Chapter Five

"Where to next?" Hayes asks as he stands behind me looking over my shoulder at the map I'm also looking at.

I've been up ever since I had that strange dream thinking about what our next move should be. Should we stay on the down low to make certain Abe's men haven't located us or proceed with the locations?

I want to proceed with the locations but it will do no good if we get caught again. And without knowing for certain who is all working with Abe, is a disadvantage. We would have to be cautious about everyone. I had to make certain to have the office clerk mind erased and to stay out of the camera's view.

On top of that, we have to Morches and the government to deal with. Although I haven't ran into any Morches lately, I still have to be careful.

The necklace hasn't glowed signaling in was in any danger so far so I'm taking that as a good sign. But then again, I wish it gave me a warning whenever Abe's men are near. That would've saved us a lot of trouble in Tennessee.

The thing is, the necklace doesn't work against the Arysian race. If they are under the protection of Abe, then the necklace won't glow. Which makes is perfect for warning me about the Morches and Ramadi's men.

The exceptions are whenever I'm feeling threatened, scared, not in the right state of mind or my heart is racing beyond my control.

The night Abe gave Lily and me our necklace, Hayes walked towards me making my heart pound and it glowed. Yet, I wasn't in any danger. The necklace thought I was because of how my heart was racing.

The second time the necklace glowed was when Sophie and Kyle kidnapped me. I wasn't scared nor was I feeling threatened. I was drugged and the necklace was trying to warn me something wasn't right. Which I could conclude on my own.

"I'm not sure." I mutter, glancing at him.

He seems to be lost in thought as he grows silence. I watch him warily. If anyone can come up with the next step, the next plan, is Hayes.

"What is it?"

"I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner." He speaks. "My father's friend, knows a man that knows everything about anything."

I perk up. "That's very useful. He could help us find Ramadi."

He nods. "He could." He agree, holding back on important information.

"But?" I say, knowing getting this information can't be this easy to obtain without a stake.

"There's a price to pay."

"If it's money, then it's not problem. I can get as much money we need."

He shakes his head. "It's not money. It's something else."

I wait for him to elaborate. "Which is?" I ask when he decides not to provide anything else.

"It's doesn't matter right now." He replies. "What matter is getting to Nito." He pause. "I need to make a phone call."

I watch as he heads to the phone and dials an unknown number. It rings for a moment for the person answers it and I move in closer to hear the conversation.

"Enzo, I need your help."

"Hayes what are you doing calling me. I can't help you hide." The person named Enzo says. "King Abe has eyes and ears everywhere. Not even I can keep you hidden. Every guardian is keeping their eyes open for you."

"I know. That's not why I'm calling. I'm calling about your friend Nito."

"What about him?"

"Where is he?"

"Why do you want to know?" Enzo says, confused.

"It's not your concern. I need his whereabouts now."

"If you're going to see him, it can't be good. Don't you know his price for asking any question you have for him? It's-"

"I know." Hayes interrupts him. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

Enzo sighs. "I will. I just hope you know what you're doing."

"I do and I'll be okay."

There's movement on the other end of the phone as a new voice joins the conversation. A feminine one.

Hayes frowns. "Is that my-"

"Yes." Enzo says. "It's her."

I arch an eyebrow. "Who is it?" I ask as Enzo speaks in a hush tone to this unknown woman.

Hayes glances at me. "My mother."

I never met Hayes's mother before but I've heard a great deal about her. She's highly ranked amongst the guardians and honestly I'm kind of nervous to meet her one day if given that chance.

"She's wants to speak with you." Enzo says before giving the phone to Letty Cipriano.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, son?" She says in a very motherly tone. "Why are you going to see Nito? You promised me you wouldn't get caught and now King Abe is searching for you and the princess. Do you not understand how serious this is? Of course you don't. You ran away with the princess."

"Seeing Nito is not for you to worry about. I know what I've gotten myself into and I'm digging myself out."

She scoffs. "You told me not to worry about it before and look where you are now. I don't like this. I don't like the idea of you going to see Nito. I can't stop you but know I do not stand by this. Just be careful and Enzo, your father and I will throw Abe off your trail as much as we can."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Now, is the princess there? I will like to speak with her."

I shake my head. I don't want to speak to her. There's no telling what she has to say.

Hayes betrays me yet again as says, "Yeah she's right here."

Shooting daggers at him, I take the phone. "Hello."

"Princess Millian, I don't know what you were thinking when you busted my son out but thank you for giving him another chance. I hope whatever plans you have will work themselves out in the end."

I almost smile hearing her words but it vanish when she says the next part.

"But if going to see Nito is your idea and something terrible happens to him because of you, I will personally make a visit to you and it will not be pretty. I will be the next wanted person. Do you understand what I am saying?"

So much for her liking me and she doesn't even I'm dating her only son.

"Completely."

I give the phone back to Hayes and he says his goodbye to his mother before Enzo is back on the phone.

"So where's his location?"

"Atlanta, Georgia." He says before disconnecting the phone.

I have no clue why everyone is so worried about Nito's price. I mean it can't be the bad if Hayes is willingly going to visit him. But I need to make sure what we are walking into.

"What is his price?" I ask Hayes as he packing up our few things.

He merely looks at me before continuing to grab things.

"What is it, Hayes?" I say more firmly.

He stops. "If I tell you, we wouldn't be going and we need to go."

I cross my arms over my chest. "If it's that horrible, then we can figure something else out."

"That's the problem, we don't have time to figure something else out and we sure in hell don't have time to check every locations. This is our best option and we need to go now."

He slings the backpack over his shoulder and heads for the door. I trial behind him having not the slightly idea what I'm walking into.

"Atlanta is thirty-three hours away from here." He informs me, throwing our things into the back of the trunk. "We'll drive for a few hours before ditching this vehicle for a new one."

"Are you sure you want to drive the whole way?" I ask, getting into the trunk.

"It's safer that way. Taking any other transportation will be a risk." He replies. "Beside, you'll be doing the majority of the driving."

I frown. "What? Why?"

I couldn't even handle the fourteen hours trip from New York to Tennessee. Why would he think I could last twice as long? It's beyond me.

"Because I need as much of my energy I can possibly get for Atlanta."

"What exactly are you going to be doing in Atlanta that requires me to do all the driving?"

He ignores my question. "We won't the drive the whole time. We'll make a stop halfway and you'll rest up before we continue to second half."

"Why won't you tell me anything?"

He glances at me before turning back to the road. "I told you, if you were to know what I'm going to do you won't agree with it and I don't need you to try to stop me."

"For the sake of your mother, I really hope it isn't something stupid."

"You should rest while you can." He warns me. "I'll wake you up before we switch cars."

I'm not tired and I'd rather him to confess up. He has a lot of explaining to do and it's a good thing we have a long drive in ahead of—thirty-three hours to precise. I can't ask him back at the mansion because we had to escape and there wasn't much time to talk about anything.

But now we do and he better answer all my questions with the truth. That's the least he can do for not trusting me with his betrayal secret.

"I will after you tell me why you didn't trust me enough to keep your secret."

He sighs. "You must've not read my journal if you're still questioning me."

"I read it but I want to hear it from you."

"What I said is the truth and I'm not changing it." He replies. "I made a deal with Ramadi. I fed him the information he wanted and he didn't hurt my parents. I told him things he shouldn't have known and that's the reasons everything went downhill. That's the reason why Lily died."

I look at him, skeptical, not fully believing his words. I feel like there is more he's not telling me. He takes his grey eyes off the road momentarily as he glances over at me.

"What?"

I cross my arms over my chest. "You're sure there isn't anything else you want to tell me?" I say, lifting one of my eyebrows.

He rolls his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure." He replies. "I thought I was going to die. There's still a great chance I'm still going to die. Why would I leave anything out? If I'm going to die, I'm going to tell the whole truth; my story." He turns to look at me. "Especially to you. Out of anyone, you deserve to know everything. Everything I wrote, is exactly how I felt and what I've thought. It was my goodbye because I didn't think I would've gotten a second chance to say it."

He doesn't say anything else and I think about what I've said in his situation. I put myself in his shoes. If I knew I was going to be killed for betrayal my people, what would I say to the person I loved? Would I even write anything?

Lily didn't and she had know she was going to die. She said her goodbyes after she sacrificed herself to save my life. If only, she would've said something about her death, we've could've prevented it from happening.

She would've been right beside me, following me into an unplanned and unthought through mission.

But, I can't think about the past. I have to be in this moment and only this moment. I can't worry about what will happen in the future. I have to be in present and stay alive to be be apart of the future.

I have to stay hidden for every eyes that seek to stop me and keep my eyes on my goal. It's not only for me but billions of people. The humans don't even know what's happening and I intend for that to stay that way.

The Arysians are depending on the seer and siren to defeat Tartarus and Ramadi but they have no clue who the seer and siren are. They don't even know if there is a seer and siren. They're living in a hopeless and fearful world. Even more so, now that the Morches are free to walk in the daylight.

But they don't have to worry. I don't want them to worry anymore. I want them to know I'm still standing and I'm not backing down. I will finish this and bring peace for them. I have to.

I get some rest after Hayes told me three times to do so. Four hours later, we ditch the trunk in Utah and find another vehicle. It's a small black Toyota. It'll get us to our destination and keep us under the radar.

I drive as Hayes leans back to rest. I still haven't figured out why he need all the rest he can get. He'd only need that much energy if he plans on fighting an entire army by himself in Atlanta.

I don't think about it anymore as I continue to drive, watching out for anything suspicious. I drive to the halfway mark that's located in Grand Island, Nebraska. The time zone changed now that we're in central time, knocking down two hours. It's a quarter past midnight when I pull into a motel that had the fewest cars parked out front.

Along the way, I've stopped for gas and other things as Hayes slept for the majority of the time. Or "resting his eyes" as he puts it. He said he can still hear from a far distance with his eyes closed and he was helping me keep a look out.

Yeah right.

I had to roll my eyes at that as I did all the driving and all the supply shopping.

Once in our room, on the second floor, I head for the shower after placing my bag on the bed. I turn the knob and a stream of water spouts from the shower head. I strip out my clothes and step into the inviting water. My shoulder falls as soon as the water touches them, relaxing me immediately.

I stand in the shower longer than normally. I put on new clothes, which is just an oversized t-shirt. I had to pack light. I walk out the bathroom, with semi wet hair,  and Hayes is peeking out the curtains.

"Did something happened?" I asked, placing my dirty clothes in a separate bag.

He glances at me. "No. I was counting the cars and a new one pulled up."

I nod. "Do we need to be worried?"

He shakes his head. "No. At least not at the very moment. I don't sense anything and your necklace isn't glowing."

I look down at the jewelry around my necklace and it's dark.

"Okay. I'm going to sleep. Wake me if something happens."

"I most likely will take of it." He replies. "You need your rest."

As I head to the bed and pull the covers back, I tell him, "Still wake me."

My head hits the pillow as my eyes closes on their own. I'm surrounded by dark darkness for an unknown period before the same dream I had last night occurs. The same scene plays but instead of seeing me outside of my body, I'm out in her position. I'm the leader and the seven bright figures are standing behind me, waiting for me to give them the signal, disappears.

When I stand there, confused, Ramadi takes it upon himself to attack first. His army rushes towards me with their weapons and their animal. The same animal that killed Lily; the hellhounds.

I literally get the sense knocked into my as one of Ramadi's men tackles me to the ground. The fight begins and it isn't in my favor. I'm on my own as I face Ramadi's army alone, having no clue where the seven figures went.

I jump out of my sleep when a sword enter my body, making a thick gush of blood to come oozing out of my mouth.

I look around me and Hayes is still awake, standing by the window. He looks at me concerned.

"Are you okay?" He asks. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"I'm fine." I reply, getting up.

I head to the bathroom to splash cold water on my overly warmed face. After I splash the water on my face, I stare at myself in the mirror and that's when I hear a voice. A different voice than the one I'm used to hearing.

This voice is clear and loud as it speaks into my mind as if it's giving me a warning. The words spoken to me is a piece of the poem and I don't know what it's supposed to mean, what the warning is behind it, this time.

When the first snow falls.

The first time, it meant mine and Lily's birth date. December seventeenth. Then we heard it again before Lily's death and now I'm hearing it once more. I'm tired of this poem. I'm tired of hearing it but it seems like I can't escape from it.

I walk out the bathroom and towards the bed.

"Did you hear something earlier?" Hayes asks as his eyebrows furrows together.

I sit on the bed. "What do you mean?"

"Like a voice or something?"

The only voice I heard was in my head and there's no in hell I'm telling him that. They already think I'm crazy as is. There's no need to add hearing voices to that list.

I shake my head. "No. Why?"

"I thought I heard something." He shakes his head. "Nevermind. Forget about it. Are you sure you're okay?"

I nod. "Yeah. I'm just tired."

He gives me an apologetic look. He walks over to me and pulls me towards his warm body as he hugs me.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you drive the whole way."

"It's fine." I mutter against his chest before looking up at him. "I wish you would tell me what Nito's prize is."

His face soften under my stare. "I can't, Boo." He says. "Trust me, it's better if you don't know." He kisses my forehead as he whispers, "Go back to sleep."

I know he's trying to get into my head. He has that ability to do so. But he hasn't be able to get inside my head in a long while. I've been meaning to talk to him about slipping into my mind without my permission but honestly it isn't at the top of my list and I'd be a hypocrite for getting upset with him when I've been using my own powers to compel complete strangers to do whatever I tell them to do.

Instead of telling him, I knew what he was doing, I decide to listen to him and head for the bed. I lie down, closing me eyes, as I hope for a better dream. It isn't too long after I'm asleep, when I feel the slightly movement before I feel his arm wrap around my waist and bring my closer to him.