Runaway (The Knight Society #1)

I liked Ed. He was the kind of guy that could walk up to a crowd of strangers and within minutes, have them laughing like old friends. It was a nice change of pace from the usual kind of people I talked to. He asked nearly no questions about my life, but he seemed more than happy to answer the dozens I shot at him.

“So, Ed, how long have you been a Knight for?”

My gaze flicked to his belt to find no sword hanging there, but that wasn’t surprising, most people didn’t carry their swords around when they weren’t on duty. Me, I always made sure I had a weapon of some kind on me.

Paranoid, who me?

“It’s been a little over a year since I took the test,” He answered.

Ah, the dreaded test. At graduation all Knights in training were sent out in pairs on their first hunt. If they came back alive and successful, they were considered full-fledged Knights. Come back empty handed and you were forced to undergo another half a year of training before you took another test. The ones that failed the first time around were often given a lot of crap, even if they passed the second time. The way I saw it, it was better if they failed and came back alive, then if they died trying. I did a quick calculation in my head, coming to the conclusion that Ed was around nineteen years old. Thomas and I had undergone the test at the age of fourteen, a full four years before we were supposed to; however, we passed with flying colours. Everyone agreed that we shouldn’t be named full Knights until we turned at least 16, but, not wanting to lose one of their greatest assets, they awarded us a probationary Knight status and sent us out on hunts anyway.

“What was yours like?” Ed asked breaking into my train of thought.

“Huh?” I refocused and realised we were standing outside another set of doors.

He chuckled and opened them to reveal a lounge room. Strolling inside, he plopped down onto a green couch.

“What was your first hunt like?" He repeated, "I mean, you were only fourteen right?”

I sat down on a leather armchair and studied the armrests intently. The leather was peeling off, revealing the material beneath it. Ed sat there watching me, waiting for my reply and I struggled with an answer.

My first hunt was one of the best memories I had of Thomas. We were young, stupid, and more than ready to prove to everyone back home that we could kick some major ass. When we entered the Institute that day, everyone was watching the door, eager to see if we came back alive or not and when we entered covered in blood, grinning like idiots, the cheers nearly brought the roof down. Thomas and I didn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day. My parents even treated me to a smile themselves and a few words of praise which, to fourteen year old me, was better than Christmas. I tried to search my brain for the right words to describe that feeling. The words that could encapsulate the pure joy I felt that day.

“Thomas and I had marched in there thinking that it would be a breeze. We had been called prodigies from the day we could hold a sword you see, so we figured how hard could it be? But I’m not going to lie, when I saw a mongrel for the first time, I was scared shitless.”

Ed laughed softly and I glanced up at him. He sat on the edge of his seat watching me intently.

“But, after a while, all the training we had gone through somehow clicked and we kicked major ass. Everyone figured we would fail, so when we got back to the Institute alive and successful it was…amazing.” I faded off, suddenly wistful.

Clearing my throat, I turned slightly in my seat and showed him the long scar on my right arm that ran from shoulder to elbow. “I got that from one of the mongrels on my first hunt.”

The scar was faded but still noticeable enough against my pale skin.

Ed’s brow knitted in confusion, “Why didn’t you use some of the H-toxin to fix it?”

I grinned at him, “We both refused to take any of it. Thomas had a scratch on his leg too. We wanted to keep them, had it in our brains that all the best warriors had battle scars.”

Ed laughed again, “You and Thomas sound like you were quite the pair.”

I shifted my gaze back down to the armrest.

“We were.” I whispered, emotion choking my voice.

Shaking it off, I grinned up at him again, “Who’s your partner?”

All Knights were assigned hunting partners from the day they began their training. No swapsies or take-backs, but usually they tried to pair you with someone you got along with to makes things easier.

“Oh, um you’ve met him actually.”

My brain immediately went to Avery and I groaned.

Please, dear god no.

“Who?” I asked, even though I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

“Avery.” He said after a moment’s hesitation.

“Ugh.”

Ed chuckled, “Avery’s not all bad… most of the time.”

I snorted, “So he doesn’t usually go around accusing people of identity fraud?”

His eyes pleaded at me, “He’s just a little rough around the edges. Once you get to know him, I’m sure you two will get along great.”

Interesting. I guess Pierre hadn’t told them about the twenty-four hour limit.

“Yeah, we could sit around the fire and discuss my collusion with the mongrels.” My tone was harsher than I wanted it to be, but I could hold a grudge for years.

Sighing in defeat, Ed leaned back in his chair. Something caught his attention and he looked behind me, “Speak of the devil.”

I groaned quietly. Turning around, sure enough Avery stood by the door frame. His eyes shot to me and the grin slipped from his face, replaced with a flash of guilt then a tight frown.

His voice was like granite, “Pierre’s looking for you guys. He asked for me to take you to him.”

I glanced at Ed ready to give him an ‘I told you so’ look but he looked as startled as I felt. Not waiting for a reply, Avery turned on his heel and walked out the door. Getting to our feet, we followed. Ed fell into step with Avery, quickly launching into a whispered debate. Deciding not to intrude, I walked a little bit behind them. Ed's voice seemed tight with anger but something Avery said silenced him. An awkward silence fell and I squirmed under it.

“So, you guys were friends before being partnered?” I asked.

Avery flinched but remained silent at the sound of my voice. Ed, however, looked back at me gratefully.

“How could you tell?” He fell into step alongside me.

“It’s pretty easy to tell the people who were friends before they were partnered up, apart from those who weren’t.”

Avery flinched again.

“I see you’ve been telling her things, Ed.” He sounded like he spoke through gritted teeth.

Ignoring Avery’s comment, Ed grinned at me.

“Well you’re smarter than you look!” He teased and I rolled my eyes, “We have in fact known each other since we were kids. We were both raised here and, believe it or not, I still haven’t been in every room.”

I laughed at that. Avery’s back remained rigid the whole time.

I badly wanted to yell some witty remark at him but I settled with turning to Ed and muttering, “Not going be anywhere near that fireplace soon, huh?”

Ed laughed and I swear I saw the corner of Avery’s lips quirk but it happened too quickly for me to be sure. Perhaps he had heard what I had said earlier. Served him right, there was no need for him to be a jerk. Upon reaching another door, we swept inside. It was a homey little study, surrounded by bookshelves and littered with pieces of loose paper. Pierre was the room's sole occupant, seated behind a large wooden desk. A troubled look covered his face, tension blanketing the room. Something was definitely up. Both Avery and Ed fell into two of the three chairs leaving me to sit between them. Pierre focused on me, sympathy clear on his face, causing my gut ot churn.

“So you… um summoned me or something?” I dared to ask.

He cleared his throat and I could tell he was sorting his thoughts.

Seeming increasingly uncomfortable, he finally opened his mouth to speak, “Ah yes. Well you know how I told you I contacted your parents earlier?”

My stomach sank and I managed a nod.

“Well I received an email from them, stating when they would be arriving.”

Oh god.

I felt the blood drain from my face and a vicious pounding started up behind my right eye.

“When?” I asked.

Pierre shifted in his chair, ill at ease with his role as the messenger.

“Well they are currently hunting in a remote part of Wales, where it is difficult for transport of any kind to reach them.”

I barely restrained a growl.

“I asked you when Pierre.” I barked.

He cleared his throat and shifted in his chair again, before finally replying, “Two days.”

I gripped the edges of my chair.

My voice was ice cold, “Well, it’s a good thing we have our deal then don’t we?”

His expression smoothed out, as he straightened in his chair, “We agreed that you wouldn’t try to escape for twenty-four hours. There was no discussion of the time after that.”

The silence in the room was so acute, I swear I could have heard a pin drop. A beat of stillness hovered in the air and then I snapped.

Leaping out of my seat, I sprang for the door only to find it locked. Resorting to the next best thing, I started to try and kick it down. Arms suddenly grabbed me from behind. Wrenching out of their grip, I spotted a window and leapt for it. Another pair of arms caught me, this time inches before the impact. Some more hands joined the ones already restraining me and I struggled to no avail. I made my body go limp in an attempt to make them believe I had given up. Successfully, one person let go and the other grip relaxed. Someone was talking to me, but the sounds had no meaning, everything was muffled. I was driven by the need to escape again. Instinct overwhelmed me and I quickly sprung out of my captor's grip and jumped for the window again. Holding my arms up to protect my face, I braced for the impact that came this time. Glass cut into my arms, but I pushed through the pain. Crashing through the window, I hit the ground outside surprisingly quickly and glanced behind me to find, by some small miracle, that Pierre’s office was on the ground floor. Wasting no time, I shakily got to my feet, my gaze dazedly drawn to a large glass fragment sticking out of my leg. Hissing, I began to move as fast as I could towards the exit. The best I could manage was a slow stumble. Pain seared through my entire body, burning my nerves, but I pushed forward.

At the sight of the gate, my heart soared. A soft but restraining hand was placed on my shoulder. I turned to see Avery standing there, eyes sympathetic to my plight. After a day of remembering everything I had lost, all the emotions welled up inside me. I looked him in the eyes and tried to will him to let go.

“You don’t understand. I can’t go back. I can’t.” I choked off.

Ed and Pierre materialised behind Avery. Both looked concerned, but my words gave me a new burst of strength. I tugged out of Avery’s grip, taking another stumbling step forward. Within seconds Avery’s hand was back, I turned once again and wished for him to understand. Something in my expression made him hesitate, his hand slowly lifted and I pushed forward. The black gate was within my reach and I fell forward against it.

“Avery.” Pierre’s voice pleaded and despite the panic flooding my system, I knew what was coming.

Strong arms swept me off my feet and I was soon held against Avery’s chest. Objections rose in my throat, but the hammering pain in my leg shut me up. Along with Avery's sword, they had also confiscated the three doses of H-toxin I had swiped. I wasn’t getting far on this leg and I would probably die trying. Slowly, we followed Ed and Pierre back into the Institute. All the while Avery muttered words I couldn’t relay hear.

Finally, he looked down at me and spoke softly, “You really have a death wish don’t you?”

Okay, so maybe jumping through a window wasn’t the smartest thing I'd done, but I was hardly going to admit that to him of all people.

Silence fell between us again, the corner of his mouth twitched at my non-answer. He trudged forward till we reached the infirmary I'd first woken up in. Avery carefully set me down on the bed. It was only after he let go, that I noticed how much I'd liked the warmth of his arms. Pierre whispered something to Ed who quickly took off. Leaving Avery and Pierre to watch me like a couple of vultures that had scented prey. The adrenaline that had flooded my system was quickly leaving and the pain in my leg grew with each second that passed. Taking a bracing breath, I inspected the damage. My arms were covered in scratches from the glass, thankfully they were only small ones. The real problem was my leg. Thanks to my jeans, my legs had escaped getting scratched, however, the chunk of glass was still lodged in my thigh. My hand crept toward it, desperate to get the foreign object out of my body.

“Don’t.” Someone said sharply.

I looked up to see Avery staring at me with an unreadable expression.

“You’ll only make it worse.” He said.

With a sigh, my hands retreated. Pierre cleared his throat, which I was beginning to recognise as a nervous gesture for him. I waited for the lecture or punishment for my crime, but what came next took me off my guard.

“Jack, what did you mean when you said you 'can’t go back'?” Pierre asked softly.

Flinching, I tried to think of an answer to placate him, but my mind was blank. Thankfully, Ed returned, saving me from the Pierre's inquisition. He hadn't returned alone. Carrol stepped through the door, frowning at the sight of me.

“What on earth happened here?” She demanded.

When I didn’t answer, Ed was more than happy to step in. “She jumped out a window.”

He seemed almost amused at what had happened. Shooting him a glare, I squirmed under Carrol's pointed gaze.

Turning to face the guys she spoke sternly, “Ok, time for you guys to leave.”

Pierre looked taken aback, “Carrol.”

She shook her head briskly, “You can wait outside. Doctor's orders.”

Pierre’s displeasure grew, “Carrol, I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Ed and Avery looked traded uneasy looks.

Carrol cocked an eyebrow, “You're going to force her to strip in front of all of you?”

I blushed furiously at the notion as did Pierre. Ed on the other hand looked as if he wouldn’t mind staying which caused my cheeks to redden further. Avery’s expression snapped back to that impassive slate, but I swear the tops of his cheekbones darkened slightly in colour. Thankfully, they all quickly shuffled out of the room.

Carrol turned towards me with a sweet smile on her ace, “Don’t worry dear, you won't actually have to strip. I just wanted to get rid of the crowd.” Moving over to a cabinet she rifled through a drawer. “Ah here we go.” She pulled out two needles, both holding a dose of the H-toxin. “I think we might have to order more at the rate you’re burning through our supplies.” She said drily.

Setting the syringes down on a nearby table, Carrol inspected my wounds, humming thoughtfully.

“I’m going to have to pull out the glass before I can give you any doses. Wouldn't want the wounds to heal over the glass.”

I winced at the thought but gave her a small nod, “Let’s do it.”

She began methodically checking each wound for glass shards. Thankfully most were just scratches and the process didn’t take overly long. The biggest problem was the huge piece still sticking out of my leg. I was used to pain. In fact my parents used it as one of the key factors in my training. It was their way of teaching me to fight, regardless of any injuries I may sustain. Those lessons were always the most…unpleasant. So the pain in my leg didn’t bother me that much, it was more the sight of the glass sticking out of my leg that made me uncomfortable. I wanted it out and I wanted it out now.

“Alright, looks like your all good except for this guy.” She gestured to the piece in my leg.

I grimaced at the thought but nodded anyway.

“Okay here we go.” She gripped the piece with her small hands and began to count. “Okay. One... Two… Three!”

In one swift motion she yanked the piece out of my leg. I restrained the instinctual cry that rose to my lips. Quickly moving over she dropped the glass shard, checked the wound for any stray pieces, before scooping up the two needles. I didn’t feel the usual pinch as the first needle went into my arm. Within seconds I was flooded with soothing relief. Grabbing the second needle, she injected it next to the wound on my leg. I bit my tongue to keep from telling her it wasn’t necessary, because that was one secret I didn’t want broadcasted around the Institute. Instead, lifting my arms I watched as the scratches closed up, turning to faint pink lines before finally disappearing altogether. All the pain now leaving my body, I shifted my gaze down to my leg to find it completely healed. The skin was a bit pink but otherwise unblemished.

“The wound on your leg was more serious than the ones on your arms so the skin and muscles there will still be a bit tender for a couple of hours.” Carrol said as she disposed of the glass.

Still staring at it in amazement, I brushed across the exposed pink skin and winced at the sensitivity. Carrol offered me a wet cloth and I set about wiping the blood off my arms and leg.

“He’s not a bad person you know.” She said and I looked up in confusion, “Pierre. He’s not a bad person. I know you want to leave, but he’s doing what he thinks is best for you.”

I stared at her. Her face was filled with admiration. Clearly Pierre was the kind of person who earned the respect of those around him.

“I know.” My voice was barely above a whisper, but she smiled at me warmly anyway.

Turning towards the door, she opened it to find a very worried looking Ed and Pierre, standing beside a stoic Avery.

“You can come in now.” Her tone showed she was obviously amused. Turning back to me she frowned but I saw the playful glint in her eye. “As for you, try not to jump out any more windows.” With a final wink she exited the room allowing the three guys to enter.

The light mood vanished as Pierre stepped in the room. I looked at Ed and Avery.

Why were they still here?

Dragging my thoughts back to the matter at hand, I sighed. Two escape attempts. Both failures.

Some prodigy I am.

I forced myself to meet Pierre's disappointed gaze, reminding myself that it wasn’t his fault my parents were coming. They would have tracked me down one day. I just thought it would have been further into the future.

“Sorry about your window.” I muttered, trying to inject contrition into my tone. I was never very good at apologies.

Pierre let out a sigh. People tended to sigh a lot when I’m around, I realised.

“It’s fine, we can get it fixed. You, on the other hand, aren’t so replaceable.”

I stared at him hard. Ignoring the guilt eating away at my stomach. “I’m not looking for protection Pierre.”

He didn’t even bat an eye. Avery shot me an accusatory glance, but I ignored it.

Straightening his back his face melded into a firm stare, and he spoke with a surprising evenness, “Well that’s too bad because it’s what you’re getting.”

I swore loudly, startling the three of them. Getting off the bed I started to pace. The headache the H-toxin produced began forming in my temples.

“You don’t understand.”

They exchanged glances clearly confused.

“Understand what?” Pierre asked and I grimaced.

“Have you met my parents?”

“I’m afraid I haven’t had the pleasure.” He replied and I snorted. “But I have heard about them” he continued “they are the best of the best. They'd have to be in order to hold seats on the Council.”

I nodded still pacing. There’s no doubt that my parents were amazing hunters. They were the original dream team so to speak. As members of the Council of Twelve, the body that governed and ruled over the Society, they both cast long shadows. Shadows they were determined I not only pass but completely eclipse.

As good as they are at their jobs they sucked at the whole parent thing. Coming to a stop, I rubbed at my temples and shut my eyes. The last encounter I had with them came to mind and I clenched my teeth. Not two days after Thomas’ funeral, they came to me with a list of potential new partners. They didn’t care that I was still grieving for my best friend or that I had just lost the one person who understood me most. No, all they cared about was getting the remaining half of the new dream team back into action again. We fought, they called me an immature child, and I proved them right by running away the next day. It had been frighteningly easy to just walk away from everything I had ever known. My head throbbed again and I winced.

“Look, why don’t we pick this up again after the twenty-four hours ends?” I asked Pierre, my tone coaxing.

See, I can be reasonable... sometimes.

He studied me, weighing my words before finally agreeing, “Fine, but we will talk about this again.”

Oh joy.

“I have other things to attend to, but I’m sure I can trust Avery and Edmund to watch over you.”

He cast a look at Ed who gave a small reassuring nod. Avery looked like he would rather face down a pack of mongrels with nothing but a feather-duster but he still – begrudgingly – agreed.

“Splendid. I’ll leave you kids to it.” Pierre said before walking to the door, where he paused in the frame, turning cast me one last look. “And do try not to jump out anymore windows, Jack.”

I rolled my eyes as he spun on his heel and vanished. I eyed Ed and Avery as they both stared at me.

“So, Edmund is it?” I asked.

Ed groaned but a smile was on his lips, “Please don’t call me that. Pierre is the only one who does and no matter how much I beg him, he refuses to stop.”

I laughed and patted him on the shoulder, “Don’t worry Edmund I will totally respect your wishes.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Oh really Jacqueline?”

I winced, “Fair enough.”

He grinned and draped an arm over my shoulder. I tensed at the casual touch, slowly relaxing into the foreign feeling.

“Let’s go get some food. I’m starving.” He said and I stared up at him questioningly.

“We just had dinner like two hours ago.”

He looked at me like I was insane, “Exactly.”

Between the time we had left the hospital room and arrived at the lounge, the mood had plummeted. There was no doubt in my mind that Avery’s constant scowl played a key factor. Even Ed had fallen silent, which seemed like a miracle in its self. As I sunk into the same chair as before, I kept my movements minimal in an attempt to not interrupt the vibe. Unfortunately, it seemed like my stomach didn’t get the memo and erupted into a large growl. Red coloured my cheeks.

"I guess jumping through windows made me work up an appetite." I muttered.

Ed grinned, “I’ll go and get that food.”

Smiling appreciatively, I watched as he practically ran from the room. Not that I could blame him. Grinning at the thought, I turned back to see Avery studying me. The smile slipped from my face and I looked away. After a while, I could still feel the heat of his gaze on me and my mouth twitched in annoyance. Finally I turned and gave him my most scathing look.

“What?” I bit out.

He studied me a little longer before leaning back in his chair with a sigh, “You like him.”

I frowned in confusion, “Of course I like him. What’s not to like?”

He rolled his eyes, “Not that kind of like.”

The crease between my brows grew deeper, “What other kind of like is there?”

One eyebrow shot up.

Oh.

While I had to admit Ed was extremely handsome and when we first met, the thought may have crossed my mind, currently all feelings towards him were strictly platonic. However, Avery was the last person I was going to confide in.

“I'll tell you now, there's no point in getting your hopes up.” His voice was smooth but that did little to soften that blow.

Thanks for that blow to my confidence.

I managed to keep the hurt off my face by replacing it with a bored mask.

“And you would know this how?”

An irritating smirk curved his lips and I had to use every ounce of willpower to restrain myself from leaping at him.

“Because he’s gay.” He replied smoothly.

I pursed my lips in a disappointed pout, “That makes sense. All the good ones are taken or gay.”

Avery huffed, “That’s not true.”

“Why would you say that?”

A wicked grin spread across his face, “Because I’m not taken or gay.”

If I didn’t know better I would have said he was being flirtatious.

“You must have heard me wrong. I said all the good ones.” I replied with a sweet smile.

He let out a soft chuckle and muttered something before looking away. Irritation gnawed at me and I began to tug at my hair. At the sound of approaching footsteps I relaxed. Being alone in a room with Avery was suffocating. Turning around, I expected to see Ed but found a shy looking girl, hesitantly standing at the door. Recognising her immediately as the girl I threatened with a spoon, I tried to hide my flush of embarrassment at the memory.

“Victoria! What are you doing here?”

Turning back to Avery I was astonished to find him actually smiling at her. It was a nice smile too. Quickly ignoring the way it made my stomach flutter, I tuned back into their conversation.

“Ed told me you guys were here so I decided to drop by and say hello.” Victoria replied, her voice reminding me a birds chirp.

Upon close inspection, I noticed that she looked to be about eleven years old. She was impossibly skinny and I was sure, that if I tried, I could snap one of her bones without breaking a sweat. Not that I would want to of course. She had a tender sweet smile that made her look like she belonged in a nunnery. When she looked at me, her smile grew despite the fact I had threatened her with a spoon. Warmth radiated off her and I started to understand why Avery was able to smile with her around. Walking over she sat down next to Avery on the couch smiling expectantly. With the two of them sitting next to each other the similarities became startlingly clear. They both had the same tan skin, chocolate hair, and bright blue eyes. They were obviously related in some capacity. Glancing at Avery, who held a pained expression Victoria rolled her eyes.

“Since my brother is being so rude.” She nudged him in the gut with her elbow, “I guess I’ll introduce myself.” Smiling she held out a hand “I’m Victoria Ascott.”

Hesitantly I took her hand, “Jack Bell.”

A smile curled her lips, a devious twinkle shone in her eyes. I had a feeling this girl was trouble.

“Why do you call yourself Jack? Isn’t Jacqueline so much prettier and less” her nose crinkled “boyish.” She said the word like it was the worst thing in the world and I guess for an eleven year old girl it was.

My old jaded self, let out a soft laugh, “Someone special used to call me Jack so decided to keep it.”

Curiosity spiked on both the siblings faces. Victoria leaned forward in her seat her face lighting up, “Oooh was it your partner Thomas? The one that died?”

Frost encased my heart and my voice came out harsh and cold, my single word reply clipped, "Yes.”

Undeterred Victoria began to pepper me with question after question, “So what have you been doing these past two years?”

Shifting in my seat, I avoided looking at her hoping she would stop with the twenty questions routine, “I moved from place to place, never really staying anywhere for very long. I spent most of my time hunting mongrels.”

Amazement flooded her face and I felt like an animal on show. Glancing at Avery for some assistance, all I got was a sympathetic shrug. Fat lot of help that was. I tried to not to take out my irritation with her brother out on Victoria but my patience was wearing thin.

“All by yourself?” she asked, reverence clear in her voice.

I scowled. I didn’t like the thought of being something younger kids within the Knight Society looked up to. In fact, the thought sickened me. In all the years I had been hunting, I had seen enough to make most adults want to curl up into balls and cry. Although I knew it was necessary, I hoped the generation below me never had to experience what I went through.

“Yes.” I replied softly.

Her eyes went wide and she hesitated for some reason. The next question came out in a tumble of words.

“How many have you…um you know…” She trailed off.

“Killed?” I supplied and she nodded meekly.

In my head I added the six from yesterday and the two from the woods to my total and grimaced. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Avery also looked at me in interest. Victoria was practically on the edge of her seat in anticipation and I hated the little voice inside me that told me I was boasting.

My throat tightened as I sated their curiosity. “One-hundred and seventy-two.”

Both stared at me in shock. Avery quickly regained his composure and looked to be impressed. Whereas Victoria sat with her eyes still bugging out of her head.

Snapping out of it she struggled to find words, “That’s- I can’t- It’s just so many!”

Through gritted teeth I spat out a final answer, “Not enough.”

The bitterness of my voice did more than enough to alert Victoria that question time was over. Lost in painful memories, I was oblivious to everything around me until Ed burst through the door triumphantly holding pizza.