The fear of the unknown... Tracey is determined to beat all odds… What would stop her from finding her abducted sister! Would she be able to do it alone? Lauren Kirk-Cohen is back taking us through that journey to establish what awaits Tracey…

...Continues from Wall of Fire I

I don’t make it far before I hear Evan stumbling along behind me, clearly still dizzy from my blow.

“Stop, Tracey!” he shouts at me. I run faster. I have no idea why he’s so dead set on stopping me – a complete stranger to him.

Unfortunately, Evan is faster than me. I weave through the people going about their days as fast as I can, but within minutes, he has caught up to me. His iron hand grabs my arm again.

I glance around at the people shopping at the market. I look into Evan’s eyes, and scream. I shriek as though I am being murdered and struggle to pull out of his grasp, “Help me!” I scream. People turn towards the two of us in alarm. Within seconds, hands are pulling Evan away from me, and I bolt into the crowd.

I run until I am sure that I have lost him before slowing to a quick walk. As I get my breath back, I start to fully realise the magnitude of the task before me. I don’t know where the guards took Emily. I don’t know the city, or any of the people here. I need to get her back, but I don’t even know where to start, nor who I can trust.

I force myself to stop moving aimlessly forward and sit down on a patch of grass. I need to think; I won’t get Emily back just by wishing it. Judging by Evan’s reaction, it seems unlikely that anyone will just tell me where prisoners are kept and let me go off to save my sister. As much as I wrack my brains, though, I can think of no better option. I’ll just have to keep asking until someone tells me – and hope the guards don’t get wind of it.

I stand up to try my plan, and see Evan standing before me, “Get away from me!” I yell, shoving his chest so that he staggers a few steps back, “Leave me alone!” There are still enough people around to free me from Evan if I start screaming again. I open my mouth, but he is backing away, his hands held up in surrender.

“Wait, please, I just want to talk.”

I narrow my eyes, wondering if I can trust him. I suppose I need to get information from someone, though, “Why do you care so much?” I ask, poised to run or fight at any moment.

“Because I know what it’s like,” Evan says heavily, “We all do. Everyone here has lost family and friends to the guards. When I was young… when I was young, my best boyhood friend was taken. I tried to run after him, but a stranger held me back. I don’t know who it was, but they saved my life. I was trying to do for you what someone else once did for me.”

My anger melts slightly. He’s not a bad person, just one trying to do what’s right.

“I’m going to rescue Emily,” I say firmly, “I know I may die, but I don’t intend to. If you can give me any information that can help me get us both out alive, now is the time.”

I glare at him, daring him to try to stop me.

“It’s impossible,” Evan says heavily.

“Just because you don’t know how to do something doesn’t mean it’s impossible,” I snap.

“Tracey, people have tried,” Evan says. “Do you think you’re the first one to think they can get their friends or family back? Believe me, if there was a way, someone would have found it by now. As long as King Georgin and his army are alive, there’s no way anyone is ever getting out. We don’t even know who’s still alive and who’s dead.”

“Alright,” I say. “That makes sense… where does King Georgin live?”

Evan looks suspiciously at me, “Why?”

“You said that I’m not going to get Emily back as long as he’s alive. So that just means I’ll have to kill him.

Evan covers his eyes with his hand and mutters something that sounds like a prayer asking for patience. “He’s a king, Tracey, and he has magic. Don’t you suppose he’s heavily guarded? Don’t you think he’ll use his magic to defend himself?”

“You’re right,” I murmur. We need to deal with the magic and guards… no one here can like him, I just need to get people willing to fight his men…”

“Tracey, are you even listening to me? Even if you somehow persuaded the whole land to rise up against him, we have no way to combat his magic!”

I close my eyes for a moment and shiver in fear of what I know I must do.

“Leave that to me.”

#To be continued...

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