Shatter Fate

A Candle in the Darkness (Chase)

When I turn around and can't find Saph, I completely freak out. I know my way around this place, she doesn't, plus there are all kinds of hunters and witch trappers roaming the streets. She could get hurt. I retrace my steps to try and look for her; she couldn't have gone far. I pass many shops and peak inside each one, hoping to spot her blond head, but so far I've had no luck. I hurry my movements, beginning to panic. She could be anywhere. After about thirty more minutes of searching I find her. I push past the people in my way and grab her arm. She jumps and turns around, fear clear in her eyes.

"Let go of-"

"Saph! Calm down! It's me!" After realizing who I am, she calms down. I see the blankets in her arms and the little face peeking out of them. "Who is she? What's going on?"

"I'll tell you everything later but for now we have to get out of here." I fear the worst, but I agree. Something's definitely wrong with the girl., I can feel her power in her, but it's different. Something has caused it to change and I'm not sure if that's the best thing right now.

"Okay. Stay close." She nods and I find the way back to the elevators. I help keep people out of the way of Saph. She's having trouble carrying the little girl and maneuvering around the people, but she won't let me touch her.

I suddenly hear Saph shout, "Run Chase!!" I glance at her, wondering what's wrong, but then I see the hunters a moment later and understand. I break out in a run, dragging Saph behind me. We have to get out of here. Hunters aren't something to joke about. They can be very cruel and heartless. All they want is money and they don't care what they have to do to get it. We manage to get to our elevator before the hunters can catch us. I say the spell and it starts to go up. We get in the car as fast as we can and Saph sets the girl on her lap. I start the car and drive off. What do the hunters want with the girl and Saph? More importantly, who's paying the hunters to retrieve them? Before two weeks ago, Saph didn't know anything about the magic realm, so who could be after her? Could it be the same people who started the fire? And what's so special about the little girl? So many questions and not enough answers.

I hit the brake of the car and stop it right outside the front door.

"There's a bedroom right next door to yours. Place her there. I'll go get Alina." We go our separate ways, and I head to the kitchen, assuming she's there. I walk in and sure enough there she is, eating a sandwich and reading a book at the table. She glances up as I walk in.

"Hey. How was it? What'd you get?"

"Nothing." She places her book down and looks at me to explain why. "Something happened. There's a little girl upstairs in one of the spare rooms. Something's wrong with her, I need you to go look." She closes her book.

"Show me." I turn and walk away, but not before I see her stuff the rest of her sandwich in her mouth. She may look all serious, but she certainly never acts like it. I'm not exactly sure what happened in her childhood, but she told me that she promised herself that she would never grow up. Whenever I asked her more about what she meant she would always just laugh like a maniac and skip away, or try to change the subject by asking me about my love life, or the lack of one. I walk inside the little girl's new room to see Saph pacing, looking worried.

"Saph. What's wrong?"

"I don't know! I think she's sick. I put her down and she seemed fine but then I felt her forehead and she's burning up! Then her breathing got all labored and she started sweating. She keeps jerking and every time I touch her she shouts out in pain. I think she may be, sick but it's not like anything I've ever seen! And I don't know what to do!" Alina rushes over to the girl as I go over to Saph.

"Saph." She won't stop pacing. "Saph. Look at me." I say as stern as I can. This time she listens to me and looks up at me. I can see the fear and worry in her eyes. She's grown close to the girl. I place my hands on her shoulders. "Saph. You have to calm down. You worrying is going to help no one. Alina is already looking at the girl. It's all going to be alright. Why don't you explain to us what happened?" She takes some deep breaths and calms down a bit. She sits on the floor with her back to the wall.