My Darkening Ember

Chapter Twenty - Seven

She led me back to the small house before the sun started to rotate into a colder position, telling me the day was nearing nightfall. I followed her through the front room of the tiny boutique, to a back room stacked with all sorts of junk.

"Stay here," she said and smiled, gliding back the way we'd just come. I heard her sprint up the stairs. The floorboards over my head squeaked under her light steps. It only took a moment and a loud thud before she came sprinting back down the stairs again, her hair all in disarray, breathing heavy.

"Let's go," she said and glided past me. I furrowed in confusion

"Isn't he coming?" I said and wondered where Xander had been all this time.

She paused, her back straightening before she swiftly turned to me, brows raised.

"He left." That was all she said and exhaled.-o 

"Left?"

"He got you here, that's his mission accomplished."

I swallowed before quickly descending into thoughts. Why would he leave now?

"But,-" I began.

"We have got to go before nightfall. No questions," she interrupted and lunged forward, grabbing my arm, and pulling me with her.

I looked back once, wondering why he would leave. He had said we would leave together and he went without me? It seemed too easy. After everything we'd been through, it came down like this. It seemed wrong but I couldn't question it, not now.

We entered the alley behind the house. Mayra pushed some crates aside revealing two fine-lined pieces of fabric.

"Here," she said, unfolding one, "Put it on."

It was a long, dark blue cape reaching, almost to my ankles. A hood was attached to the back. Mayra put hers on, a dark red, and lifted the hood over her. I did the same.

"Quick and quiet." That was all she said before sprinting down the alleyway. I followed closely behind.

It seemed wrong when I followed her down the narrow path, her cape swaying in the wind as she picked up her pace. I couldn't quite get behind the thought that he had just left but I had to realize, I didn't know him as well as I might like to think.

But he had made such a huge fuss about delivering me himself, about earning his freedom.

I shook it out of my thoughts before I started to get annoyed. I shouldn't be thinking of that right now. I had way too many things, more important than him and his inconsistent decisions, to think about.

We reached a different area as the houses branched out, all sitting on hills with stairs to the main gates.

Here the houses were carved into the stone, with pillars supporting their structure. They were mansions, the kind I had only seen in depictions of godly cities.

We reached a gate, leading up tens of bluish stone-carved stairs.

The mansion at the end was a huge build, clearly with more than one level. To the side was a smaller house connected by a hallway shielded by pillars on each side.

A huge door met us by the top, carved in wood, it was between two stone figures. The figures were draped in a shall also in stone, one held a spear and wore a helmet while the other held a stone heart in her folded hands.

"The goddess of war and god of health," Mayra said following my gaze.

"Come," she pushed open the door. It opened revealing a big hall with a marble floor and more statues of what I could only presume were the rest of the eleven gods and goddesses. They all stood around, with empty eyes, confusing visitors with their life-like expressions. I could've sworn some even looked like they were moving.