Chapter 10
“You have got to be kidding me. We won’t get over there.” I managed to get out past my building panic.
Hayden did not seem bothered in the least. He had that mischievous look on his face that I had become accustomed to in the short amount of time we had spent together. In the back of my mind, I was wondering if this whole night was all some crazy dream? Perhaps my body’s reaction to not getting enough sleep?
“Yeah, we will. Watch this” He started backing up and before I could even say anything, he was sprinting right toward the wall. He kicked himself off a nearby rock and launched himself at the wall, grabbed hold of the edge, and hauled himself up to the top.
“What the fuck?” I said in shock. My mouth was hanging open…
“Are you coming or not?”
“That’s easy for you to say. I’m not a fucking monkey, Elf boy.” I shouted up to him, waving my arms incredulously at the monstrosity of a wall. He was laughing at me from above and it was annoying me. How did he expect me to get up there?
“Oh, you wound me, Aria,” he said in a mocked grievance.
“Once I’m up there, you really will be wounded, smart-ass…” I mumbled to myself whilst looking around for a way to get up.
“I heard that by the way. Don’t think I would mind if it were you doing the wounding now that I think about it.” My face flamed. I just stared up at him, my mouth hanging open in shock.
“What?” He was still smiling at me. It was making my stomach do strange things.
“Um, nothing, I just really don’t know how I’m going to get up though,” I said, wringing my hands nervously.
“Throw me your boots, you’re going to need the most grip you can get, and I doubt heels will be helpful.” I did as he said and waited for him to give me further instructions.
“I’m going to lower a rope, and you’re going to have to climb up.”
Fucking perfect, I was going to make a fool of myself.
“Haven’t you got anything other than rope in that backpack of yours; perhaps something a little less creepy than stashed away rope that you carry around?”
“Nope” he replied laughing at me.
“Of course, you don’t…” I replied sarcastically. Catching the end of the rope I looked up at him.
“Are you sure there is no other way?” I just really regretted not working out more at this very moment.
“Very sure”
Sighing, I started to climb, but to my amazement, I was not struggling at all. It was as if I had been climbing ropes my entire life and had all the upper body strength that I needed.
Nearing the top Hayden gave me his hand to help me up over the edge. My hand started to tingle with the burning sensation again. A gasp escaped me, and I let go without thinking and started to fall. Hayden, grabbing a hold of my forearm, hauled me up and over once more.
“Are you trying to get yourself fucking killed?” he snapped. He was not happy with me at all.
“I’m sorry. Didn’t you feel that though when you grabbed my hand?”
“Yeah, I did…” He was looking everywhere else except at me.
“What was that?”
“I don’t fucking know, okay? It’s like my eyes; I don’t know.” He ground out, still refusing to meet my gaze.
“What’s happening to me? You haven’t explained much besides the fact that Hunter wants to kill me, which was a pretty obvious fact.”
He was about to say something when something flew straight between us from the bottom of the wall, narrowly missing both of our faces. Looking over the edge, my heart sank. Standing at the bottom, with a silver bow and arrow, was Hunter.
“Time to go...” Hayden did not need to tell me twice. I was already looking for a way to get to the bottom on the opposite side. Hayden grabbed my hand and started running along the wall. One wrong foot placement and we would both fall to our deaths. Up ahead was an overhanging tree. Hayden took a sharp left, off the wall and into the tree.
The branches moved to catch our feet as we went. This must have been Hayden’s magic; His ‘Power’. Trying to catch a glimpse of his eyes, I eventually saw them. They were burning that electric blue again. It gave me the shivers. Eventually, through the branches, we made our way to the bottom. The earth was cool beneath my bare feet.
“You can run all you want. I will find you both and I will kill you!” We both stopped and looked at the wall. Hunter’s voice had been from just the other side. “You cannot run from me, frater.” Brother
“Brother? What the fuck does he mean?” My blood had frozen in my veins. I started backing away from Hayden, feeling betrayed. Had this all been some sick joke? A trap...? I guessed that was what one got when running away with a stranger. Hayden’s eyes probably could not have gotten any wider.