Hunting For The Sun

CHAPTER THIRY EIGHT

A Hero's Welcome

Before the guards could get their act together, I rolled to my feet and we ran across the road and behind the hotel. I could hear shouts coming from behind the gates and those alarms were still blaring.

'Do you really think it's safe to come back here?' I asked quietly as we clattered as silently as was possible up the fire escape to our apartment.

'They'll come up here and we can trap them,' Perse told me, turning the key as Ori slammed his shoulder against the stiff, ill-fitting door. It burst open and Ori stood back to usher us all in. I ran around to behind the table and through into the bedroom overlooking the prison. The gate was rolling open and guards began to flow out. I dropped down to my knees and heard Neit and Ori slam the door shut, and begin to pile furniture up behind it. Skye came into the room with me and glanced out. She still wore that amazing cloak, but it was ripped and stained. Her skin was dirty and, in some places, bloody.

She said nothing, but put a hand on my shoulder. I smiled to her and shifted my back to the window, crawling until I was out of sight of the window. Skye followed me into the kitchen, where Neit sat on the table, which was rammed up against the door. Ori was leaning casually against a chest of drawers, twirling a chewed-off pencil feverishly between the fingers of his right hand. His left hand was in his pocket and his ankles were crossed as he bit his lips distractedly. That whacking great big hunk of metal leaned up against the wall beside him.

Perse stood in silence against the back wall of the kitchen, her black balaclava rolled up like a woolly hat. Skye picked at her torn top and nobody spoke. I settled back against the kitchen worktop, looking round at the others. Ori kept lifting the pencil to his mouth, drumming it briefly against his bottom lip in distraction and then lowering it again.

'Come on,' I said, breaking the silence like a taut thread. 'Let's get out of here...'

I was interrupted by the sound of feet on the fire escape. Everyone straightened up. The thought of Apparation flashed through my mind, but it was so easily detected. These people, even if they were Muggles, had machines to trace and follow magic. I ran through the kitchen to the sitting room and slammed the window up. I stuck my head out to check if there was a ledge, and was rewarded with a tiny one. I put my leg out and placed my foot on the tiny sill. I reached up and grabbed the rim of the roof for support, turning awkwardly and heaving myself up, using Ori's offered hands for support. I crawled onto the roof and turned to help the next person. Skye's slim hands snapped over the edge and her head appeared soon. As she spotted me, I grabbed her hands and pulled her up.

From my vantage-point, I could hear the sounds of a lot of people thundering up the stairs. I heard the first sound of thumping on the door as Neit clambered over the edge. Perse appeared quickly afterwards, then Ori. I got to my knees and crawled slowly across the roof. I turned back for directions, but all I could see was blank faces. They wanted me to lead them. Oh hell.

I closed my eyes briefly; hearing the thumping sounds increase as the soldiers attempted to break through our barricaded door. We needed to go right. There was a lower building on that side and we could make a Tomb Raider style escape across the rooftops. I pointed carefully and, keeping low to the flat roof, slithered across to the edge of the building.

The next roof was a good ten feet down, but it wouldn't be too far if I lowered myself down. I jumped as I heard a triumphant whoop as the door gave way. I scrambled as fast as I could in that moment of loud noise, turning backwards and dangling over the edge of the roof, dropping expertly down to the next roof. I ran across the slightly sloped tiles, crouching almost double to keep out of sight. I pushed myself into a silent sprint, taking a flying leap to the next building. My knees gave out as I landed and I dived forwards, rolling back onto my shaky feet to keep running. I heard four thumps behind me and breathed a sigh of relief.

I built up my speed, seeing a huge gap between this building and the next. I tried not to think that I might fall, hoping only that I wouldn't if I didn't think I would... I took a gigantic leap off the very edge of the building, feeling my toe tip out over thin air. I flung my arms out and felt my elbows slam down as they landed on the edge. My knees crashed into the walls and I coughed in surprise, pausing before dragging myself up. The muffled sounds of shouting back in the apartment were getting less muffled, so I gave up trying to be quiet.

Someone shouted, 'There they are!' and there was a massive upheaval as Neit, Ori, Perse and Skye slammed into the wall behind me. I got to my feet and forced myself to jog faster until I was running on legs that worked like clockwork springs. I dropped down another level, only two stories above street level now. My lungs were burning and my leg muscles were scorched. I could feel bruises rising on the underside of my arms where they had hit the roof. I jumped onto a sloping porch roof, feeling my knees crumple as I dropped to my arse after that story-high drop. I slithered off the edge of the sloped roof and splattered onto the street below. I rolled over, glancing back briefly to see Ori, then Skye, drop over the edge onto the porch, landing significantly more professionally than I had.

I forced my body up with my shaking arms and stumbled into a half run, trying to convince myself that we were almost done. In truth, I had no idea where we were meant to be going. The only thing I knew was that the others were trusting me to save them. That knowledge steeled me somehow, and I straightened, running faster. My footsteps echoed dankly off the oppressive grey walls of the tall building around us. I glanced back again as the buildings thinned out and moonlight slanted across the street.

Ori, Skye, Perse and Neit were only a short way behind me, and I could hear the guards jumping across that wide gap. I put on a burst of speed, calling back to the others. I looked to check that they had heard me, then skittered to a halt, inches before the edge of the wharf.

Dark water sloshed just feet beneath me, and I backed away slightly. The others caught up to me and I pointed, breathless. Neit pointed back to where we had come and I nodded, jerking my head in the direction of the other wharves, running to my right away down the waterfront. I gestured for them to go ahead. After only a slight pause, during which I glared at them furiously, the four of them jogged off and out of sight into the shadows. I back-stepped until I was at the end of a stone pier. I clenched my dragon charm between my icy fingers for good luck, then arranged myself into a composed state of mind. My trench coat whipped in the sea breeze, which was fluttering the tails of the bandannas loosely wrapped around my forehead and neck.

The guards came thundering down the street, several pointing at me.

'Hey boys!' I called, tossing my hair back. About five of them dropped to their knees, aiming guns at me.

'Hands in the air, weapons on the ground!' one of them snapped.

'In that order?' I asked, frowning.

'Just do it,' he snapped.

I shrugged and lifted my hands into the air, trying to reach my gun with my tongue.

'Oh ha ha,' the guard drawled. 'Take the gun out of the holster, drop it on the floor, then put your hands in the air.'

'Oh NOW I get it!' I laughed, taking out the gun. I made to put it on the floor, then, with my heart thundering like a drum, I took a deep breath and pushed off against the ground with my hand, flipping backwards off the pier with a horrific crunch from my back. It didn't hurt, though, so I took no notice. I plunged into the water, clinging onto my gun desperately. I came up for a momentary breath, slotting my pistol away tightly in its holster. I dived back under the salty surface and swam blind, my eyes screwed shut and one hand tracing along the stones of the wall. I slipped underneath some boats, surfacing for a breath before going further out into the bay. I ducked under a massive catamaran, pushing open the hatch and clambering inside. I leaned against the inside wall for a while, catching my breath.

Fortunately, my clothes didn't hold too much water, so I was able to stand up fairly easily and jog the length of the storage hold to the hatch. I clambered out onto the deck, keeping low to avoid being seen. The guards seemed to have dispersed a little, half going the way the others went. I ran to the edge of the boat, glancing down. A few feet out was a speedboat.

A grin spread across my face and I made the small jump down. I settled into the seat and pressed my fingers against the ignition, forcing a small bolt of magic into it. The engine growled into life, and I slammed my foot against the pedal. The boat's nose lifted out of the water as it purred across the surface of the bay. I wheeled it along parallel to the wharves, going at top speed through the empty waters. I began to catch up to the others as they ran along the edge.

'Honk if you're horny!' I yelled out, skidding to a halt next to them. Ori grinned at me wearily.

'Good timing, again,' he panted, putting a hand on the edge of the wharf to jump down. Neit, Skye and Perse followed and I pulled away again, much slower this time.

'Sooo,' I grinned, snapping my goggles down over my eyes as the spray began to prickle my face. I had forgotten they were there, as usual, but I can't tell you how useful those things are. I still have them. I very rarely take them off. But anyway, I was telling you a story. 'Where are we headed?'

There was no reply for a while, just the sound of the engine roaring and the others catching their breath. I scraped some strands of wet hair back from where they had plastered themselves to my face and began to address the fact that I had water in my underpants. It wasn't a nice feeling.

'Out into the sea,' Perse told me eventually.

I steered out into the Firth of Forth, glancing along to where the landmasses split to show the endless horizon from where Skye and I had come in a rowing boat, having crossed the North Sea. I still couldn't believe that, and I started to impress myself. I had done way too much to be eighteen. Way too much. Still, it wasn't really all that unusual in this day and age.

Once we were about a mile out, and my leg ached from being pressed against the pedal the whole time, Perse called out to me.

'Okay! This is far enough!'

I pushed the brakes down and pulled the boat over. I tapped the ignition, and the engine's purr faded and spluttered out. All we could hear was the sound of sloshing water against the side of the boat.

'Apparate out, one by one. We'll go back to the Temple, then out to wherever Raven and that lot send us. Make sure you stand in the middle and balance the weight before you go,' I said. 'Skye, you okay?'

'Yeah,' she smiled, standing up. 'I'll go first.'

We all shuffled around to make it all even and Skye stood in the middle, her cloak whipping slightly in the surprisingly low wind. She raised her hand in front of her face and clicked her fingers sharply. With a slight tapping pop, she vanished. A little swirl of dust eddied in the air, then dispersed.

'You go next, Neit,' I decided. She stood up and went into the middle as I moved to the back of the boat to balance her out. She turned to me before she went.

'You know, I really wasn't sure what this was going to be like. I've been in a lot of places and I've done a lot of things. I know a good leader when I see one. Rae, you're the best leader I've ever had. You're young - too young, but you'll be a powerful woman one day. It was an honour to work with you, and I'm glad that this is just the beginning.'

She reached out and shook my hand, then placed her palms together and bowed to me. I did the same, feeling a total sense of pride in myself. She turned her back to me and snapped her fingers, a swirl of darkness occupying her space, before that, too, drifted into the wind.

'Ori,' I said, grinning.

'She's right, you know,' he smiled, kissing my lips briefly before stepping up, bowing his head and closing his hands together. As they met, he drew them apart and clapped sharply, his body curling into a ball of black smoke.

Perse grinned to me. 'Show-off, he is.'

She vanished without further ado, simply stepping into thin air. I was standing alone in the small boat, looking out over the sea. I licked my lips, tasting salt and fish. To think where I would have been without all this. I don't know. I grinned, shrugging, and jumped up, spreading my arms and vanishing in a cloud of sparks.

~

I landed as neatly as possible, just dropping to the ground in front of the Temple. The other four were clustered near the door, so I walked over to them.

'Raven, Adura, Malfoy and Cloud all went to Hogwarts,' Perse reminded us. 'We don't have one of those oobimijiggies so we can't contact them...'

I raised my hand. 'I can get to Draco,' I said reluctantly. Ori glanced up at me, then looked at the ground.

'Okay,' Perse said brightly. 'You talk to him and tell us where they are...'

Although I didn't revel in the notion, there was a guilty delight in the pit of my stomach. I had an excuse to hear his voice. It was like watching your worst enemy get beaten up really badly, or maybe watching lesbians at it on the TV. You don't want to enjoy it, but you do. It's strange.

Draco?

Rae, oh God, I'm so sorry!

Draco, not right now, please!

Sorry, I just... I couldn't live with myself - I can't. Are you alright?

Yeah, I'm fine. You might want to avoid Ori, though.

There was a cold pause.

Yeah, I'll do that.

Draco, where are you?

We're at Hogwarts. Still. Raven's being thorough.

I laughed. I know what you mean. We'll be right there.

We disabled the wards; you can Apparate here now.

Thanks. See you...

'They're at Hogwarts. Raven won't let them go until she's totally done,' I supplied, snapping out of the trance. I noticed immediately that Ori had gone.

'My, he got pissed off quickly,' Neit said, quirking her eyebrows at me.

'It's a long-standing thing,' I explained. She nodded.

'Of course.'

'So where do we go from here?' I asked, looking at Skye and Perse.

'To Hogwarts, I assume,' Skye shrugged. 'Can we just grab something to eat and get a change of clothes first?' she added plaintively.

I laughed. 'Well, yeah.'

I lifted one arm and a trickle of water ran out of my sleeve. I flicked my sodden hair back and shrugged.

'I think we all need a rest and a wash,' I said. 'I need to find dear, sweet Ori. He's in a huffy-pooh, and we need to deal with that.'

Skye and Perse laughed, Neit gave a mysterious smile, and we all headed in through the smaller door set into the massive wooden ones. The halls were empty, and lit only by flaring torches and braziers at either side of the staircase. We all split up and went to our rooms, Skye going along the same passage as I did.

'Listen, I'm really...'

'Save it,' she smiled. 'You came. That's all that matters. I'm just glad to see you all. You, Ori ... Persephone...'

I frowned slightly. Ah well.

'Okay, I won't grovel any more. I promise.'

She laughed again. 'Well, I'll see you when I'm clean and tidy.'

'Then we go to Hogwarts,' I said reluctantly.