My breath came in quick bursts and the only sound was that of my feet against the cobblestone.
I couldn't quite grasp why I was sprinting, but I knew it was a very good reason.
I kept running, not looking back for fear of slowing or falling.
I could feel the pounding of my heart in my head as I took a sharp left.
I skidded to a halt as a brick wall got closer and closer to smashing my face in.
Suddenly cold hands wrapped around my wrists and I was pressed against the wall with my hands behind my back. I was handcuffed and led by a policeman through blurry streets. He thrust me through the door of the gallows and locked me up in an empty cell.
Moments after the door slammed behind him someone else came through the door and took me around the back of the building, simply telling the policemen on guard that he was going to shoot me and I wasn't even good enough for public execution. He pulled me out the back door into an alley and led me out to the forest, nodding curtly to the few people brave enough to look at him. As we walked I kept my eyes downcast, ashamed of whatever I had done and afraid to look up. The man led me swiftly through the trees and eventually we came to a small house smack-dab in the middle of the forest.
He knocked and a moment later the door opened and he pushed me in front of him. I was thrust into a typical kitchen with four men at the table playing poker and drinking. They turned to him when we walked in. He took off my cuffs and I stretched my hands, cracking my knuckles. I glanced up at the man and he smiled.
"I'm Morgan, but you can call me M." His voice was rich. "We believe you passed through a village known as Lackensfern this morning. There was a hanging there, if that helps."
I nodded.
Who are you?
"Did you by chance see a young man known as Ezra hung? He has ice blue eyes, dark short ha-"
"Yes. I mean no. Yes I saw him but no he was not hung. Another man used some kind of magic and a knife to release him and both jumped onto the back of the carriage I was being held in. Ezra? His name's Ezra? As in the Ezra? Oh m-" I snapped my mouth shut when I realized I was babbling and they were all staring. I glanced down, ashamed. "Sorry," I mumbled.
"No, no, go on," Morgan said, looking genuinely interested.
"Well, um, if he's the Ezra then I'm supposed to find him. See, my mother gave a prophecy ten years ago a few weeks before she was hung.
Run like the wind,
For Roman shall come,
Worry not,
In the arms of Ezra,
He'll keep you safe,
So run to him,
Run and hide,
Or you shall not,
Ever survive.
But then a couple nights ago, before Roman and Julian kidnapped me, I saw a shooting star," I explained.
"And how is that significant or relatable to this prophecy thing?" One of the men asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Well it went from next to Roman, past the moon, past Ezra, and collided with another star. I'm pretty sure that star was called Moraga," I said.
"That's Morgan in Ancient," informed one man.
Oh. Well.
Morgan glared at him, his cheeks flushing. "These are my boys. That's Newton, there's Julio, and the other two are Zechariah and Wyatt. Our other two are Ezra and Axel, but Axel is getting Ezra out of the gallows, and Ezra was put in the gallows because he accidentally gave away his position, so he'll be staying put for a while when he gets back. And you will also be staying here for a while so we know we can trust you not to reveal our location or until we can arrange a memory wipe."
I cringed. "Please don't wipe my memory. I really need what I've got in there."
"What's your name?" Julio asked.
"Moon."
"Just Moon?" Morgan asked.
"Seriously? No I'm not Jus' Moon, not to you anyway. I'm Moon Raine Zuelia Ibarra, never ever call me Jus' Moon," I said fiercely.
"Fine."