Between Worlds (The Wall Series #1)

Chapter 18

Just as I rushed out of the building, I felt a blast of fresh, cold air, and the first thing I saw was the night sky. Only then did I realise: this was the first time I was stepping out in the open in the past four days. The wind blew loudly, making even the iron gate of the fence tremble.

But the pain of losing Samara, the tears, and most of all, the brutal army chasing us didn't give me time to think. Alec and Hale descended the wooden steps of the porch, and I quickly rushed behind them, my heart wrenching in pain.

Hale turned to the left, running towards the fence across the expanse of the yellow grass, and for some strange reason, Alec grabbed my hand and went in the opposite direction.

"Alec!" I said. "What are you—"

"Anna!" Hale yelled over the wind, just as she came down the steps. "Come this way!"

Soldiers appeared at the doorway behind her.

"Hale! Meet me at the Guardian's Plaza!" Alec shouted, still holding my hand.

I whipped my head. "Guardian's Plaza? Alec, no, we had to go to the—"

"Just trust me."

I turned to Hale to see his expression. He looked at Alec for a second before nodding.

Then, right at that moment, I started feeling nauseous, as if I were having a stomach ache. My vision began to black out.

What was happening to me? I tried to look at Alec once more, but I couldn't even move my head. I was stuck, somehow.

I started feeling weightless, as if I were floating in mid air. My eyes were no longer working, and slowly, neither my ears and nose. Panic coursed through me. I struggled to move, to see, hear, smell, anything, but it was hopeless.

The only sense of mine still working was touch; I knew for a fact that I was still holding my rifle and Alec's warm hand.

Lord, what was happening? What's going on? I tried to swallow, to bring the feeling of nausea down, but I couldn't do anything.

Then, to my immense relief, my vision cleared, and the first thing my eyes landed on was a brick wall.

No, wait. It was the wall. The portal between worlds.

We had made it.

Bewildered, I let go of Alec's hand and turned in a full circle, instantly recognizing the dreaded alleyway. I lifted my head up to see Alec. He was still facing the wall.

"Alec, what..." The gunshot that took Samara's life was still ringing in my ears. I fought the urge to cry and focused on the present situation. "Alec, what was—"

I realised it, then. He had teleported me. I had almost forgotten about the plan.

I changed my question. "Why did you tell Hale to come to the Guardian's Plaza?"

He turned to see me, his expression neutral. "As bait. The soldiers will think that's where we went. Hale should be here with Anna any second now."

Oh.

"Alec..." At last, I couldn't take it anymore. I threw my stupid rifle to the ground and just burst into tears, right in front of him. Every time I pictured Samara, every time I remembered that look she gave me before she shot the colonel, every time I heard the gunshot that ended her life already full of pain, my heart would shrink.

There was Heather: who I thought was my cousin, my sister, my friend. Heather, who lied to me, brought me to work for her worthless father—making me think she was doing a favour, and then, ruthlessly betrayed me.