Page 34 of Wicked Dove
She shrugs when I look at her. “I wield a knife covered in red dye, remember?”
I snicker. “Yeah, you’re just as insane.”
She moves the few steps it takes to stand shoulder to shoulder with me, nodding toward Institute Twelve with confidence. “Listen, if it doesn't work out, you get me as your roommate. If it does, then, well, you got your life, I guess,” she states, and I hide the smile from my face. The adrenaline coursing through my veins suddenly makes me feel invincible.
“I guess,” I repeat as she squeezes my shoulder giddily, chuckling in my ear.
“Go make me proud.”
TEN
ELODIE
Ihead toward Institute Twelve without a backward glance, following the narrow path around to the right, searching for the next exit. I think about jumping the small wall dividing the two institutes, but something stops me. Instead, I take the next path to the right, turning smoothly, avoiding every single person.
As my feet hit the ground and my speed picks up, hope sparks in my chest. My steps don't falter until I approach what I think used to be the Institute Twelve main entrance, now enclosed by a wrought-iron fence. I look from left to right, making sure it encircles the building, keeping me from what could be my freedom.
Planting my hands on my hips, I run my tongue along my bottom lip as I stare at the metal before me. It takes five whole seconds for me to come to a decision, and then I'm leaping toward it.
Shuffling up the fence isn't my finest moment, but determined, I make it to the top without issue. My palms burn and my thighs are tense, but pride ripples through me. The pointed tips at the top make me gulp as I carefully lift my leg over.
A screech cuts from my throat as I lose my balance. A hiss rasps past my clenched teeth as my thigh catches on the jagged top, but before I collapse to the ground, I manage to cling to the bar, holding myself up as my legs dangle beneath me. A cry rips from my lungs as I spy the blood trickling down my leg, but I hold on for dear life.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly slide down the pole until I’m back on my feet. Of course, making a run for it couldn’t be that simple. I lean against the fence, pausing for a moment as I look up at the brown brick building with curiosity. Not so much caring about what the building contains or has endured, but whether it will lead me to my freedom.
Freedom.
What’s even more insane is that just a few days ago, I thought I was trapped in a town with no way out, but this is far worse. It’s an entire world I don’t understand, and don’t want to. At least with my father, I knew the monster I was dealing with. Who knows what horrors live within this world?
Along with him would come Walker too. I’m slightly impressed I’ve survived so long without him. Maybe I don’t give myself enough credit. Regardless, I feel stronger with him at my side. I tilt my head, wondering whether I would be acting this reckless if he was here. Probably, but it wouldn't feel as scary because he would be the one making the decisions that I would be following without question, genuinely believing in every step he took.
As I look up at the now dilapidated building, the stark differences between this place and Institute Thirteen are obvious. Not only does the building emit a slightly warmer and more inviting vibe than the dark, ashy shadows of Thirteen, but despite its state of disrepair, the windows are still clean, and I can see curtains hanging inside. The front door is also bright red,with a golden brass knob sitting proudly in the center, eager for me to push against it.
Despite my instincts, I don't head toward it. Inside isn’t where I need to be. When I arrived here with Kael, we weren’t inside a building; we were around the back, which is exactly where I need to go.
Glancing down at my wounded thigh, I'm relieved to see it's not as bad as it could have been, just a shallow cut that can easily be patched up and healed in a few days. I just need to get home first.
I take a deep breath, running my hands over my now-dirty white vest and shorts before I spot my new and immediately filthy sneakers. Trudging through the brambles that line the outside of Institute Twelve, I move farther away from The Vale and closer to the darkness.
I stick to the edge, searching for something that resembles what I remember when I arrived, but that’s more difficult than I thought. Everything feels dull and hopeless. What’s even more frustrating is that there’s nothing unusual. Not a single thing I pass—trees, shrubs, fallen logs, even a small pond—stands out.
I'm certain I'm going to have to give up when I spot two trees arched toward each other.
My chest tightens as I stare, but nothing jumps out. It's almost still, too still, and that's eerie and different enough to catch my attention.
It's about the only hope I've got, and I have to be willing to take the chance.
Moving closer, I lift my hand, aiming it toward a shimmer that dances whimsically in the air. I take a deep breath, ready to embrace the warmth that lures me closer, but the calmness I expect doesn't come as I'm jolted back, hurtled a few meters before I skid across the ground.
My head hits the earth with a thud and I breathe in short, sharp bursts as my vision blurs. Panic rises as tingles race up and down my arm while my pulse pounds through my limbs. I’m sure death has found me this time, and just thinking about it makes Johnny flash through my mind.
Those final moments play in slow motion, and I know that this is what I deserve.
Maybe surviving that night was never truly an option. Maybe outliving the wrath of The Sanctum was never meant to happen, but just as I think it, I take a deep breath into my lungs.
Rolling over, I press my palms into the ground to stand.
I sway on my feet, struggling to maintain my balance, when hands grab my waist from behind, making my back stiffen as fear freezes my entire body. I can’t help but react.
