Chapter 4
Emilia watched as the guards searched everywhere for her and Cameron. In reality, they were standing right next to Jul, who was screaming for his guards to get them back. As if they could.
Cameron was out cold, the whole ordeal just too much for his mortal mind to comprehend.
Emilia slipped out of that terrible prison, hesitating for a minute when the guards came close enough to hear her. She melded with the air and blew on.
She came out aboveground in San Francisco, California. She marveled at the gorgeous Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.
Emilia shook herself. She couldn't afford to get distracted.
She dropped Cameron off in front of a church. He would be safe there.
As she launched off of the ground, she glanced back at him. Maybe eventually.
Emilia landed softly, glancing back behind her. Nobody was following her. Thank the wind, she thought.
A branch snapped loudly, and Emilia's head pivoted toward the sound. Crap. Someone must've followed her.
She quietly slipped out her blade, holding it out in front of her. She looked around. Everything was good.
Relaxing, she started to walk through the dark and damp forest.
Suddenly, a scream shattered the silence.
Emilia fled. Thorns and ferns targeted her thighs, causing her to gasp in pain and laughter.
Something was moving toward her--she could feel it. It was almost like a sixth sense.
Emilia's feet lifted off the ground, and she gained altitude, flying higher and higher.
"Almost, almost, come on," she said. "Just a little higher."
Emilia was so busy focusing on down below that she didn't notice what was above her until it was too late.
"What is that?" she said, squinting at the sky. "No. NO. NO!"
She tried to dodge the lightning, but she wasn't fast enough. It hit her, and she spiraled downwards, feeling the electricity numb her. She managed to cushion her landing with some air, but the world still went dark around her.
Emilia woke up on a deserted dirt road, the sun blazing orange overhead.
She tried to sit up, but the blood rushed to her head, making her dizzy and nauseous.
Emilia cleared her head and focused on breathing. In and out. In and out.
She rose after a few minutes, and although she did at first feel dizzy, everything felt fine after a minute.
Emilia gazed at her surroundings. She was in a small rural town, like the one she had always dreamed she would live. A small convenience store sat next to a bookstore and a doctor's office. The houses were tiny but cozy-looking.
Emilia entered the bookstore, immediately feeling at home. She had always loved the smell of books, new or old.
She found a Harry Potter book sitting on a small coffee table and picked it up. It was in perfect condition.
Suddenly, she felt the presence of the person who had been following her. She looked for a place to hide.
Emilia's eyes found the book. Could it work? It couldn't hurt to try.
She closed her eyes and transported herself into the book.
The bookstore entrance opened, and a man walked in. He had two leather straps across his bare chest, both of which held many knives. A bow was slung over his shoulder, a quiver of arrows resting at his back.
The man picked up a book on the floor. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it read, by J.K. Rowling.
The man flipped through the book, finding nothing of his apparent liking. He dropped it on the ground and headed out the door.
He would find Fertes, and when he did, he would destroy her.