Just Friends

Rowan

Some sort of feeling rose up in me, though I had no idea what. I attempted to push it aside for now. I'd sort it out later.

"Really, thanks," I said. Now to escape this place... "So...they won't stay out for long--we'll have to be gone by then. I sort of have a plan to get out of here... You could pretend to be taking me through the city. Then, once we were out of sight, we'd just fly back to the Fay city as soon as possible. We ought to stay out of main areas as we're leaving for the field. We want to attract as little attention as possible. After all, a starlighter wouldn't just leave with a Fay."

Blair

I nodded, turning towards the door then hesitating a little as I glanced down at my hands, double checking the lack of the markings.

"Sounds like a plan.... we'll have to be quick though.. Caycee said the glamour thing would only last like.. a couple hours or so...and it's been at least one. "

Rowan

"Alright," I said. "Lead the way. And, uh, grab my arm or something."

Theoretically, we'd have just enough time to get out of the city--if all went well, anyway. If it didn't...I didn't really want to think about that.

Blair

I could barely keep from blushing as I wrapped my hand around his wrist, and the light of his marks immediately flare up.

"Oh.. um.. " I muttered, almost letting go. "Uh.. yeah.. that.. Um... maybe they won't notice." That said I went to push open the door, peering around outside and noticing with relief that there weren't many starlighters milling around.

Rowan

I felt my face grow a little hot; I could imagine I was probably at least a bit red.

"Um..." I started, "maybe you should hold where my sleeve is instead... The less light, the better..."

Blair

I nodded, moving my hand further up his arm, making the light die down as I took a step outside. Glancing around quickly I decided that maybe this could work, and started down the path, Peter in tow. We managed to make it down the paths unseen, peeking around each corner and attempting to find the less traveled walks. Smiling slightly I almost couldn't believe my eyes, and our luck, when we finally reached the willows that marked the edge of the city.

Almost holding my breath I made my way towards the exit, hand still on Peter's sleeve when something caught my attention. Almost pausing I glanced down at my arm, which had begun to lose its death like pale color of the starlighters, and had a faint, blueish glow in places. Saying a soft curse under my breath, I glanced at Peter to see if he noticed, very..very grateful that it seemed no one else had.

"...lookie, lookie.." A soft voice purred from behind us. "If only brother were here to see this.. he would be so delighted."

...just my freaking luck.

Rowan

The exit...we were so close...but I wasn't about to get my hopes up just yet. I grew more uneasy when whatever magic was keeping Danae disguised started to wear off.

And then there was that voice.

I knew I'd been right not to get my hopes up.

The plan from here was simple... I set Mia on fire.

"Run," I said, taking Danae's hand and bolting.

Blair

I didn't need that much encouragement, okay..maybe I did....

As soon as he started pulling me forward I followed, eyes wide. Resisting the urge to look back, I breathed a sigh of relief as we made it through the willows, to the open area beyond.

Then, of course, a shrill scream started up behind us.

"....I hate her."

Rowan

"Believe me, I'm with you," I said quickly. "Let's fly. If they spot us, we find a place to hide in the grass. Shouldn't be too hard."

I took to the air.

Blair

I nodded, following him, and as much as I hated flying I couldn't have been more grateful for the ability at the moment. It seemed pretty clear at first, no sounds behind us or anything, and that freaking screaming quit after just a few minutes. Then, when I was sure we were in the clear, I heard it.

The faint sound of wing beats behind us.

Cursing to myself I glanced over my shoulder, and spotted, to my amazement, a starlighter riding on a /bird/.

Remembering what Peter had said to do, I immedatiely dropped down, hoping we could hide from them.

Rowan

I dropped as well.

"Keep moving," I urged quietly. "Stay low. Try to keep the grass from shaking. We can't stay where we landed."

They must've seen where we went down, after all. Now, if only we could find better cover...

Blair

I nodded, moving towards carefully then pausing ad I spotted a thick clump of weeks about twenty feet to our right. Gesturing towards it, I shrugged a d looked at him, wondering if it was a good place to hide.

Meanwhile the sound of the wings got closer....

Rowan

I nodded and started towards it, my nerves rising with each flap of that bird's wings. I wasn't going back. There was no way I'd let them take me back there again. But of course, I was even more worried now that Danae was with me...

Blair


Once we'd made it intothe weeds I crouched down, trying to be as small as possible even if I was already completely hidden by the greenery. Keeping an eye on Peter I listened as the bird came closer, chewing on lip as my hand clamped down my wrist. We were so close...there was no way we were going back. Not a chance.

The closet it got the more I tensed, and somehow I found myself next to Peter, as if just being close would keep it from finding is.

And then...it happened.... the wing beats....went away....back towards the city.

"Freaking starlighters...." I managed, letting.g go of a breath I didn't know I was holding. "I think...that after this...I will never attempt poking another zemma again..."

Rowan

"That's...probably a good idea..." I replied, slightly breathless and entirely relieved.

Safe... Were we...safe...? We had to be... This was almost too good to be true. Like I was having some fantastic dream, and I'd wake up soon, still in the chair at Ailey's house.

Was it a problem that I thought anything good happening to me had to be a false image...?

"I'm going to check..." I murmured, carefully making my way through the weeds just to be certain the area was clear.

Blair

I nodded, carefully making my way out after him. After all, he had to have known I wouldn't just sit there as he checked. Outside the weeds it was silent, the two suns shining brightly in the sky as a few seemingly harmless creatures flew across the tops of the trees. Smiling I felt a bit of relief wash through me. I'd done it, gotten him out. With Peter's help...we were both alive and not even injured.

"Amazing...." I murmured, turning to say something to him, then biting my lip as my arm brushed his and the light flared up. "I..uh..."

Choosing to end a sentence that was destined to fail, I instead just took a step away cutting off the light and quickly facing the direction I thought the city lay. I knew there had to be a blush creeping onto my face, but for once I didn't really mind.

"We should get going." I murmured, trying to focus. "The sooner we get back the better, it isn't...exactly well known that I came to rescue you. Only two others know....and one of them I wouldn't trust any further than I would my father."

Rowan

Ah...she used that word... But...as much as I didn't want to admit it...it was true. I'd be dead if it weren't for her. ...And that was as close to the phrase as I was willing to go.

...Not that I wasn't extremely grateful...because I was.

...Okay, fine...shesavedmylife. There. I said it.

"Er, right," I answered. "Definitely don't want to stay in this field..." I stepped out of the weeds all the way and jumped into the air.

Blair

Jumping into the air after him, I pushed my new found, and slightly frightening, feelings for him away and instead focused on watching out around us as we flew. I felt incredibly naked without my daggers, and this whole experience had only increased that feeling. One of my hands started to drift towards my other, then I firmly clamped it into a fist instead, refusing to grab my wrist as I have a bad habit of doing. The lack of daggers was frustrating, yes, but surely I would be able to fix that. After all, it seemed that weapons were something that were definitely needed around here.

It didn't take us but around three, or maybe four hours to reach the city, it was hard to tell time here, not only the strange movement of the suns, but the fact I'd never learned how to tell time by a normal one. We had to take a few breaks, not completely the best fliers yet.

...okay. Fine. I wasn't.

When we finally reached the city, I felt like it should have been night time, and yet it was still bright around us. Not that I was complaining though. After spending most of my life in the dark, I was used to not telling time by the amount of light, I normally had a watch or something. And all this light... it was nice. It didn't seem that it was going to go away for awhile, and for that I was grateful.

Standing outside the city gates was Logan, and a worried looking Rhiannon. As soon as her eyes fell on us she smacked Logan on the shoulder and pointed to where we were. A warm smile light up his face and he gave her a swift kiss on the cheek, then gestured towards us, saying something. Without needing anymore encouragement Rhiannon raced towards us, her eyes filled with relief.

"You made it!" She practically squealed, and I realized there was some shock mixed in with the relief. "I can't believe you did it! Only two days old, and yet you already ran into the starlighers, and are still alive. This is amazing!"

"....erm... yeah.." I muttered, glancing towards Peter, slightly uncomfortable.

All I really wanted right now was to get some rest.

But.. Liam still lived in that house... I don't think I'd be able to sleep there. Not considering what he'd done, and what he could still do.

Rowan

I rubbed the back of my neck, uncomfortable. I got the feeling that this sort of thing didn't happen very often... And it hadn't occurred to me at the time, but...Danae had been the only one who came for me--it wasn't even like there'd been more Fay waiting for us outside the starlighter city or anything. It had just been her the whole way. It made me wonder...had anyone besides her been planning to come at all? I remembered the thoughts I'd had in Ailey's house. As I'd suspected there...they really must have thought I was already lost. Like with the SO and captured bonders... Unless there was a raid coming for the academy where you were taken within the hour of your capture, you were as good as dead already. There was no point in coming for you.

I guess...Danae had been that raid.

I was suddenly overcome with a wave of exhaustion. Not to mention my wings were tired from all that flying... Though I had to wonder where we'd be staying now. Naturally, our previous housing was out of the question...

Blair

Rhiannon's smile dropped a tiny bit, and she looked us over as if just realizing that we might be a bit tired. Nodding to herself that brilliant smile.

"You should probably go home to rest." She said, that same excitement leaking into her tone. "Liam will be so glad to see that you're okay, after all, he's been worried sick about you."

"...." I couldn't think of what to say to that, remembering the lie that Liam had fed them, that he'd tried saving us. "...can.. we not go there...?"

Rhiannon paused, her feet touching the ground but her wings still fluttering as she looked at us. "Why ever not?"

"......"

Rowan

"Because it was Liam and Ailey's fault to begin with," I said with a scowl. "I don't know what they told you, but...Ailey is a starlighter. She was the one who took me away in the first place... I'm not sure if Liam is or not, but he's definitely working with her regardless."

Blair

Rhiannon's face froze with shock, her eyes glancing between us as Logan walked over, his expression concerned.

"What's wrong?" He asked, eyes sharpening slightly as the traveled to Peter and I. "What did they say?"

"....that Ailey was a starlighter." She managed, the tone quiet and barely able to be heard.

Logan was quiet for a long moment, his brows furrowing as he thought that over. Suddenly he sighed, raising a hand to run through his hair as he glanced at the gate behind him.

"Another one then.. its as the council thought... they live among us.." He paused, glancing at us and seeming to consider what to say now.

".. he said that Liam is at least working with them..."

"It's true!" I interjected. "He kept me from saving Peter when it happened, then brought me back here."

"..." Logan sighed, seeming to consider this before laying a soft kiss on Rhiannon's cheek and making up his mind. "Take them to our house, they'd be better off there."

"...okay..."

Rowan

"Thank you..." I managed.

I wondered what they Fay would do about them... They'd probably banish Liam at the very least. I doubted Ailey would even come back to the city now that she knew we'd made it out of the starlighter one. Why should she, anyway? At least we wouldn't have to be dealing with her anymore...

So.. do we want to ff to some point? Or do we want to continue from here.. or what?))