Highlander Enchanted(95)

What could do this to a dense forest of mature trees? Was it the work of the ground forces the priests spoke of? I was embarrassed to admit I had no idea whose ground forces they were referring to or even what ground forces really were.. Did the military intend to run over the forest to grab me? Or was it the SISA, the international secret police force tasked with internal security of the human race by the gods?

Was it even legal for someone to mow down an entire forest?

I shimmied down the tree and replaced my pack. The four priests were huddled together a short distance from Niko, whose gaze was on the forest in the direction of the thunder. He alone seemed aware of something being wrong.

Catching my gaze, he lifted his chin back towards the direction we had come and mouthed two words. Run. Now.

Fear lit in my blood, followed by concern for the priests. I stood frozen for a moment, debating what Herakles would have me do.

Survive. And if I was what the priests said I was, I was probably putting them in danger by being with them.

I took one step back then another. Not at all certain I was about to do the right thing, I turned and began to make my way quickly through the forest, to the east. The crashing of trees soon became more audible, and I did as Niko said and sprinted.

I ran until I no longer heard the sounds of something crunching and grinding the trees of my forest beneath it and slowed only when the peaceful sounds of nature were present around me. Without stopping, I snacked on a protein bar and continued walking for another hour and a half, covering the distance between the school and the lake in record time.

And then I stopped at the boundary, as I had been trained.

Gazing at it, I couldn’t help the guilt that floated through me. I was afraid to leave the forest this time, because I knew what would happen if I did. A part of me remained in denial about all that had happened in so short a time, that it was connected to the simple act of me going one step too far.

I sat on my tree stump, staring at the lake. It was midafternoon, and I hadn’t forgotten the creature I saw either. No, I wasn’t going to cause more trouble.

My determination lasted until I heard the birds begin to vacate the forest around me. The sound of machines wasn’t present, but the animals were fleeing something. I had no idea where to go once I left the forest and remained where I was, on the verge of panicking yet knowing that was the worst thing to do in a crisis.

I miss Herakles. He would know what to do and where to go.

Twenty minutes later, the unmistakable sound of someone running through the forest reached me. I rose and hurried to a hiding spot close by, anxious to see who followed.

“Lyssa!” Niko’s quiet cry reached me before he did. “Or … Alice. Whatever your name is. We need to go. Now.”

I peeked at him through the brush. He reached the tree stump, his gaze sweeping expertly around the area. He was sweating – and bloody. One hand was caked in it and there was also blood on his shirt.

“C’mon, you little shit!”

With some hesitation, I stood. “Are you hurt?”

He whirled to face me. “No.”

“Is someone else hurt?” I asked.

“You could say that.” He strode over the cord towards the lake, oblivious to the importance of the red boundary marking the edge of my world.

I walked until my toes reached the rope, torn about leaving. “Shouldn’t we wait for Father Ellis?”

Niko didn’t stop. “No.”

“He can’t move as fast as us.”

“What is your name?”

“Alessandra.”

He spun to face me, backpedaling as he spoke. “They’re gone, Alessandra. They took a different route out of here.”

My jaw dropped open. “They left me?”

“These people pursuing you – pursuing us – aren’t the kind of people I’m used to dealing with. This is SISA. They have the gods’ blessings to kill fast and without mercy. Running was the smartest thing for them to do.” He wiped his bloodied hand on his pants. “You can come with me now, and we’ll make it out of here by the skin of our teeth, or you can stay right there and wait for SISA to get you.”

Gone. In all my preparations for the apocalypse, or perhaps this incident, I understood being alone to be a part of the scenario but wasn’t quite able to wrap my head around it any more than I could the fact I was allegedly important. How could I go from being constantly surrounded by forty people to … alone?

Why didn’t they take me with them? This hurt more than anything.

“Fine. Good luck.” He turned away.

“Wait!” I cried and started forward.

Realizing what I had done, I twisted to look at the red cord boundary I had spent most of my life avoiding. I was leaving it, the safety of the forest, my past, my home … basically everything behind me.

It was scary and exhilarating all at once.

Niko wasn’t waiting.

Unable to stop and contemplate the world behind me, I charged ahead and ran to his side. My eyes went to the sky automatically, and I sought whatever creature had tracked me last night. Reminded of the rope around my wrist, I wished I’d thought to ask more questions about its power, about what I supposedly was, about what in the name of Holy Olympus was going on.

And … how could the priests just leave me with a mercenary they didn’t trust? How was I so important – yet not worthy of a farewell?