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Virgil cursed his bad luck.
It was a warm summer day, with a clear blue sky that was perfect for making a quick supply run in town. It was a sharp contrast to the adrenaline pulsating through his veins. His heart pounded in his ears as he pushed his legs to move faster. He ignored the indignant cries of the other pedestrians as he shoved his way through them.
Of all the days to not bring a weapon. Virgil thought as he threw a glance over his shoulder every few minutes.
The figure was short, making it difficult to keep track of them in the sea of bodies that surrounded them. They wore all black despite the heat of the summer day, with a large hood pulled down over their face. The hood made it impossible for Virgil to see the face of his pursuant.
Not that he needed to see their face to know who it was. There was only one group of people that would be looking for Virgil. A group that he had managed to evade for almost three years now.
Virgil turned his attention forward once more, avoiding a run-in with a mother and her stroller. He glanced around, looking for some way off of the main street. He didn’t want to risk leading his pursuer back to where the other’s were, but at the same time he couldn’t stay out in the open. If there was a fight, then too many innocent people could get caught in the crossfire.
He only walked another block, before finally finding what he had been looking for. It was a narrow alleyway between a restaurant and a convenient store. Virgil glanced down the street to see that his stalker had stopped. They stood there, staring at him with familiar dark colored eyes. Virgil shook that thought from his head as he ducked into the alleyway. Certain that whoever it was would follow, Virgil took off at a sprint.
There was a small part of Virgil that hoped that he would be able to lose the stalker in the maze of alleyways. He pushed his body to run as fast as it could, ducking around corners, and making swift turns in the hope of shaking them. Despite this, Virgil could still make out the other’s footsteps against the concrete. They were growing closer by the minute at a steady pace, and it was only a matter of time before they caught him.
Virgil huffed trying to draw as much air into his lungs as possible as he continued forward. He was so focused on his escape, that he missed the sounds of something heavy rushing towards him. It slammed into the back of his legs, sending Virgil spilling to the ground. The front half of his body scraped against the rough surface as he slid to a stop.
It took Virgil only a moment to recover his bearings, but it was enough time for the stranger to reach him. A small hand grabbed him roughly by the shoulder and rolled him over, causing Virgil to let out a grunt. Something heavy pressed down against Virgil’s chest, and he opened his eyes. His gaze followed the length of his pursuer’s leg, where it was pinning his chest. Their hood had blown off in the chase, revealing the rounded features of a familiar young girl to Virgil.
“Abbie?” Virgil’s voice was soft, barely even a whisper, but the girl seemed to have heard him. There was a spark of something in her dark eyes as she continued to stare at him with her stone-like expression.
She was no longer the twelve-year-old that Virgil remembered her being. She stood tall with a confidence that hadn’t been there the last time he had seen her. Her dark hair was also longer now, pulled back away from her face in a tight braid. Abbie seemed to be studying Virgil’s face, the same way he was doing with her, and after a moment she finally pulled away.
Virgil pushed himself up onto his elbows, keeping a wary eye on Abbie as she stepped away from him. Despite how much he had missed her, Virgil knew that she was still working with them, and thus couldn’t be trusted. He ignored that stinging pain in his arms and hands as he watched Abbie glance over her shoulder. Her expression pinched as though she was the one who was being followed. Virgil opened his mouth to say something, anything, to her but Abbie interrupted him.
“You and your friends need to get out of the city,” Abbie said, turning her gaze back to Virgil. There was a look of sadness in her face that made Virgil want to comfort her the way he used to, but he remained where he was.
“Janus got a tip about where you guys were staying.” The name made Virgil’s muscles tense, and his eyes grew wide as he kept his gaze planted on Abbie. “They plan on raiding the place before sundown.”
Virgil’s thoughts began racing through his head, as he fought against the tightening in his chest. His mind was screaming danger at him, but he could get his body to move. Even his voice had decided to take a hike, leaving him mute. He continued to stare at Abbie as she looked over her shoulder once more, and then turned to walk away.
“Abbie, wait,” Virgil finally managed to croak out. Abbie turned to glance at him over her shoulder without turning around completely. Once again Virgil could see how much she had changed since he last saw her, and it left a hollow feeling in his chest. He pushed the feeling away for now as he croaked out his next sentence. “Why are you telling me about Janus?”
Abbie didn’t say anything, remaining completely silent. She turned and before Virgil could stop her, Abbie vanished into the shadows.
Virgil sat there for a while longer, forcing back panic as memories assaulted his mind. Janus had once been like an older brother to Virgil, now he plagued his mind like a monster hiding in the closet.
It took a few tries, but Virgil forced the memories to the back of his mind once more, pulling himself off the ground. He had to get back to the other and warn them about what was coming. If they were lucky, Abbie’s warning would give them enough time to escape before Janus and his crew arrived.
Virgil stumbled at first, his legs feeling like jelly, but he pushed through the feeling and took off at a sprint.
The house still had a ‘For Sale’ sign in the front yard, located in a cul-de-sac. It bumped up against the edge of a nature preserve which has proven to be useful during their month there. Virgil glanced at the surrounding area apprehensive. He was like a scared child waiting for something to jump out and scare him. It took everything to keep the panic under control. He could freak out once they had gotten everyone to safety. He made his way inside, almost slamming the door behind him in his haste.
Now in the safety of the hideout, he collapsed against the door, sliding down it until he was sitting on the floor. His chest heaved as he struggled to take in air, curling up into a ball in a vain hope that it would ease the pressure. Blood was pounding in his ears, almost making Virgil miss the fact that someone was speaking to him.
“Virge, can you hear me?” The voice was soft, and familiar though his war zone of a mind refused to registrar who was talking. He lifted his gaze from the floor, only to be met with a pair of startling blue eyes.
Patton.
“I want you to breathe with me, okay kiddo?” Patton was looking at Virgil with a calm expression. Virgil nodded his head, unable to force any word through his constricted throat.
Patton grabbed one of Virgil’s hands and placed it against his chest. He took a few exaggerated breaths, which Virgil struggled to follow without coughing. It felt like years had passed before the constricting feeling finally faded away. It left a bone-deep exhaustion filling every inch of Virgil’s body.
“Hey Kiddo, are you still with me?” Virgil raised his gaze to look at Patton once more.
Patton was only a few years old then Virgil, though he was at least a good head taller. His eyes were large, which combined with his round freckle covered face made him look younger then he was. It was only the fact that Patton was a good head taller than Virgil that kept him from looking like a child. That and the thick-framed black glasses that gave him the appearance of someone’s dad.
“Sorry about that,” Virgil muttered, shaking the last dredges of panic from his mind. As he gazed at Patton, Virgil's conversation with Abbie came to the forefront of his mind. It was enough to almost send Virgil into another panic.
“We have to get out of here.” Virgil forced himself off the ground.
“Virgil what’s going on?” There was a shakiness to Patton’s voice that made Virgil pause. He took a deep breath and turned to look at his friend.
“Hunters and they're on their way here now." The blood drained from Patton's face, and it sent a sharp stab of pain through Virgil's chest. He tried to ignore the feeling, for now, instead focusing on the task at hand. “Do you know where Roman and Logan are?”
“Logan is upstairs asleep, and Roman still hasn’t come back yet,” Patton replied. Virgil let out a soft curse under his breath as he glanced through one of the windows. The sun was still high in the sky, so of course Logan would still be asleep. With the full moon having only been the night previous Roman wasn’t due to return for at least a few days.
It looked like Patton and Virgil were on their own for now.
Virgil’s mind spun as he made his way upstairs. He was trying to come up with a plan to keep everyone safe until they could manage to escape. He was startled out of his thoughts when he felt something grab his hand, and he turned to look at Patton.
“Virgil please, tell me what’s going on.” Virgil let out a deep breath but nodded his head. He told Patton about his encounter with Abbie, and the warning she had given him. Patton had a look of determination as he looked Virgil in the eye.
“So right now we need to focus on keeping everyone safe until we can get out of here,” Patton said. Virgil nodded his head. “I should be able to cast a barrier around the house, that will buy us at least a little time.”
“Alright,” Virgil agreed. Patton turned and made his way into the living room, while Virgil continued upstairs. He paused at one of the closed doors, resisting the urge to open it and wake his sleeping friend. Instead he continued down the hall and into the very last room. In the closet was a duffel bag that Virgil opened, rummaging through it until he pulled out a large crossbow. He set the crossbow to the side, knowing that it wouldn’t do him any good against Janus.
Instead he reached for his throwing knives. With a practiced ease he strapped them to his persons. He refused to think about the last time he had needed to use them.
As he finished strapping the last knife into place, there was a surge of energy around the house. Virgil glanced out the window to see a glowing yellow barrier had appeared. Virgil closed his eyes and muttered under his breath.
“I won’t go back.”
He turned and made his way out of the room, making his way to the living room where Patton was. The floor was filled with a circle of candles, with Patton sitting cross-legged in the center of them. Their flames danced as energy surrounded Patton, whose eyes were closed in concentration. Virgil remained silent as he made his way across the room, looking up at the late afternoon sky. It would only be a matter of time before Janus arrived, and Virgil hoped that they would be ready for him when he did.
The silence seemed to stretch around them. It filled the room with a thick tension that made Virgil’s hair stand on end. There was a buzzing beneath his skin that he did his best to ignore as he watched the setting sun outside. His sense was on high alert, waiting for any sounds that might indicate that someone had arrived.
It made the gasp that Patton released sound even louder to Virgil’s ears. It startled him enough that he jumped, turning to look at his friend in the candle circle.
“They’re here, and they’re not alone,” Patton gasped, keeping his eyes clenched. Virgil tightened his grip on one of the throwing knives as he turned to look out the window once more. Despite what Patton said, the street outside seemed to look empty. It only took a moment for Virgil to feel something coming from further away.
They were using witches. Of course Janus would come prepared with witches.
Virgil hoped that Patton’s barrier would be enough to hold them back. He kept a close eye on Patton as sweat began to form along the other’s forehead. Patton’s brows were pinched together and it looked like he was in pain. It was almost enough for Virgil to tell him to stop, but he bit his lip to keep from saying anything.
“You're doing great Patton,” Virgil finally allowed himself to say. He hoped that it offered at least some kind of encouragement to his friend. Patton’s body was shaking from the stress of keeping the barrier up. Virgil turned his attention back to the window.
He still couldn’t see anything. That told Virgil that Janus had the witches keeping up an invisible barrier around them. That didn’t stop Virgil from sensing the gathering energy outside Patton’s barrier.
Patton let out a startled yelp and Virgil turned to see him thrown from the circle of candles.
“Patton!” Virgil rushed to his friend’s side, crouching down next to him as Patton let out a groan. Virgil noticed the trickle of blood falling from Patton’s nose and Virgil felt his gut twist. Patton sent him an apologetic look.
“They got through,” Patton said. His voice was small, telling Virgil how scared he was. Virgil placed a hand on Patton’s shoulder, giving it a short squeeze. Then he stood up and returned his gaze to the window.
Janus and his group of hunters were now visible, standing in the middle of the street as though it wasn’t an odd sight. He seemed to be staring at Virgil through the window with a single dark brown eye and a reptilian-like gold eye. His usual smirk only looked all the more deadly with the grey-green scale covering half of his face.
He was wearing a dark-colored suit, with an overly dramatic caplet. It reminded Virgil of something a Disney villain would wear. He even had a matching bowler hat resting atop his head adding to the theatrical look.
Behind Janus, the other hunter shifted as though they were waiting for something. Perhaps they were waiting for Virgil and the others to come out on their own? Fat chance that was happening.
“What are we going to do now?” Patton asked. Virgil took a deep breath in a failed attempt to calm his racing nerves.
There was no way Virgil and Patton would be able to take on both the hunters and the witches alone. On top of that, it was still too light out for Logan to move. That left them with only one option, and it was a plan that made Virgil want to throw up.
“Patton, I need you to listen,” Virgil said. He grabbed Patton by the shoulders, looking the other in the eye. “You need to sneak out the back while I’ve got distracted and try to find Roman. He usually doesn't like straying too far from us, so it shouldn’t take long for you to find him.”
“I’m not going to leave you here alone to face them!” Patton protested. “You won't stand a chance against them by yourself!”
“That’s why I need you to find Roman as soon as possible.” Virgil’s voice strained as he split his focus between Patton and the group of Hunters outside. “I can’t leave Logan here while he’s defenseless, and we are going to need Roman’s help if we’re going to make it out of this alive.” Patton looked conflicted, glancing between Virgil and the window. He looked as though he wanted to cry, but he didn’t. Instead he nodded his head at Virgil, letting out a shaky breath.
“Okay, I’ll do it.” Virgil let out a breath of air, and a minute later Patton had launched himself at Virgil. Virgil returned the tight embrace as Patton whispered in his ear. “Please don’t die.” Before Virgil could reply, Patton turned and raced towards the back door.
For a moment, Virgil stood there trying to calm the raging storm that was his mind. Fear gripped at every inch of him, but he forced himself to ignore it. Closing his eyes for a moment, Virgil pulled at memories of his training. He worked on autopilot as he shoved the fear into a box in the corner of his mind.
He turned and made his way to the front door, feeling as though he was a prisoner walking towards the gallows. In a fit of depressive forethought, Virgil realized that in a way he was.
“Virgil, it’s so good to see you again,” Janus said as Virgil stepped out of the front door. The way Janus stretched some of the words made Virgil roll his eyes at the obvious lie.
“Sadly, I can’t say the same,” Virgil said. He was proud of how steady his voice came out. He could only hope that his body held the same confidence, as he stared Janus down. Even after being on the run for three years, Virgil still couldn’t help but feel intimidated by Janus’s presence. Virgil’s mind was ringing the danger alarms, which he did his best to ignore. He reached down and placed his hand on the hilt of a throwing knife.
“I really wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Janus said, eyeing Virgil’s hand. Virgil glanced at the hunters standing behind Janus. They had also begun reaching for their weapons. Virgil knew that he was outnumbered, and he would be destroyed in a matter of seconds. His best course of action, for now, was to try and buy as much time as possible. Virgil brought his hand away from the knife as he turned his gaze back to meet Janus’s half-serpent face.
“Now Virgil, why must you be so stubborn?” Janus took a few steps forward, but Virgil held his ground, keeping his eyes locked with Janus. “This could be solved so easily if you and Patton would just come back with us.” Virgil couldn’t hold back the snort that forced its way out.
“As if I would believe that,” Virgil said. “I’m not as stupid as you seem to think I am.”
“Stupid enough to run off with that mangy mutt, and blood-sucker,” Janus replied. The smile dropped from his face. “Tell me, how many times have you let that Leech drink from you?”
“They aren’t like that,” Virgil said, his voice a low snarl. “Don’t act like you know anything about them.” Janus remained silent for a moment, looking at Virgil as though he was a child throwing a tantrum.
“They really do have you wrapped around they’re fingers don’t they Virgil?” Janus’s voice was low and cold, sending an icy chill creeping down Virgil’s spine. “If that is what you truly believe, then you can join them in hell where they belong.”
Janus grasped the top of his cane, and with one smooth movement he pulled out a gleaming sword. Virgil’s mind went into overdrive as the sword aimed at his throat, mere inches from the tip slicing into his neck. He could imagine blood spilling from his throat before he even had a chance to reach for one of his knives. Janus had years of training and experience that Virgil couldn’t hope to match.
Virgil allowed his gaze to drift over to where the sun setting behind the tree cast the house in a long shadow. He let out a puff of air through his nose. If Virgil was lucky Logan would be waking up any minute now. That way he could escape while Virgil still held Janus’s attention. Virgil knew that he would be smart enough to leave and regroup with Patton and Roman. Together they would put as much distance between them and Janus as possible.
A sense of calm washed over Virgil as he turned to look at Janus for what was more than likely going to be the last time. His friends would escape, and in the end that was all that mattered to Virgil.
Janus saw the challenge in Virgil’s eyes. He scowled and raised his sword, ready to bring it down and end Virgil once and for all. Virgil braced himself for the impact, waiting for the burning pain of the sword running him through.
What Virgil did not expect was the feeling of something hard and heavy slamming into his side. The force knocked the air from Virgil’s lungs as he fell to the ground with the heavyweight still on top of him. Virgil was breathless as he laid there but didn’t have a chance to recover as a voice cut through the spinning.
“Come on!” A hand grabbed Virgil and pulled him harshly off the ground. Virgil barely registered the dark color of Logan’s shirt as he was all but dragged away from Janus and the hunters. Behind them was shouting, followed by the buzz of air as arrows flew past Virgil’s head. Virgil pushed his legs to run faster, trying to keep up with the almost inhuman pace that Logan was setting.
They had almost reached the edge of the woods, when something hit Virgil in the leg. It sent him toppling to the grass. A burning sensation that told Virgil that one of the arrows had struck him.
In an instant Logan was at his side once more, scooping Virgil off the ground and into his arms. The world turned into a blur as Logan took off once more. Virgil could do nothing more than wrap his arms around Logan’s neck for dear life.
Almost as soon as they had begun running, the world stilled. Logan sat Virgil down near a large tree, allowing Virgil to lean against it as Logan inspected his leg. Virgil laid there panting as the adrenaline faded leaving him sore and exhausted.
“It looks like the arrow only scraped you,” Logan said. Virgil turned his attention to the other who was still looking at his leg.
Logan had a slender frame, with dark hair and dark eyes that stood out against his pale skin. He pushed a pair of glasses up his nose, identical to the ones Patton wore, as he continued to look over the bleeding gash in Virgil’s leg.
“Patton should be able to heal it when He and Roman get here,” Logan said, turning to look at Virgil. His eyes narrowed, and Virgil knew that he was in for a lecture. “I hope you know how incredibly idiotic of you that was.”
“I know,” Virgil muttered, not having the energy to argue with Logan.
“Facing those hunters alone, not to mention Janus being with them.” Virgil rolled his eyes. He took another look at Logan, noticing the small curls of smoke that were rising from his skin.
“Are you okay?” Alarm bells had started up in Virgil’s mind once more, as he sat up to get a closer look at Logan. Now that Virgil was paying better attention he could see a slight pinkness to Logan’s skin. Logan must have left the safety of the house before the sun had retreated behind the trees to save him. Logan glanced at his arms, studying them with the same intensity as he had with Virgil’s leg.
“Nothing to worry about. The burns should be completely healed by tomorrow evening,” Logan said. The rush of relief had Virgil collapsing back against the tree once more. He closed his eyes, allowing his body to relax. If anything were to get too close to them, Logan would be the first to know.
“It seems Patton and Roman have realized where we are,” Logan said, and Virgil opened his eyes to look at him. Logan’s head tilted to the side as though he was listening for something. “They should not be too far away now.”
“That's good,” Virgil muttered, allowing his eyes to slip closed again. “Look like everyone was able to make it out then.”
“That it does, though I am afraid that I had to leave most of our belongings back in the house,” Logan said. Virgil heard a soft thump as Logan sat on the ground next to him. “I was more concerned with getting to you.”
“We’ll replace it like we always do,” Virgil said. He could hear the exhaustion in his voice and sighed. The day had seemed to be so long, and now it was finally over. Virgil allowed himself to slip into slumber as he and Logan waited for their friends.
They were safe for now, and in the end that was all that mattered.