The colour drains from Mums face and instantly I realise something is terribly wrong. “Mum what is it? It was only a dream right?” She's silent and staring through me deep in thought. “Mum?” My voice is small and scared.
“This can’t be right...” Her voice is a murmur. Like she's talking to herself. “No, there's no way... she can't be.”
Mums grip on my wrists tightens and hurts. “Mum your scaring me.” I try to pull out of her grip and she jumps away from me. I look up at her pleading for her to explain what's going on. She turns from me and frantically starts packing everything. I watch her as she busies around the room getting everything together.
“Get your shoes on we're leaving.” Her tone is brisk.
I do as I'm told and follow her from the room and to the car. She throws our things into the back seat and doesn't even wait for me to get my seat belt on before she wheel spins down the road into the night.
She doesn't say anything else. Just stares angrily at the road ahead. I feel like I've done something wrong but I don't know what. It was just a dream, right? Like the one when Alistair was in our house with Cassey. That can't have been real either. My mums’ reaction on the other hand has me thinking theremust be some truth to it. I don't understand any of it and it doesn't look like mum is in the mood for talking. I sit silently in my seat and stare off into the darkness around us.
We must be going far into the wilderness as there are no lights ahead at all. No cars have driven past what so ever. Aside from the light of the moon and the car its pitch black out there. Occasionally I catch glimpses of little eyes reflected in the headlights but they soon scurry away into the verge.
The silence between mum and I stretches on and she looks no less pissed off. I don't know what else to do so I dig my phone out of my bag. Lo and behold its dead. Surprise surprise. I throw it back in my bag with a sigh. Why didn't I think to charge it at the B&B! After an hour, I can't take it anymore and I look exasperatedly at mum.
“What did I do? I wake up from some nightmare vision thing and now your angry at me? Why?” I watch as her expression softens slightly.
“It's not what you did. It's... It's what you saw that's the worry.” She shakes her head and takes a deep breath. There's a pregnant pause that goes on.
“Is what I saw real? Does Alistair know where we are? He used that big owl to spy on us?”
Mum gives one simple nod then wrings her hands on the steering wheel. “That big Owl is called a Strix. They're demons of the underworld. Servants of Hades. They fly incredibly fast and can see for miles. They use them as scouts and spies. But that's not the only thing your vision means...”
I cut her off as realisation dawns on me. “He attacked Cassey! She was at our house and he used his compulsion to try and find out where we went but she didn't know so he stole her phone! He left though... She was fine. I think.” If he's so evil why didn't he just kill her? Not that I want him to. If he does then Iwill destroy him. Even so I can't believe I'm trying to make him sound better. He probably thinks she can be of more help to him.
“He can use her to find out more about you. Your habits. Your favourite places. No matter what, we have to be unpredictable. Although if what I fear is true than he will be able to find us anywhere no matter what we do to cover our tracks.” She sounds slightly panicked.
“What do you mean?” I don't think I've ever seen mum this rattled. She's scared, angry and sad. The emotions crossing her face are faster than the thoughts flashing through her eyes.
She licks her lips about to speak then closes it again shaking her head. She stares at the road in silence. Slowly I see her body relax.
“I'm probably wrong. At least I hope I am. Don't worry about it for now sweetheart.”
More questions with no answers. I'm a big girl I can handle whatever it is. I know better than to push the subject though. At least she's talking to me now. I'll claim that as a win.
“So where are we going now?” I get comfy in my seat. Chances are we're gonna be driving for a while.
“I don't know. It's going to be near impossible to stay hidden with a Strix on our tail. As long as we keep moving we should stay ahead of Alistair though. The Strix needs to return to him to show him what its seen. It's in those short moments we can change direction and stay one small step ahead.” She sounds certain but I know better. She's worried. We can't keep running.
“I have a different idea. We could let Alistair catch up to us. He'll think he has the upper hand but then the two of us together could outmatch him. He won't expect it.” The plan sounds crazy but what else can we do. I'm not going to spend my life running.
“Your so much like your Dad. It's the sort of insane idea he would come up with.” She smiles. “Although youunderestimate Alistair. One wrong move and everything is over. I'm not willing to risk it or you. I've out run him before I can do it again.”
As she says that a shadow passes over the top of the car. It flies ahead of us and looks back. The chilling white eyes make my heart drop. The Strix has caught up to us. It screeches then swoops back towards us. I duck instinctively as it dives towards the car. I look out the rear window and see it fly into the night behind us back the way we came.
We follow the road for another mile then mum pulls off down a narrow lane. It gets really bumpy and we have to slow down considerably so we don't shake the car to bits. Mum curses under her breath as the Strix flies over us again. The road gets worse. Its barely a road. More like a dirt track better suited for 4x4's not little old hatchbacks. The trees are dense and scrape against the car on both sides. The car jerks to the left into a deep ditch. We're thrown sideways in our seats. Mum tries to pull out but it doesn't move then she tries reversing. The engine wines and mud flies up my window but the car stays where it is.
“Fuck Fuck FUCK!” Mum shouts as she hits the steering wheel. She takes a deep breath and turns to me. Determination and anger in her eyes. “It looks like we're doing your plan after all.”
I take her hand and squeeze it. “We can take him. I know we can.”
“Just remember to concentrate on your connection to the earth. You lose that and we lose. Let natures energy run through you freely but focus it.” She hugs me over the centre console of the car then kisses me on the forehead. “I'm sorry Sweetheart. I tried to keep you safe.”
“Don't be sorry. We can keep each other safe now.” I hug her tighter than ever.
We get out of the car as we see headlights in the distance. The car moves effortlessly over the bumpy road. How is that possible on this track? It draws nearer and I see the shadows beneath the wheels easing it's journey over the rough terrain.
I close my eyes and concentrate on the ground around me. On the trees, bushes and animals. The earth thrums beneath my feet as I summon it. My body is humming with power and it flows through me and back into the ground like an endless current. The headlights stop about 500 yards away and I hear a car door slam in the darkness. The soft beat of wings comes from above as his Strix settles in one of the nearby trees.
