The Haven High Book Series (Wattys2017)

Chapter 9

Kelly hiked up her mid length skirt and ran as fast as her legs would allow across the uneven ground, scattering butterflies as she went. The underbrush kept tangling around her feet and legs and if she was one to cuss she would certainly being doing it now.

She was almost on top of Donnie but so were his attackers. She locked eyes with the lead aggressor as if to say don't even try it and bunching her upper leg muscles, mid stride she dove through the air low to the ground, leaping over Donnie cat and grabbing him in her arms as she rolled with her momentum.

She couldn't have known he was in the process of turning into a boy when she did it so instead of a smooth fluid motion they landed in a heap at the feet of the sneering cats, surprise though she let loose four blades before they could blink giving her and Donnie time enough to spring to their feet and disappear in the cloud of Monarch's.

She rain with Donnie's button down shirt collar in her hands practically dragging him as he hissed and growled at their pursuers. They only had seconds to make it to the travel glyph.

Kelly got their first and shoved a surprised Donnie in the center sending him through first and as soon as she did the fullbloods skid to a stop just a few feet away from her. They were breathing heavy, not from excursion she guessed but the thrill of the hunt.

They were so hell bent on their mission that they hadn't even bothered to remove her daggers that she had strategically thrown at them to give her and Donnie the time they had desperately needed.

They took a moment to remove them now and dropped them dramatically to the ground. They were letting her know with their actions that her resistance was futile. They could do this all day. It was nothing but fun and games to them, which meant only one thing: the only place Donnie was assured to be safe was the school.

Then each Cait opened a door to the Umbra Road and side stepped through nonchalantly. When they disappeared she went to retrieve her blades and just as she stuck the last one back in its sheath George came strolling along with the rest of the class. None the wiser.

He looked her up and down when he stopped in front of her to take in her sorry state and said, "Child you look like you went spelunking for some of those mushroom. Are you all right?"

Quick as a flash, she lied through her teeth, "Of course George, I just got a little overzealous. You know how it is first day and all."

He looked her up and down and then looked all around to say," Kelly you seem a little empty handed for someone who looks like they worked very hard."

She smiled a sweet smile and pointed to the baskets her and Donnie had left on the other side of the field. She ran over breathlessly and grabbed them up. Running back she showed the teacher that they had retrieved every specimen. He looked please like maybe they had been the only pair to do it, yet he still looked perplexed.

"Kelly where is your travelling companion?"

"Oh Donnie," she said with a reassuring smile, "He was feeling sick at his stomach so he went back to visit the commode. He should be waiting for us back at school."

George fixed her with his shrewd brown eyed stare, but she didn't even blink, "Good in that case, "he consulted his watch, "We'll have to save our discussion about the properties of these fungi until next class. Everyone line up to travel back."

He looked at Kelly again and said," You better go first Kelly you must have fallen into a bramble bush it sliced your face pretty badly."

It wasn't until he pointed it out that she finally felt the sting of the cut on her face. Hhm, she thought, must be the adrenaline. When she brought her hand back into view there was indeed a generous amount of bright red blood on her fingers.