Chapter 44 Chapter 44
Amber
"Amber's right," Maya said. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."
"And we'll stick together during the hunt," Jess added. "Safety in numbers, right?"
But Ellie was shaking her head, tears forming in her eyes. "You don't understand. I'm not like you guys. I haven't awakened my wolf yet. I can barely run without getting winded. And Amber, despite being human, can throw a punch. If Alice or any of the heirs catch me, I won't be able to fight back or even escape properly."
"Then we learn to fight," I said firmly. "We use these two weeks to train."
"Train?" Ellie laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Amber, I've never had combat training in my life. My pack believed females should focus on domestic skills. Two weeks isn't nearly enough time to learn how to defend myself against an alpha heir."
"Then we make it enough," I insisted.
But I could see the defeat in her eyes, the resignation that she was going to be prey no matter what we did.
"There might be another way," Ellie said quietly.
Something in her tone made my stomach drop. "What way?"
She glanced around to make sure no one was listening, then lowered her voice. "I heard about a certain potion maker in the nearby village. She has something that can help wolves awaken early."
"Absolutely not," I said immediately.
"Amber!"
"Those potions are dangerous, Ellie. They're untested and illegal for a reason."
"But if I could awaken my wolf, I'd be faster, stronger. I could actually defend myself instead of just being a sitting duck."
"The principal said we just have to run and hide," I argued. "Not fight. We can do that without risking your life on some shady potion."
"You don't understand what these challenges are really like," Ellie said desperately. "People get hurt. Sometimes they die. The heirs might not be trying to kill us, but in the heat of the hunt, accidents happen. And the other students, the ones with grudges, they use the chaos to settle scores. Alice will come for me, Amber. I know she will. And without my wolf, I won't stand a chance."
Maya and Jess exchanged uncertain glances.
"Maybe she has a point," Maya said carefully. "I mean, if the potion could help her awaken her wolf safely, it might be worth considering."
"It's not safe," I insisted. "These black market potions can have serious side effects. You could end up worse off than you started."
"Or I could end up strong enough to survive," Ellie countered. "I don't understand how you are not terrified of Alice or the fact that you aren’t even in any faction yet. Maybe, we both need to take the potion.”
“Ellie, look…”
“If you dont want to come with me, fine. I’ll go alone” She said and I couldn’t risk her going alone, not after seeing Clarke kill someone for no reason.
I hadn’t shared anything about my nightly escapades or my spying with Damian and I wasn’t going to either.
"Fine," I said finally, hating myself for it. "But I'm coming with you. And if this potion maker seems even slightly sketchy, we're leaving immediately."
Ellie's face lit up with relief. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
"When are we doing this?" Jess asked.
"Tonight, just me and Amber though. We can’t all get seen sneaking outside the campus." Ellie said. "Besides, the potion maker only takes clients after dark. Less chance of getting caught."
I spent the rest of the day trying to talk Ellie out of act normal, attending classes and pretending we weren't planning to sneak off campus to visit an illegal potion dealer. By the time night fell, my nerves were shot and I was seriously reconsidering this entire plan.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked Ellie for the hundredth time as we crept out of our dorm building.
"I'm sure," she whispered back, though her hands were shaking.
We made our way across campus, sticking to the shadows and avoiding the main pathways where patrols might spot us.
The night air was cool, carrying the scent of pine and earth, and somewhere in the distance, I heard the sound of students training even at this late hour.
We passed by the area where the shady club was located, and I instinctively glanced toward the entrance.
That's when I saw Amy.
She was standing near one of the side doors, pressed up against someone whose back was turned to me. Her hands were on his chest, fingers splayed possessively, and she was looking up at him with an expression I'd seen before.
My heart clenched painfully.
The man was well built with broad shoulders and wore dark clothing.
It could be Damian.
But I couldn't see his face to confirm, and Amy was blocking most of my view with how close she was standing.
I tore my gaze away, telling myself it didn't matter if Amy would lead him to a dark alley, lead his hand to the zipper of dress before he…
"Amber," Ellie tugged at my sleeve urgently. "We need to keep moving."
I nodded and followed Ellie down a narrow path that led away from the academy grounds and toward the village.
The transition was jarring. One moment we were on manicured academy lawns, and the next we were walking through cramped alleyways lined with shabby buildings.
Villagers in worn clothing watched us pass with suspicious eyes, and I pulled my hood lower, suddenly very aware that we didn't belong here.
"How much further?" I whispered.
"Not far," Ellie said, consulting a crumpled piece of paper with directions.
We turned another corner and I caught sight of a well-dressed man standing a few feet away, his back to us. He was talking to someone I couldn't see, and as I watched, he pocketed something small quickly. His clothes looked expensive, and completely out of place in this run-down area.
"Ellie," I started, but she was already tugging me forward again.
We crossed another alley and finally stopped in front of what had to be the most unwelcoming shop I'd ever seen. The small building itself looked like it might collapse at any moment, with cracked windows held together by what appeared to be dried mud and wooden planks that had seen better days.
A crooked sign above the door read "Potions & Remedies" in faded lettering, and the single candle burning in the window did nothing to make it look more inviting.
"This is it?" I asked weakly.
"This is it," Ellie confirmed, squaring her shoulders like she was preparing for battle.
"We could still turn back," I offered hopefully but Ellie was already knocking on the door as I looked around, my danger senses tingling.