Don't Let Them Catch You

39? Knock Knock

They're probably doing the same thing. I'll come back for them but I need to get you out of here first.

Aura couldn't help the heavy weight on her chest.

Could they even face a group on their own? While they were still healing wounds from the last altercation?

It wasn't vampires they were up against...

We've been complacent, lingering in this world too long. His voice echoed in her mind. We head for the sea, now.

Aura nodded, having nothing to say with her blood roaring in her ears.

She clutched onto his hard body as he pushed forward and began to scale the side of the Stone Mountain with the hooks at the top of his wings. Amos continued to lower them as close to the lower body of water as he could before gingerly entering it, careful to avoid ripples so not to catch attention.

His grip loosened on Auras body. She knew their clothes would soak at this point but what could they do? She felt his arm, urging her to swim towards the direction of the sun— east.

The angel began to kick her legs, her mate beside her, blind to where she was heading. Every now and then she had to come up for air and she did so as stealthily as she could, trusting her body was still invisible so long as she remained in contact with Amos.

Soon her knees hit solid ground and they were wading through shallow water.

Thoughtlessly they broke the surface, realising the mistake too late when liquid began to drip from their bodies and cause ripples in the pool.

Aura froze.

The susurration of flexing wings was the only telltale of Amos' unease.

A beat.

What do you see? Even in her mind she couldn't mask the undercurrent of fear.

The angel strained her ears as hard as she could, searching for something. Anything. Yet she picked up on nothing but the crisp sound of wind rustling through the leaves of the forest.

Perhaps it was his million years of honed skills, perhaps he was more in tune with the natural world than her... because Aura couldn't find a single thing untoward when Amos told her to— "Run."

Heart in her throat she stumbled over her own feet, saved by her torso being scooped by a pair of arms. In seconds they were airborne and shooting towards the shrubs.

Branches scraped against her skin, yanking her hair until she was tossed onto the forests mossy underbrush. Her body rolled, one— two— three times until she stopped and forced herself to blink away the disorientation.

Moving to her feet, she spun, searching for bronze skin and a chestnut coloured mop of curls.  She found his wings instead, blocking her sight of whatever lay ahead of him.

Go Aura. She felt him urge in her mind. I need you to run. Go east, you'll scent the ocean before you see it.

Her body locked up.

Her mind took her back to another time, with a hazel eyed warrior with the same golden brown hair as her, saying the same thing.

I need you to run He had said with a smile plagued with pain.

And you? She had replied as a little angel. Her eyes welled with tears.

What about me?

"And you?" She echoed.

"What about me?" He responded, perplexed.

A cold chill ran through her body.

She could almost see Michaels ghost as she heard rather than saw Amos unsheathe a sword. I'll give you enough time to get to safety.

Aura couldn't help glancing at his body. At the whisper of wounds across his arms, the ones decorating his naked torso. Healing, yet needing another day to fully heal.

"When will you join me?" She shook.

Amos head inclined in her direction. From this angle she could see the confused, angry frown marring his features. I'll come to you as soon as I can— RUN Aura.

Hyperventilating, she couldn't imagine what could possibly cause him to react like this. Whatever was on the other side, she got to her feet and tried to put distance between them.

She staggered backwards, almost falling flat on her arse.

Aura. She felt rather than heard him growl.

Steadying her feet, Aura took a deep breath.

She steeled her arms, turned on her heels and then— stopped.

The last time she was told to run, she did it.

She was a child.

She abandoned her father and left him to face a pack of demons on his own— there was nothing she would have been able to do.

But now?

She was a trained killer. She knew how to wield every weapon and use her body like a rifle. She could harness the wind and steal oxygen. She avenged her fathers death.

Aura turned around and loosened her body. Cold combined with naked wet skin wasn't ideal.

What are you doing? He all but roared. GO.

"No." She declared, flexing her hands.

Perhaps it was fate, putting her in the same situation, offering a chance to redeem herself. To finally close the chapter on the trauma that had her searching the skies for a blue moon for years but to no avail.

She had a chance to differently this time. She had a choice.

"I will not abandon you."