Avoidables 2

by Rachel Medhurst

  ‘We go up!’ Artie said. A huge crash at the front of the theatre made us jump. The guards had broken the doors down. ‘Quick!’

  We followed Artie up a narrow metal ladder. I made Alia go before me. The ladder disappeared into a small gap in the ceiling and I just made it through the hole when I heard shouting below. John appeared at the bottom of the ladder and our eyes met.

  ‘Come on, Purple,’ Alia called. They’d both made it across the rafters to a small door in the roof.

  ‘I’m going to get you, Dragon!’ John called putting his hands onto the first rung of the ladder.

  I felt my arms prickle and heat ran up my skin. I breathed in deep and then pushed the breath out. The burning that consumed my body rose up through my throat and down the ladder. John screamed and fell to the ground as a blast of fire exploded from me. He grabbed his hands and cried out as other guards came running.

  ‘You want a go?’ I called when they glanced up at me. I looked down at the ladder and saw the metal was red hot. Turning I ran across the rafters, making them bounce with my weight.

  ‘Wow! That was impressive. I didn’t know you’d come into your fire power that well. Your father will be pleased,’ Artie said, opening the door. It was a hatch that led to sky.

  ‘They won’t be long,’ Alia said glancing towards the sound of the guards.

  ‘Ouch, it’s still too hot,’ one of them complained.

  ‘Purple, I didn’t think. How will you get your wings through?’ Artie said, leaning out of the small hatch.

  It was true. If I unfurled my wings inside, I’d never get through the hole. I turned to Alia. Her eyes were wide as the sound of grunting came from the ladder. Someone was attempting to come up it.

  Taking her hand I looked into her eyes. ‘Do you trust me?’

  She took a deep breath and nodded. A small smile spread across my lips as a burst of something unfamiliar unfurled in my chest.

  ‘Okay, I need you to wrap yourself around me. Put your arms around my neck,’ I said, stepping forward and taking her arms. I wrapped them around my neck. Our faces were close and I could feel the heat of her through my clothes as she pressed against me. ‘I know you’re strong, so I want you to wrap your legs around mine and hold on tight.’

  I gripped her upper thighs and pulled her up so she could wrap her legs around my waist. The pressure of her against me made the air rush out of my lungs. I coughed and she giggled.

  ‘Hurry up, Purple,’ Artie said, glancing behind us. ‘I think they may be using clothing or something to climb up.’

  ‘What about you?’ I asked, turning to the hatch and grabbing the sides of it.

  ‘It’s you they’re after, not me. My brother won’t hurt me,’ he said.

  I felt Alia go stiff in my arms but luckily Artie hadn’t noticed his slip. ‘Quick! Go! ’ he said as a guard’s head appeared at the top of the ladder.

  I pulled my legs up and over the hatch and jumped.

  ‘Oh my…’Alia screamed as we hurtled through the air. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close to me. I pushed my wings out of my back and felt my t-shirt rip at the force of their growth. We were falling fast. Alia’s scream bounced off the walls of the surrounding buildings. I flapped once and we flew up. My t-shirt flapped around us, so I released one arm to shrug it off. Alia was clinging onto me, her head pressed to my bare shoulder. Her hands dug into my back. Her hot breath was mingling with mine as I lowered my head.

  ‘Are you okay?’

  She nodded against my shoulder. Her legs were still wrapped around mine. I had one arm around her back and the other just underneath her bottom.

  ‘Do you want to escape with me?’ I called. The wind was whipping our hair. Mine had come loose and was flying back from my face, but hers was hiding her expression. When she pulled herself up me so she could use the hand behind my shoulders to move her hair out the way, I felt a thrill of friction shoot through me.

  ‘Forever…?’ she said directly into my ear.

  I shuddered and forced myself not to smile.

  ‘Maybe another day we can escape forever, but how about just a little while today?’

  I was glad my wings were flapping automatically. We were coming to the edge of Lower Side. If I flew straight on we’d be back at the camp. If I veered left, we’d be somewhere safe and alone.

  ‘I’d like that,’ she said.

  I went left and flew us to the secret cave. I wondered if Hope would mind me bringing Alia here, but then remembered that she’d brought Jason here when she’d first met him. It seemed so long ago when all this had started but in reality it had only been about five short months.

  When I landed in the cave, Alia tried to move back but I held her to me as my wings folded away. She looked up at me and smiled, almost shyly.

  ‘Thank you,’ she whispered.

  I let her go and went over to the supplies.

  ‘I wonder how they knew we were there,’ Alia said.

  I shrugged as I grabbed a couple of cans of drink and brought one over to her. I moved away and she frowned but cleared her brow when she saw me smile.

  ‘If I sit any nearer, I can’t say I’ll be able to keep my hands off you.’

  I sat straighter as her cheeks blossomed red and she dipped her gaze. ‘Purple, I know what I want. I’m not like Layla…’

  ‘I know that. I know I said that I didn’t think I’d be attracted to you, but that’s not quite what I meant. When I first met you I noticed you, but I noticed Layla more because, well…she was obvious.’ I shrugged when she shook her head at me. ‘It’s true. I was going to have some fun with her. I don’t do relationships,’ I said quietly.

  She cocked her head to the side and I struggled not to go over to her and take her in my arms.

  ‘And I don’t do casual,’ she said.

  I glanced down at my feet. My boots were worn and I took a moment to inspect the scuffs on them. My heart was pounding. I wanted this woman under me. I wanted this woman wrapped around me. But could I see myself with a woman forever? She coughed and I looked up. She was smiling.

  ‘We’ll always be good friends,’ she shrugged. Her hair moved against her shoulder and she flicked it back with her hand. I watched the movement. Did I want to stay friends with her? Something pinged in my chest as I watched her drink. She threw her head back and her throat contracted as the liquid moved down it. I swallowed hard and looked away.

  ‘I’m not so sure,’ I whispered.

  She put her drink down and stood up. I watched as she came over to me and knelt in front of me. She reached out and placed a hand on my chest, right over my heart. The corners of her lips lifted into a smile. I looked into her eyes and saw her assessing me.

  ‘You know how I’m feeling better than I do, don’t you?’ I whispered.

  She nodded, the smile still on her face.

  ‘You looked pleased.’ I raised my eyebrows and was tempted to push her away from me, but something made me stop.

  ‘You can stop resisting if you want, Purple, or you can keep running. Either way, whatever is supposed to happen, will happen.’

  She went to pull away, but I clamped my hand on her arm. ‘You mean fate?’ I asked. Slowly I saw my other arm reach out. My hand placed itself over her heart. She nodded but stayed silent. I’d never felt like this before. There was a feeling unfolding inside me. It had started the moment I saw her dancing. I’d denied it. I’d denied her. I’d even thought I was more attracted to Layla.

  ‘You’re such a man,’ she laughed.

  I knew she couldn’t read thoughts, but she must be picking up on mine. I laughed with her and pulled her to me. Our lips met and something exploded between us. I pushed her away and she gasped as she landed on her hands.

  ‘What was that?’ I panted, backing away from her.

  ‘You really are scared of feeling your emotions, aren’t you?’ she whispered, still kneeling on the floor.

  ‘Yes…’ I replied, feeling bad for reacting
that way.

  ‘You’re so strong physically and yet….’ She stood and turned to go back over to her side.

  I stood too and grabbed her back. ‘I want to be strong emotionally too. How can I be?’

  I held her to me and her arms came around my neck.

  ‘The most powerful thing you can do is let me love you. Then feel the emotions you feel for me fully and completely,’ she whispered as she went up on her tip-toes and brought my head down to her lips. This time when the explosion came I let it. I pushed my tongue into her mouth as a warm sensation enfolded the whole of me. It was more than two bodies connecting, it was deep and weird. It was scary and every cell in my body shuddered when she pressed herself closer.

  ‘Balls!’ a shout followed by a crash had us jumping apart. Our breath was panting in and out of us as Hope walked in the cave.

  ‘What the hell, Hope?’ I said, trying to come back down to earth.

  Alia went and sat to take a sip of her drink.

  ‘Sorry for interrupting,’ Hope said. Although she looked less than sorry with a huge smile on her face as she looked at us both.

  ‘What’s going on?’ I snapped. ‘Why are you here?’

  ‘That hurt, Hope!’ Noland said, walking into the cave.

  I frowned when I saw him. That would be why Hope had crashed into the cave. So now Noland knew that Hope was an angel?

  ‘Hope, what have you done?’ I growled, coming up to her and grabbing her good arm.

  ‘Nothing, Deep just dropped us both off. He’s waiting outside,’ she said through gritted teeth. She pulled her arm out of my grip and glared at me.

  Noland was staring at us. ‘What’s been going on?’ His deep voice was lower than usual as he glanced at Alia.

  She laughed and shook her head. I wasn’t expecting her reaction. It made me smile. I took a deep breath and let it out. I’d almost had a panic attack when I’d thought that Hope had revealed herself to Noland.

  ‘I’ve been kissing Purple,’ Alia said.

  Hope laughed, I spun away and Noland growled.

  ‘Why?’ Noland said, walking over to his sister as she stood. He grabbed her arm. I was there within two steps and had my hand wrapped around his bicep.

  ‘Release her you fool. She’s been kissing me because we’re in love.’ The words left my lips without me even thinking them. Everyone gasped, including Alia. I dropped Noland’s arm and he stepped away. Alia turned to me and wrapped her arms around my neck.

  ‘I love you,’ she whispered into my ear. I shuddered as her breath hit the sensitive skin.

  ‘I think I love you too,’ I whispered back as she buried her head into my neck. I felt my eyes close as my arms pulled her to me.

  ‘That’s great, Purple, I’m so pleased,’ Hope said. ‘But we’ve got to go now. The Perfects have brought the trial forward. It starts in an hour.’

  Avoidables 3 is Out Now!

  Jason’s Reckoning

  Get it on Amazon by clicking on the cover.

  His hand landed on my shoulder. A bolt of heat zapped into me and I felt my mood lighten. The angel was powerful and the more time I spent with him, the more in awe I became.

  ‘This is only the beginning, Jason. We’ve waited many years for a chance like this. When the angels decided to come and help the human race again, we had to make sure we could make a lasting impact. Perfects aren’t really that ugly and cruel on the inside, but they’ve allowed themselves to judge so harshly for so long, that they now hold the wrong type of power.’ – Jason’s Reckoning

  Keep up to date by signing up at www.rachelmedhurst.com

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading Avoidables. Purple comes from a place where people are discriminated against for the way they look. Much like our world today. When I started this series, I never realised how much it would teach me.

  If you enjoyed this, or even if you didn’t, please let others know by leaving a review.

  Rachel Medhurst

  Sign up to my mailing list to keep in touch.

  Website: www.rachelmedhurst.com

  Have You Ever Wondered What Happens When You Die?

  They’re called Deadliners, they’re spirits and they play fate with human lives.

  Out Now!

  Copyright © 2014 by Rachel Medhurst

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Author

  Rachel Medhurst writes fiction that appeals to young adults and adults. She wants to bring hope, excitement and feeling through her work. An avid reader herself, she loves to get lost in a book. There's no point in trying to get her to do anything else when she's lost in reading. Writing is Rachel's passion. She's been writing for many years and finally took the plunge in getting her work out there. To keep up to date on new releases please check out her website.

  www.rachelmedhurst.com