Bombs Away
Chasing Dragons
First of all, let’s just ignore the fact that I just lusted after a hunter (even though he is undeniably attractive). I manage to sneak a quick peek at Ben to make sure he doesn't see the drool I’m sure is dripping from my mouth right now. He’s still looking for the hunters, so I think he missed it. Second, we are in such big trouble right now! Not only are there three Beaumonts in this school right now, but they definitely can’t be alone.
“Kat, talk to me. What’s going on? Where’s the hunter?” Ben asks.
“There’s three of them,” is my only response.
I hear Ben heave in a deep breath behind me. I’m still attempting to analyze the situation; three hunters in school, who knows how many others not here, and all the kindred completely in the dark about everything. I have to let the Elders know about this and—
Wait, what is he doing? Thunderstorm Eyes is looking around with his eyebrows furrowed. Weird. And familiar; kind of like I just did…
Oh, God. He can sense us!
“Ben!” I whisper harshly as I turn toward him. I look back at Thunderstorm Eyes and those eyes connect with mine, and widen just enough for me to know that I've been caught.
I break the connection and shut my locker, spinning toward Ben slowly so I don’t draw even more attention to us.
“Ben,” I begin, grabbing his arm and pulling him along with me, “let’s go. Now. But, walk slowly or he’ll get suspicious.”
“What? Who Kat?”
I watch Thunderstorm Eyes in one of the mirrors the school has on the hallway ceilings. He’s walking toward us, quicker and quicker as we get further away.
“Just walk Ben!” I whisper, my fear spiking as the hunter descends on us.
He’s making his way through the crowded hall, eyes on our backs. I pull Ben a little bit faster, and Thunderstorm’s speed picks up too.
He reaches my locker and freezes. Time slows down as I come to a halt, watching him closely in the mirror. He looks at my locker and his eyebrows furrow again. He reaches his hand out, touches my locker, and pulls back like he got a shock. I know in that instant he felt the presence of a shifter there. He turns to a boy with chestnut hair walking down the hall.
“Whose locker is this,” I see him inquire. I use my superhuman hearing to pick up on the boy’s reply.
“Katherine Whitmore’s,” he responds, turning as he does. I see him find the back of my head in the mirror. “There,” he says, pointing to my frighteningly blonde head.
Oh, my God.
“Thanks,” Thunderstorm says, beginning the chase again.
I gasp and pull Ben harder and faster than before. He looks shocked and is trying to say something but I quiet him with a look.
The hunter is picking up speed. He’s right on our tails (excuse the inappropriately timed pun) and I see a nearby alcove just a few feet away. I duck in and pull Ben behind me.
“Kat, what—” Ben says, before I put my finger to my lips, indicating he should shut the hell up.
He gets the picture and I grab his wrist; I start to turn us both invisible. His eyes widen in curiosity and shock as I do, but I say nothing. I just finish camouflaging us both when Thunderstorm Eyes appears in the alcove’s entrance. I freeze, even knowing he can’t see me, and quiet my breathing. His eyes sweep the whole alcove once, twice, three times…then they stop right on me. He walks in and I push Ben back against the far wall and hold my breath.
He’s looking directly at me—does he know I’m here? He has to, but he can’t see me. He steps closer and I push back against Ben, keeping as much distance between us and the hunter as I can. Then, I him start to lift his hand.
Holy crap on a cracker—he’s going to touch me! He’s reaching his hand out and it’s getting closer and closer to my face, and my heart is racing faster and faster and—
“Alex.”
He spins to face the boy standing in the entrance. I shut my eyes for a hot second and let out a silent sigh of relief. Until, that is, I realize the boy now in the entrance is another one of the hunters. And then the third one shows up next to the other.
“What are you doing, dude?” the bulkier of the two, asks.
Thunderstorm Eyes—Alex—turns back to look at the place Ben and I still occupy. His face scrunches up in curiosity before turning his back to us and walking toward the entrance.
“Nothing. I thought…nothing,” Alex says in response.
“Okay. Well, let’s get to class then. Our parents will be pissed if we’re late on our first day,” the scrawnier one says.
“Yeah, I’m coming,” Alex says in exasperation.
They walk out of the alcove and around the corner, out of sight. I let go of Ben, watching him turn back to normal as I bring myself back as well.
“That was them, wasn’t it?” Ben asks.
“Yeah. And I can guarantee there’s more where they came from,” I reply, dread seeping through my veins.
I had been inches away from being caught; we had to get to the Elders, soon.
“Kat, talk to me. What’s going on? Where’s the hunter?” Ben asks.
“There’s three of them,” is my only response.
I hear Ben heave in a deep breath behind me. I’m still attempting to analyze the situation; three hunters in school, who knows how many others not here, and all the kindred completely in the dark about everything. I have to let the Elders know about this and—
Wait, what is he doing? Thunderstorm Eyes is looking around with his eyebrows furrowed. Weird. And familiar; kind of like I just did…
Oh, God. He can sense us!
“Ben!” I whisper harshly as I turn toward him. I look back at Thunderstorm Eyes and those eyes connect with mine, and widen just enough for me to know that I've been caught.
I break the connection and shut my locker, spinning toward Ben slowly so I don’t draw even more attention to us.
“Ben,” I begin, grabbing his arm and pulling him along with me, “let’s go. Now. But, walk slowly or he’ll get suspicious.”
“What? Who Kat?”
I watch Thunderstorm Eyes in one of the mirrors the school has on the hallway ceilings. He’s walking toward us, quicker and quicker as we get further away.
“Just walk Ben!” I whisper, my fear spiking as the hunter descends on us.
He’s making his way through the crowded hall, eyes on our backs. I pull Ben a little bit faster, and Thunderstorm’s speed picks up too.
He reaches my locker and freezes. Time slows down as I come to a halt, watching him closely in the mirror. He looks at my locker and his eyebrows furrow again. He reaches his hand out, touches my locker, and pulls back like he got a shock. I know in that instant he felt the presence of a shifter there. He turns to a boy with chestnut hair walking down the hall.
“Whose locker is this,” I see him inquire. I use my superhuman hearing to pick up on the boy’s reply.
“Katherine Whitmore’s,” he responds, turning as he does. I see him find the back of my head in the mirror. “There,” he says, pointing to my frighteningly blonde head.
Oh, my God.
“Thanks,” Thunderstorm says, beginning the chase again.
I gasp and pull Ben harder and faster than before. He looks shocked and is trying to say something but I quiet him with a look.
The hunter is picking up speed. He’s right on our tails (excuse the inappropriately timed pun) and I see a nearby alcove just a few feet away. I duck in and pull Ben behind me.
“Kat, what—” Ben says, before I put my finger to my lips, indicating he should shut the hell up.
He gets the picture and I grab his wrist; I start to turn us both invisible. His eyes widen in curiosity and shock as I do, but I say nothing. I just finish camouflaging us both when Thunderstorm Eyes appears in the alcove’s entrance. I freeze, even knowing he can’t see me, and quiet my breathing. His eyes sweep the whole alcove once, twice, three times…then they stop right on me. He walks in and I push Ben back against the far wall and hold my breath.
He’s looking directly at me—does he know I’m here? He has to, but he can’t see me. He steps closer and I push back against Ben, keeping as much distance between us and the hunter as I can. Then, I him start to lift his hand.
Holy crap on a cracker—he’s going to touch me! He’s reaching his hand out and it’s getting closer and closer to my face, and my heart is racing faster and faster and—
“Alex.”
He spins to face the boy standing in the entrance. I shut my eyes for a hot second and let out a silent sigh of relief. Until, that is, I realize the boy now in the entrance is another one of the hunters. And then the third one shows up next to the other.
“What are you doing, dude?” the bulkier of the two, asks.
Thunderstorm Eyes—Alex—turns back to look at the place Ben and I still occupy. His face scrunches up in curiosity before turning his back to us and walking toward the entrance.
“Nothing. I thought…nothing,” Alex says in response.
“Okay. Well, let’s get to class then. Our parents will be pissed if we’re late on our first day,” the scrawnier one says.
“Yeah, I’m coming,” Alex says in exasperation.
They walk out of the alcove and around the corner, out of sight. I let go of Ben, watching him turn back to normal as I bring myself back as well.
“That was them, wasn’t it?” Ben asks.
“Yeah. And I can guarantee there’s more where they came from,” I reply, dread seeping through my veins.
I had been inches away from being caught; we had to get to the Elders, soon.