Chương 8: The Plan

Caleb stared at Ileus for a long time and then looked away. He didn't know what to do, so he stayed quiet. Even though he was happy to know about Iona, he was conflicted. Ileus's proposition wasn't bad. He knew about Arawn and knew that the centaur was the keeper of Fulshire forest. Later, he would think about it later. He closed his eyes.

Suddenly they heard boots crunching on the streets below. Almost as if a reaction was etched in his reflexes, Caleb sprang to his feet and took off. Ileus saw him jumping over the roof. "Caleb!" Ileus called. But the man was gone. A wet shingle slipped below feet and he slipped, but Caleb stopped himself from falling and jumped to the ground, some thirty feet below. Ileus didn't even hear a crash. He must have landed perfectly.

Ileus got up to look who that was, and when he saw that it was Elize walking alone in the alley, he shook his head. Caleb was already in the shadows. Ileus couldn't do anything but wait for his cousin on the rooftop. It would take another few hours of waiting. He decided to go to Elize's apartment. Why not? He shrugged. A flicker of excitement rose in his eyes, and Ileus was already jumping off the rooftops to reach her apartment. He smiled at his sneaky attitude, but why waste the warmth of Elize's apartment and sit on the roof when he knew that the place would be vacant for a few hours. He couldn't help laughing at his evil thoughts. "Sorry Caleb!" he said as he opened the window and slid in.

Ileus must have rested for no more than three hours when he heard heavy footfalls in the apartment. Or was it the street outside? He jerked his eyes open, removed the blanket in one swift motion and got up to peer around. It was silent. Suddenly he heard a commotion on the outside. People were running. He got up, walked to the window and was shocked to see two large and bulky men looking up at the apartment. "Fuck!" he cursed. Ileus picked up his boots and rushed out of the apartment while zipping his boots on the way to warn Caleb about the possible threat lurking below on the street. He summoned Arawn, just in case things became ugly.

Silently, he quit the building from the back entrance and then took the long winding stairs down to the street. As soon as he hit the street, he darted to Elize's night school, but she wasn't there. Even Caleb wasn't there. His senses triggered and he stabbed his fingers in his hair. "Fuck! Fuck!" Where the hell were they?

He rushed back to the street. To his horror, he saw Elize running towards the two men who were earlier investigating her apartment. He threw his magic, disregarding the terms of the treaty, to catch Elize's hand to stop her. She must have sensed his magic because the girl panicked and ran harder—towards them. This time he could feel Caleb's magic around her waist. He tried to stop her with all his strength and she tried to run away from them with all her strength.

Elize swiveled her panic-stricken gaze to the right and then left. She found an alley that was barely a hundred meters away. She barreled towards it, dodging the two hulks and Caleb and Ileus. If she could keep up to her speed, she would somehow get out of here. Hundred meters also looked like she had to cross miles. Blood was still dripping from her back, her stomach was growling and she needed blood, she needed lots of blood. Her lips quivered and her thoughts were scattered. Even though she felt too weak, she wouldn't succumb to them. So, Elize ran with all her might towards the alley. As soon as she reached there, she pressed her body into the wall, too tired and cold and exhausted. Her throat was paper dry, not for water. She rubbed her hands over her neck. She heard footsteps approaching. She muttered a curse and then ran deep inside the far end of the alley where it was so dark as if death had shrouded it.

"Wait! Elize!" Caleb shouted, but the girl wouldn't stop. The two men were charging fast at her. He had to protect her. The fact that she had gone to the alley worked in his favor. He rushed towards the alley and Ileus joined him. Together they closed in on her and heard clomping of horse's hooves against the ground. Arawn was also there. He shifted in his human form.

Ileus had planned it all out pretty well—Caleb had to give him that. The two boys lunged in front of her to stop her but they saw that she had crashed into Arawn. She turned back only to face them. "Elize—" Caleb was about to say something when he saw that Arawn had put a bag on her face.

"Arawn! Stop!" But the girl was already staggering. "Damn it, you bastard!" Caleb muttered curses at him. He held Elize in his arms, before she fell to the ground.

"If you want her safe and if you don't want bloodshed in the human realm, then you better follow me!" Arawn said, already raging at what he was doing. The two men who had followed Elize were very close now.

"Quick, climb his back!" Ileus instructed. He looked back at the two men who had entered the alley. And the next moment, Ileus helped Caleb climb the centaur's back who had already shifted. Caleb didn't know how many clauses of the treaty they broke that night. When he was sitting over him, Ileus handed an unconscious Elize to him. He held her tightly in his hands and Arawn charged in the opposite direction.

The two men reached there only to find the Dark Wizard with fiery golden eyes. Ileus waved a goodbye to them with a wink and then walked into… nothing.