It was hot. That was the worst part about all of it, Robin decided. If it hadn't been so hot, she could have borne anything. She almost laughed at herself as she walked along. She had survived a Tokyo summer in a black dress and bustle, with the occasional trench coat, but she was hot walking down a shaded street in a pair of shorts. A wind picked up, and Robin felt a little better, but her bare feet still sank into the asphalt with every step, the pavement burning her feet. As she glanced back, a line of footprints stretched behind her, melted into the street.
Impatiently, she looked ahead again. Where was that girl? Amber was more than two hours late again, and here Robin was, walking barefoot across town to meet her. Amber was almost worse than Dojima had been!
Why was the wind suddenly so strong? There were no clouds, so it couldn't be an approaching storm. She stopped, lifting the hair off the back of her neck with her arms, momentarily regretting the decision to let it grow. She stretched languidly; then froze as the wind carried a familiar scent to her nose. Her eyes snapped open, and she glanced around herself carefully, her eyes darting down the narrow alleyway to her right.
She was being hunted! She had come to America, and still, they had found her! She didn't see anyone, but then, the best hunter she had ever known would not have been spotted.
She broke into a lope, her feet pounding the pavement in an even rhythm. If she heard an orbo shot, or smelled it, she would truly run. She didn't want to draw attention.
Yet.
She turned her head, glancing out of the corner of her eye. A dark shape turned the corner a street down and moved towards her. A trench coat billowed behind him, and his dark hair blew back from his face.
Robin stifled a scream. In a perverse way, she was glad they had sent a friend, and honored that she should rate Amon's attention.
She also knew she was caught already.
She was not loosing control! If they had felt fire craft in the area, it was tightly controlled, or it was another witch! This was unjustified!
Or was it because of Factory?
She ran desperately, trying to reach the commercial district, where there would be witnesses, where Amon might even be apprehended, while someone took her to a hospital and had her seen to.
In her panic, she saw an obstruction before her, and reacted. The low-hanging tree branch went up in flame, creating a momentary blind, during which she changed direction. A shout went up from behind her: her name. She ignored it.
A warning shot rang out. She ducked, rolled, and came up.
The second shot hit.
Impatiently, she looked ahead again. Where was that girl? Amber was more than two hours late again, and here Robin was, walking barefoot across town to meet her. Amber was almost worse than Dojima had been!
Why was the wind suddenly so strong? There were no clouds, so it couldn't be an approaching storm. She stopped, lifting the hair off the back of her neck with her arms, momentarily regretting the decision to let it grow. She stretched languidly; then froze as the wind carried a familiar scent to her nose. Her eyes snapped open, and she glanced around herself carefully, her eyes darting down the narrow alleyway to her right.
She was being hunted! She had come to America, and still, they had found her! She didn't see anyone, but then, the best hunter she had ever known would not have been spotted.
She broke into a lope, her feet pounding the pavement in an even rhythm. If she heard an orbo shot, or smelled it, she would truly run. She didn't want to draw attention.
Yet.
She turned her head, glancing out of the corner of her eye. A dark shape turned the corner a street down and moved towards her. A trench coat billowed behind him, and his dark hair blew back from his face.
Robin stifled a scream. In a perverse way, she was glad they had sent a friend, and honored that she should rate Amon's attention.
She also knew she was caught already.
She was not loosing control! If they had felt fire craft in the area, it was tightly controlled, or it was another witch! This was unjustified!
Or was it because of Factory?
She ran desperately, trying to reach the commercial district, where there would be witnesses, where Amon might even be apprehended, while someone took her to a hospital and had her seen to.
In her panic, she saw an obstruction before her, and reacted. The low-hanging tree branch went up in flame, creating a momentary blind, during which she changed direction. A shout went up from behind her: her name. She ignored it.
A warning shot rang out. She ducked, rolled, and came up.
The second shot hit.