Chapter Five

My head ached. My body ached. My heart ached.

The pain that'd seared when my hip had taken the fall in the cell, increased now as it once again connected with something hard. I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut.

"Hey, kid?" I heard a voice say. Simon's voice.

"Hey …" He paused. "Leah," he continued. "Leah, you okay?"

I could feel him touching my shoulders, grabbing me, but very softly.

"You're bleeding," he whispered, seemingly more to himself.

I could feel something under my nose, pressing against my face. It was heavy, thick. I panicked, thinking I was being suffocated. I opened my eyes and could see Simon above me, pressing fabric into my face. I lashed out with both my hands and scratched for his face. He immediately let go of the fabric and pulled back, raising both his hands.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. "I was only trying to stop the blood!"

I pulled myself up into a sitting position, the heavy fabric falling down into my lap. It was one of my sweatshirts, a small spot of red on it. Red that weren't usually there. I placed two fingers under my nose, and when I pulled them back and looked at them … Blood.

I looked at Simon.

"It's just a nose bleed," I said, wigging the wet fingers in front of him. "Hardly lethal. You were closer to suffocating me than saving me."

"Sorry, I freaked," he said, his voice higher than usual. "It was all so … sudden."

I stood up, brushing my fingers against my jeans, smearing the blood.

"For you too, huh?" I asked.

"I thought you said you couldn't teleport? More than a few feet, I mean."

"I can't."

He looked around him.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"My room," I said, going over and sitting down on my bed.

"And where's that."

I smiled at him, a weak smile.

"A hell of a lot longer than a few feet away," I said.

"Then you can–"

I raised one hand, stopping him short.

"I don't know how I did it, but I did. Do you really want to stand here discussing possibilities, or do you want to come up with a plan?"

"Plan," he said.

He walked to where I sat and placed himself beside me on the bed.

"Thank you," he said. "So much."

I met his gaze.

"Don't thank me yet. I've still not decided I'm doing the right thing here, and even if I do, there's still that little thing with getting out of here."

He frowned.

"But we're not in the prison anymore, right?"

"Right," I said, standing up and walking over to my closet. "But we're still in the area. We're still in the forest. We're still inside the barriers." I opened the closet and bent down, pulling out my sport bag. "And my dad's still around. And the guards. And the zombies. And the–"

"Zombies?" he interrupted, appearing beside me.

I glanced up at him, then pushed past him, going back to the bed. I put the bag down, unzipped it and walked back to the closet. I began looking through the clothes on the hangers, trying to find anything that would be considered convenient.

"My dad is a necromancer," I said. "One of his security efforts involves several dead people he's buried around this place. Not deep, just enough for them to dig themselves up if he wants them to."

I decided on three tees, one thick sweatshirt and a dress. Maybe that wasn't the best choice, but I believed that – even if the weather was cold and closing in on winter – every girl should always have a dress.

"He'll surely call them now," I said as I carried my choices over to the bed and stuffed them into the bag. "They're probably up and about as we speak."

I walked over to my dresser and opened the top drawer. I plucked out plenty of underwear and went back to the bag.

"We should hurry," I said and stuffed the underwear into the bag. "He'll surely come here, and it's not a long walk from the main building." I turned to him. "Help me pack?"

The next three minutes were spent with me telling Simon what I needed, and him collecting it from throughout the house as I finished up in my bedroom. When he returned, I stuffed everything into the bag and zipped it close. I then hurried us into the hallway.

"So I guess this means you're coming with me?" he asked as we stepped out on the porch, smiling at me.

"I guess so," I said. "I mean, without me, you'd have no chance of getting out."

"I think I'd manage," he said, his voice confident.

I raised my eyebrows at him and slung the sport bag over my chest, adjusting it slightly so the strap didn't dig into my shoulder.

"Yeah?" I said. "What's the plan?"

"I'll sneak past the zombies, they're not fast, I've seen plenty," he explained as I led him around my house. "And then I'll run for it. I'm sure the others aren't far, so I'll have help once I find them."

Someone shouted. I froze and shot around, scanning the area. The voice had been distant, probably just outside the main building, and whoever it was probably hadn't seen us all the way over here, but I still gestured for Simon to be quiet and let him into the shadows.

We walked along the wall, as close as we could, and finally we reached the back yard. I looked all around me, seeing no one, and then pulled at Simon's sleeve, guiding him across the yard and in behind the first few trees.

We'd reached the forest now.

"And what about the barriers?" I asked as we hurried further into the darkness. "There's magical barriers all around this place, hindering anyone from going inside, or out."

"I'm a sorcerer, I'll take them down."

I couldn't help it. I scoffed.

"Really? You would? How?" I asked.

Simon hesitated, then he started: "I don't know. I guess … uh–"

"The barriers are created by three very old, very powerful sorcerers, and two, very old, very powerful witches," I explained, my tone a little bit patronizing. "Can you manage that?"

He sighed, hard. Annoyed.

"So what's your plan then?" he snapped, then, "Sorry, didn't mean to snap at you."

"It's okay," I said. "My plan is me."

"You?" he asked, confused. "Your plan is you?"

"Exactly."

We continued in silence for a while, before he asked: "How?"

I thought I heard something crack in the forest, and I stopped, grabbing his sleeve again.

"Shh! I think I hear something," I said, crouching down behind a large rock. Simon did the same and he stayed quiet as I scanned the forest.

It was hard, being so dark and all. I turned my head to the side and listened. I heard it again. Someone was walking, not far from us. I turned to Simon.

"I can get past the barrier," I whispered so quietly, I didn't think he'd heard me.

But he whispered right back, "You can? For real?"

"For real. I tried it when I was eleven, and it worked. I can teleport right through it."

"Then why didn't you leave? Why didn't you just run away?"

"Where would I go?" I whispered. "This place is all I know. I'd be lost out there."

His eyes filled with something I couldn't make out, and he opened his mouth to say something, when a loud crack not far from where we were hiding made us both shut up.

My heart slammed inside my chest as I watched the person closing in on us. At first I'd thought it was one of the zombies, but it was obvious by the way the figure moved, that it wasn't.

I felt Simon place a hand on my shoulder as he leaned closer to me, whispering in my ear.

"I can use a spell, knock-back, or binding, and we'll run," he suggested.

I was going to agree with him. That seemed like a good idea. But I shook my head, noticing who the person was, just as he turned toward us, his eyes meeting mine.

For a moment, we just stared at each other, none making any move at all. It was like the entire forest had silenced. Only me and him. His eyes were wide and narrowed at the same time somehow, his gaze calculating, yet confused.

"Karl," I whispered.

Karl took a step toward us, his hand placing itself on the walkie talkie attached to his belt.

"Please!" I said, my voice hushed and desperate. "Please, Karl."

He hesitated, looking at me, conflicted. I could see it in his eyes. He didn't want to do it. He wanted to let us go. Let me go.

His eyes shot to Simon, the back at me.

"He okay?" he asked.

I knew he wasn't asking if Simon had acquired any injuries. Karl didn't care about Simon, I knew that. He cared about me, and he was asking if I thought Simon was good. If I trusted him.

I took a deep breath. I didn't know for sure if I believed that about Simon, but so far he'd done nothing to hurt me. He'd even let me go with him. He hadn't just tossed me aside the second I'd brought him out of his cell.

I nodded slowly, deciding that even if Simon had been lying to me, this little escape of ours had really turned my head around. I wanted to go. I wanted to get away from here. I wanted … I just wanted.

"He is," I whispered.

Slowly, Karl moved his hand from his walkie talkie, taking another step toward me. But before he could reach me someone shouted, and he took a quick step back and turned his head in the direction of the voice.

"You've seen anything?" A voice asked.

The person was closing in on us, and I saw Karl take another step away from the stone we were hiding behind.

"Nothing," he said, his voice loud and serious. "I don't think they went this way. We should–"

"We have to get out of the forest," the other person hurried to say. I could hear it was a woman, her voice almost worried. "He's released the prisoners."

"What?" Karl snapped, anger in his voice. "Why?"

"I have no idea," the woman said. "Something about the kid that's with Leah. He told the prisoners that if they catch him, they'd be free to go."

"Is he crazy!" Karl exclaimed. "He can't do that! Leah's out here! They could hurt her!"

The woman let out a small laugh that made my insides turn.

"I don't think Winters would care about that," she said. "Now come on, let's go."

"But Leah–"

"Forget the kid, Karl!" the woman interrupted. "We have to go."

Karl hesitated, his gaze landing on me, his eyes wide and scared. I could hear woman step forward.

"What are you–"

"Nothing," Karl said before she could finish the question, turning to look at her. "You're right. Let's get back."

I could hear the woman start walking away, and noticed Karl was reaching down to his belt again. He started walking after her, taking something off his belt. It was a gun. My heart jumped and for a moment and I actually thought he was going to shoot us, but he didn't even point the thing at us. He just kept walking after her and discretely dropped the gun to the ground before disappearing after the woman.

I waited for a few extra seconds after the sound of their footsteps had disappeared, then I stood up and walked over to the gun.

I picked it up, the item feeling heavy and weird in my grasp. I'd never held a gun before, let alone fired one. Even if Karl had left this for me, I had no idea how to use it.

A hand placed itself on my elbow and I looked at Simon.

"I don't know how to …" I said.

Simon offered a soft smile.

"I do," he said, holding his hand out.

I hesitated for only a second before giving him the gun. He took it and then placed a hand on my shoulder.

"We should get going. If what they said is true–"

"Then we really need to get out of here," I finished.

I went back to the stone and reached for my bag, but Simon took it before I could, slinging the strap over his chest. He smiled at me again, and I smiled back.

"Come on," he said. "What way?"

I led him deeper into the forest, trying to ignore that awful feeling in my gut; a mixture of fear and betrayal. My father had set the prisoners free, with the goal to find Simon. To find me. He must understand what this means. The prisoners wouldn't hesitate to kill me. I knew that. He knew that. I pushed back the tears.

He just didn't care, I thought. He didn't even care if I lived or died. All he cared about was himself, his stupid prison and … I glanced over at Simon.

"Why?" I asked.

Simon looked down at me.

"Why what?" he asked.

"Why does my father want you so badly?"

Simon looked away from me, focusing on the ground as we hurried along.

"I don't know, Leah," he said. "I don't think he wants me. He said he wanted the others. I don't know why," he looked back at me, "and I don't care. I just want to get out of here. I'm sick of being hunted."

A pang of jealousy filled my heart. It felt wrong, but still … I couldn't help wondering what was so special about them that I couldn't offer. If my father asked, I'd do anything for him. I'd done anything for him. Everything he'd ever asked me to do, I'd done. What would it take for me to gain – be worthy – of his love?

I wanted to get more out of Simon. I wanted him to explain to me what it was about those people that would make my own father sacrifice my life for. But I didn't say anything more. Our top priority was to get to the barrier, not to have me asking annoying questions.

I noticed Simon was beginning to take the lead, his tall frame and long legs way more efficient then mine at the moment, and I gently tugged at the back of his shirt. He didn't stop, just slowed down and glanced back at me, eyebrows raised in question.

"Do you know the way?" I asked, my tone ironic.

"Oh, right," Simon said, giving me a sheepish smile. "Go on," he added and placed a hand on my back, gently pushing me in front of him. "But hurry!"

"I'm going as fast as I can," I muttered without looking back at him.

As I'd told Simon earlier, I'd been by the barrier before. Plenty of times, actually. And I had managed to teleport through it, I hadn't been lying about that – but what I hadn't told Simon, was that I'd ever only done so at one particular spot. I'd tried it at several different locations, but for some reason I'd only been able to pass through the barrier at one place.

The reason why I hadn't told him this was because it didn't really matter. I could easily find my way there, so I'd found no reason to explain this and maybe cause some unnecessary distress on Simon's part.

I noticed the first marking after about three minutes after we'd stopped talking. It hung from a low tree branch, the small stone glued to the silver seemed even darker than the last time I'd seen it. I stopped in front of the tree and reached out, barely touching the small ring with my fingertips. I could feel Simon come to stand behind me.

"What's that?" he asked.

I dropped my hand, watching as the ring dangled from side to side from the contact.

"I don't know," I said. "I mean, I know what it is, I just …"

"What?"

I turned to face him.

"I don't know where it came from," I told him. "One day I woke up, and there it was. On my bedside table, inside a small box."

"Someone gave it to you?" he asked.

"At first I thought it was my dad, I mean, it was my birthday and all, but it wasn't from him."

"How do you know?"

I smiled, one of those non-smiles, "Because when I showed it to him he yelled at me, took the ring and hid it. Told me I couldn't have it. Ever. So when I finally found it, I hid it here."

Simon glanced at the ring.

"Not the best hiding place," he said. "Kind of … open."

I let out a small laugh.

"No one comes out here. Only me. I like forest. Besides, I had to use something as a marking."

"Marking?"

Oh. I hadn't meant to say that. I still didn't want to have to explain about that.

"But I love it, though," I said, deciding to completely ignore his question and glancing back at the ring. "I don't know why, but I've always had this fantasy that … Never mind. It's stupid. Come on, it's this way."

I started walking again, heading the way I knew to be to the next marking. Simon caught up with me after a few seconds, falling into step with me, keeping my pace.

"You can tell me, you know," he said.

I looked at him.

"Tell you what?"

"What you were about to say back there. About the ring."

I looked away, ashamed.

"I don't know," I said. "It's really dumb."

He laughed.

"Please, my whole life is dumb."

I couldn't help but to smile at that.

"Don't laugh, okay?"

"Cross my heart," he said.

"I have this idea, well, fantasy, that the ring is from my mother. I know it's stupid, I just like to think that she was there. With me. If only for a second, to drop of a birthday present."

"That's not dumb at all, Leah. For all you know she was there. Maybe she even wanted to stay, but couldn't."

His words made the tears threaten at my eyes again, and I swallowed, forcing the sadness back into hiding. I suddenly felt really regretful that I'd left the ring hanging there. I should have taken it with me. I mean, it wasn't like I would ever come back here. But I also understood that I couldn't go back for it now. We had to keep going. Get to barrier.

"Maybe," was all I said.

We continued in silence, me leading the way and Simon patiently keeping to my pace. I could tell by the way he moved that he wanted to go faster, maybe even run. I felt like a stupid kid. Too weak and slow. He was even carrying my bag and still he wanted to up the pace. Just because I felt like a total setback, I forced myself to walk a little faster.

When we reached the second marking, I didn't stop. This item had nothing of value to me, just a silver spoon I'd stolen from the kitchen in the main building. Why I'd stolen it, I didn't know. I'd just had one of those moments of teen rebellion, feeling I had to do something I wasn't supposed to. It was the same day that I'd stolen the spoon that I decided to mark the way to the part of the barrier I could teleport through. The spoon had simply been in my pocket once I was marking the way.

It wasn't long until we reached the third and final marking. I stopped by the tree, briefly glancing at the name carved into the stem – my own – before turning to Simon. There was something I needed to ask him. Something I needed to make sure of. The thought that my suspicions might be right, created a sickening feeling in my gut.

"Are you going to ditch me?" I asked.

Simon seemed surprised, his eyes meeting mine, a flicker of confusion within his gaze.

"What?" he asked. "Why would I ditch you? You're the one who can get me out. I'd be stupid to just leave you behind."

"I know that," I said. "It's just … Once I've gotten you past the barrier, I won't be of any use. I'll just be a kid, lost in a world I've never experienced before. I'll be in the way."

Simon placed both his hands on my shoulders and leaned down, meeting me at eye level.

"I told you you could come, didn't I? I want you to come. You're my friend now. And I never leave friends behind."

He smiled at me, but I still didn't feel sure he was telling the truth.

"You said you have others. A family. What if they don't want me along?"

"Of course they will! You're super cool, Leah. They'll love you."

A laugh escaped my lips.

"You think I'm super cool?" I asked.

Simon shrugged.

"Sure," he said. "I mean, you broke me out of prison. That's pretty cool, you know."

He released my shoulders and straightened, smiling at me again.

"I promise, Leah, I won't ditch you. Now come on, show the way."

And I did. Show the way, I mean. When we neared the barrier, it was almost as if I could sense it there. Even though it wasn't visible, I knew it was there. Probably because I actually did know it was there, but still, I allowed myself to dream of having this special connection to the magic, something I liked to do from time to time. But, of course, I didn't tell Simon that.

"Stop," I said when we were only a few feet from the barrier.

Simon did as I said and I took a step forward, reaching out my hand and holding my palm out in the air, reaching forward until I could feel the cold, firm surface of the barrier.

"We're here," I told Simon. "Feel it."

Simon did as I told him and mirrored my position, slowly placing his hand against the barrier.

"It feels like glass," he said. "Like a giant, invisible window. Like we could just smash it."

He glanced at me.

"We can't," I said.

"Come on, then," he said. "Do your thing."

I looked down at my feet, inspecting the ground. This wasn't right. I looked around me until I saw the three stones, lying side by side, right by the barrier.

"Over here," I said and walked over to them.

Simon followed me and he was just about to say something, when a loud crack echoed from behind us. We spun simultaneously, seeing the three, withering zombies not more than three meters from where we stood. They moved with ragged steps, their mouths open and their eyes blazing with anger, hate, disgust. As if we were the ones who's insides were showing.

I screamed, taking a step back, but restrained by the invisible wall behind me. Simon swore and raised the gun toward them. He fired, the bullet hitting the center zombie – a tall woman with a large hole through her stomach, making it possible to see right through her – in the arm. She didn't even flinch. She just kept advancing on us, along with the other two. Simon fired again, but missed.

"Now!" he yelled, grabbing my arm. "Go now!"

It took a second for me to understand what he meant, being scared to death as I was by the horrid creatures. I turned to him, meeting his eyes, and then I thought back to the cell, when I'd thrown myself at him before we'd both transported. I didn't want to take any chances, so I lunged myself at his chest, closing my arms around his torso and turning my eyes to the barrier again, to really see where I wanted to go, and focused on moving the two of us to that place.

But before I could, I saw the large creature on that other side. The large, menacing monster, which would rip us both to shreds the second we passed through the barrier.

It had its teeth bared, and its eyes were just as furious as the zombies. It stared at me, snarling at me. I screamed, and pushed myself away from Simon, too scared and chocked to really understand what I was doing. Before I knew it, I'd pushed myself onto the ground.

"Leah!" Simon called and reached for me.

But it was too late. Cold bony fingers were already on me. Grabbing me. Pulling me. Hurting me. I screamed again, the sound almost disappearing into the loud growl from the creature on the other side.

We hadn't made it. We'd been caught. I should've known my father wouldn't have made sure to have something outside the barrier as well. We were trapped. On this side, we had the zombies, the guards and the recently released prisoners, desperate to catch us.

On the side – ready to kill us – stood the wolf.