Chapter 20

They were running. Running from a barking crazy princess intent on killing Deryn for the fact that she thought Deryn was trying to steal Will from her.

Deryn was aware of the greenery rushing past her, Alek's warm hand in her clammy one, and the blood. Blood was pouring into her eyes from the recently re-opened head wound.

And Deryn was beginning to get dizzy.

Deryn blinked furiously in an attempt to clear her blurry vision; they had to keep moving. There was no choice.

If they caught her and Alek... She wouldn't allow that to happen.

Deryn's thoughts were inturrupted by Alek's panting question.

"What did you do?"

She huffed indiganantly- well, as indignantly as one can while running.

"Get stuffed. She barking attacked me first!"

Alek gave a grunt as a reply, not relaying much on his side of the arguement.

Deryn's mind was hyperactive now, going over every detail of the earlier fight. First, they'd knocked out Alek. Why knock out the weaker one of the two? If they wanted to kill her for looking like the princess, wouldn't it have been easier to knock her out and then restrain the daft prince, who was now looking left and right as they both tried to catch their breath, and then kill her?

But what if they had known she would protect Alek? Even if it meant her own life?

Alek jerked on her hand, pulling her into a run once more.

Her breathing increased again, as her heart tried to keep the air flowing through her lungs, in out, repeat.

She wasn't paying attention, being lost in her thoughts, so when Alek came to an abrupt halt, she ran smack into him, pushing him forward a few inches. For that, she received an unreadable look thrown over his shoulder.

"We meet again, young prince. And little Miss. Fake. You're still alive, too," came a familiar voice, purring with pleasure at having found them.

"Get stuffed, Diana! I'm not a princess! I didn't even want to leave the Leviathan, for crying out loud!" Deryn threw back over Alek's shoulder, her usual scottish accent more pronounced.

That gave Diana pause. Deryn stepped out from behind Alek, coming to a rest beside the once shorter prince.

Deryn glanced at Alek's face, blinking away the still flowing blood in her eyes. Alek looked as regal as a, well, prince, and Deryn felt a momentary stab of love for the red haired man standing beside her.

"Then, why does mother insist that I have a twin, when all my life I've been told the only other sibling I ever had was Elizabeth Ann?" Diana sounded more and more unsure of herself with each passing moment.

"You don't have a twin! The only barking sibling I have is Jaspert Sharp! I have no relation to you!" Deryn cried.

Alek shot her a dark look, as he was reminded why he wasn't allowed to marry her; he wouldn't do to his children what had been done to him.

A smooth voice came from the side; a voice that both of the girls recognized.

"You're both right."

I. Hate. School. I have no time to write for you guys! So, hopefully, This chapter, the next one and two for Prank Week will tide you guys over until I can write more! Love you guys, and girls! Peace!