Lilian sprinted as fast as he could away from the house with a backpack on her back. She was unsure where she should head to but she did not care. She just wanted to break free from Zephyr. She just could not take it anymore. She had doubted him and the doubts grew greater every minute that she decided to run away. She was not a hostage and would never be.
She ran towards the town and only stopped when she arrived at a hidden alley between two blocks of buildings. She could not simply ask anyone for help because she did not know who she could trust. Going to the police meant she would have to tell them everything which they would probably think was absurd and insane. Would she end up being diagnosed as having mental disorder because of the trauma of her parents’ death?
Then, Ryan and Melissa came into her mind. Yes, she needed her friends. She could confide in them. And they would think of what to do next.
Lilian rummaged her pocket of her pants. A part from the crystal key, she had a few change in her pocket. Just enough to make one phone call. She went to find a public phone and spotted one in front of a closed shop.
She quickly went to the public phone and lifted the receiver to her ear. The sound in the receiver gave her a breath of life. She inserted a few coins into the phone box and dialled Melissa’s home number.
“Hello,” it was Melissa’s voice. Lilian trembled. It seemed ages since she heard that voice when it was actually just yesterday they spoke to each other at school.
“Melissa,” breathed Lilian.
“Lily?” said Melissa, making sure that she was hearing right.
“I need your help,” said Lilian urgently.
“It is you,” Melissa was half- screaming. Her voice was frantic. “Oh my God. What happened to you, Lily? Are you hurt? Where have you been? Do you know that we are worried sick?”
“I’m fine, Melissa. I’m not hurt. Not a scratch but I don’t have time to explain. I’m going to your house but can you make sure that your parents won’t see me?”
“Why?” Melissa asked. “Look, I’m more than ready to help you out but won’t it be better if you go to the police? They can provide you better protection.”
“I know but I need to talk to you first,” said Lilian. Just as when she wanted to continue talking, something swift flew in front us her, severing the telephone cord. She stood there, extremely shocked and panicked, still holding the receiver.
She turned. It was one of the Resistants. He was holding a sword, grinning down nastily at her. Lilian dropped the receiver onto the pavement.
“Running away?” he said dastardly. “Captain must have been very soft towards you,” he added swinging the sword which gleamed when it caught the moon’s reflection. Lilian did not give it another thought. She spun around and darted away from the person, running in between the buildings as she was pursued by the Resistant who seemed very keen to finish her off.
The town was already quite deserted. Most of the shops was already closed or was closing. She did not know where to get help. She hysterically looked around for any police patrol car. If she tried to get the police’s help this time as she was chased by this psychopath, then the situation would explain itself and she would be spared from the trauma assumptions.
But the police patrol car was nowhere to be seen.
She turned into an alley and tripped. She stumbled on the rough ground. A fresh wound formed just above her ankle on her right leg. She cut herself on the shards of glass and sharp stones which littered the ground. Lilian tried to ignore the sudden searing pain and stood up to continue to run but she stopped dead.
She had made a wrong turn.
She thought she could get away here but there was suddenly a high zinc barrier being put up at the end of the alley, making it as good as a dead end. She never remembered the barrier being there before.
Lilian inhaled sharply and turned to face her assailant. His eyes were wide with determination. He held his sword high, ready to strike anytime. Lilian edged backward until she leant against the cold zinc surface. She closed her eyes tightly, praying that her life would be spared.
Suddenly, she heard a thud and the shifting steps of more than one people. Her eyes snapped opened. Her assailant was facing Zephyr who had possibly jumped in front of him from one of the buildings between them. Zephyr was also holding a sword.
“You defied the order, Ness,” said Zephyr to the assailant whose glinting eyes were full of fury. “You are already a threat to the team. The Legion will get to you,”
“I don’t care. Just let me kill the girl!” he shouted back at Zephyr. Ness broke his eye contact with Zephyr and charged towards Lilian. Lilian was stunned, unable to move her feet but as Ness was just inches from her, the pointed edge of a sword hacked through his chest. Zephyr had driven his sword right through Ness’ heart before pulling the sword out, staining it with deep red blood.
Ness slumped to the earth; his flailing hand touched Lilian feet. Lilian covered her mouth in shock. He died instantly, eyes wide opened out of shock and blood oozed out from his mouth. The blood from the wound on his left chest gushed out, flooding the ground with more blood. Lilian was totally perplexed, unable to utter a word.
Zephyr pulled her away from the dead body. He wiped his sword clean from blood using Ness’ jacket.
“Now you know why I forbid you from going away from me?” said Zephyr, his eyes boring into her eyes. Lilian swallowed. Zephyr’s eyes were wide and red. He was extremely infuriated. He grabbed Lilian’s arm tightly.
“I thought you said they want me alive!” said Lilian, still frantic. “Why did he want to kill me?”
“He was overdosed with drug. The drug is used by the Resistant to ensure that their soldier could withstand tough condition and will show no mercy when facing their foes but once you overdosed on the drug, the lust for blood and death will become uncontrollable,”
“Are you on drug as well?” Lilian did not know why she would ask him such question.
“I don’t have time to answer to your stupid question,” he said harshly and pulled Lilian to follow him. Lilian obliged but she winced in pain when she felt the searing pain on her ankle. Zephyr noticed it.
“You hurt yourself,” he said as a mere statement. He placed one Lilian’s am around her neck while he wrapped one of his arms which were not holding his sword around Lilian’s waist, helping her to stand straight. “I parked the car a few metres away from here, so I need your help,” he added. Lilian was puzzled. What help he could possibly need from an injured girl like her?
“I know you never intentionally use your power before, so just concentrate,” he instructed. “Open up your mind and tell the people around this area that they are not seeing us,”
“I don’t understand what you are saying,” said Lilian earnestly. It was completely ridiculous to her.
“Just do as I say,” he said more sternly this time. “Just think about it. It should be easy for you. It’s something natural. You might have done it without realising before. Or else, we won’t make it. You won’t make it,”
Lilian gulped. She concentrated, feeling silly that she even thought she could do as Zephyr had said. She tried to open up her mind, whatever that mean.
She talked to the surrounding. “You are not seeing us,” she chanted in her mind.
Zephyr steered her out of the alley. They could see the car a few metres away. There were a couple of teenagers walking towards them. Incredibly, they remained oblivious to Lilian who was injured and Zephyr who was holding a sword even until they walked passed them. A police patrol car passed by the street, also unaware of their existence there.
Finally, they arrived at the car. Zephyr unlocked the passenger seat first and helped Lilian into the car before he got into the driver’s seat and put the sword on the backseat.
He started the engine, slammed the accelerator and sped off, leaving the town behind. Lilian bit her lips as he watched the sight of the town shrinking in the side mirror. Will this be the last time?
“I’m sorry,” whispered Lilian loud enough for Zephyr to hear.
“I won’t forgive you if you run from my side again before the time comes,” said Zephyr heatedly.
“What do you mean ‘when the time comes’?”
“You’ll know but definitely not now,” said Zephyr sternly. “So be a good girl and don’t just go off like that. The situation now is not the same like your good old days,”
Lilian nodded obediently. Somehow, she felt very sad being scolded by Zephyr like that. She was stupid thinking that she could escape with the little knowledge she had about her assailants. Tears rolled down her cheek. “I’m really, really sorry,” she whispered again.
Zephyr turned to Lilian for a moment before focusing back on the road. He sighed.
“Don’t cry. You promised your guardian that,” he said briskly. To Lilian’s surprise, he reached out his hand and patted Lilian’s head awkwardly. Lilian was utterly speechless.
“We have to get the debris out of your wound,” he said as he pulled back his hand to the steering wheel. “I’ll pull over once it’s safe enough to stop and we deal with the injury first,”
Half an hour later, Zephyr slowed the car down and stopped on the roadside. He switched on the car’s overhead interior light and fetched a small white box from the backseat and took out a forceps.
“Show me your wound,” he said curtly. Lilian lifted her right leg and showed him the wound. He held her heel and scrutinized the wound before he pulled out the shards of glass which were stuck in the dermis.
Lilian bit her lips as she felt the prickling pain.
“Is it possible to use my power to make me not feeling the pain?” said Lilian, as she saw blood trickled from her wound.
“That’s why it’s dangerous to use your power without the supervision of the Council from the early stage. You’ll miss out the essential rules and ethics,” said Zephyr seriously. When Lilian showed her puzzled expression, he continued. “You should never use your power to manipulate yourself. You’ll lose the touch of it and it will backfired,”
“Oh,” said Lilian, comprehending the concept.
“So, never use your power again unless I instructed you. You are not capable of controlling it yet,” said Zephyr sounding final. Lilian gave a slight nod, having no intention to use the power herself.
After making sure that he had got all the debris out from Lilian’s wound, Zephyr gave a clean piece of clothes to Lilian for her to put pressure on the wound before they could have the chance to treat it properly.
****
They already checked into a motel room about an hour from their last stop. Lilian sat on the couch after running the water over her wound once and put the pressure back on the wound using another piece of clean cloth. The wound was still bleeding.
“I’m going out for a while,” said Zephyr, collecting the bunch of keys from the bedside table.
All of a sudden, Lilian reached out her hand and grabbed Zephyr’s arm.
“Please don’t leave me alone here,” Lilian found herself pleading, looking up at Zephyr with her glassy eyes. Zephyr was quite expressionless.
“Don’t worry. They won’t find you here. I’ll be away for just a couple of minutes. I need something to treat your injury,” said Zephyr quietly. Lilian let go of Zephyr’s arm hesitantly.
Zephyr walked towards the door. Lilian followed closely behind him.
“Lock the door. I’ll bring the key,” said Zephyr before going out, leaving Lilian alone, feeling miserable and scared. She quickly locked the door as had been instructed by Zephyr. She went to the couch and lied there, carefully not to brush her wound against the fabric of the couch.
She felt her head became very heavy caused by the senseless thoughts and worries. She wanted to wait for Zephyr to come back. He said h would be away for a couple of minutes, so he must not be gone long. She would wait...
-End of Chapter 8-
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