suddenly darting up the stadium steps towards one of the guards who was rapidly firing down every Glacian that came near him. I took a shaky step forward and immediately I saw a brown-curly haired figure rushing down to the center.

As an instinct, I shifted my legs, about to spin away when I caught sight of bright hazel eyes and stopped. The figure's hand suddenly clamped over my arm and after a moment of straining my eyes, I realized that it was Ashton.

He looked panicked, his eyes sweeping over my body and lingering on the blood staining my skin and clothes. "It's good to see you in one piece," he breathed, after a moment of observing my injuries.

A snort started in the back of my throat from my hazy mind and I was about to mumble that he and Calum were our saviors but I was quickly interrupted as I felt a shove and I went sprawling forward. Right onto the dead body of a hunter. The air that knocked out of my chest caused a grinding ache but I didn't care. My eyes connected with the dead eyes that stared up to the shining moon above and I stumbled back with a cry.

When I looked back up, Ashton was standing above me, his thin twin swords already unsheathed and glowing a deadly bright blue. In front of him stood Scarlet, her shocked expression already gone and a slight grin on her face. My stomach recoiled and I glanced to the side, to look for anyone else who could help, but couldn't see anyone. I saw Calum jumping across the stone benches of the stadium, sending his bow hurtling toward hunter's faces and the rest of the guards attacking the endless stream of hunters. My eyes lowered to the center and then I saw Michael. My heart had skittered to a painful stop.

He was slowly, painfully getting to his feet as the fighting erupted around him. From where he previously had kneeled over, blood had gathered in a pool and the bruises that were placed on him stood out like dark black marks against his pale skin. He looked ready to pass out in any moment, and I was very prepared to bolt towards him if it were not for the scene that was unraveling before me.

Ashton's sword was held high, ready in an attack position at Scarlet, who was gazing almost curiously at Ashton. Her grin had deciphered to a smirk and her eyes were lit bluer than I had ever expected them to be. "Ashton," Scarlet spoke his name carefully, with familiarity. "What a pleasant surprise."

It was small, but I noticed the muscles in his back tense. "Sorry to say the feeling isn't mutual."

A laugh rang out from her and she moved to the side, slowly circling him, her fingers clenching and unclenching at her sides. If she was nervous or even a tiny bit of afraid of Ashton, she didn't show it. But then again, she never looked afraid of anyone.

"You know, after what happened to poor Ella, I didn't think I would ever see you again," she said, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "At least, not like this. I would assume you would have learned your lesson by now."

My head was pounding in alarm, and I froze at the mention of a name that I had never heard of. Ella? I saw the anger flashed across Ashton's face and I knew, once he stepped forward, cutting Scarlet off in her circle, that the name meant a lot to him. It was like a bulb that went off in my head, as I noticed how they both looked ready to lunge at each other's throats, that Ashton always had a certain direct hatred for Scarlet. One that I hadn't paid careful attention to before to understand the reasons why.