**unwanted company**

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### **Chapter 3: Unwanted Company** 

Eliana woke up to the faint sound of footsteps. 

Her instincts kicked in before her mind fully caught up. Her eyes snapped open, muscles tensed, ready to run—until she saw the figure standing a few feet away. 

Kieran. 

Of course. 

Eliana exhaled slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Do you always watch people while they sleep, or am I just special?" 

Kieran didn't react to the sarcasm. "It's almost dawn. We should move." 

She groaned, stretching out her stiff limbs. Sleeping on a cold concrete floor wasn't exactly comfortable, but it was better than being dead. Pushing herself up, she brushed the dust off her clothes. "You see anything last night?" 

"Two scouts, likely tracking you," Kieran said. "They didn't get close enough to see us, but they will soon." 

"Great," Eliana muttered. "Love that for me." 

Kieran turned toward the exit, his movements smooth and calculated. "We need to leave now." 

Eliana didn't argue. As much as she didn't trust Kieran, she trusted the government hunters chasing her even less. 

The two of them slipped out of the abandoned train station just as the first light of morning broke over the city skyline. The streets were still quiet, the early morning haze making everything look softer than it really was. 

Eliana pulled her hood up, keeping her head low as they walked. "So, where exactly are we going?" 

"Somewhere safe," Kieran answered. 

"Vague. Comforting." 

Kieran didn't respond. 

She rolled her eyes but didn't push. The less she knew, the better. That way, if they got caught, she wouldn't have any information to give. 

Still, the silence between them was… unsettling. Kieran moved like a ghost—silent, deadly, unreadable. Eliana had dealt with plenty of dangerous people before, but there was something different about him. 

Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. 

"So," she said, breaking the silence. "Since we're apparently travel buddies now, mind telling me how you even found me?" 

Kieran glanced at her. "Your pattern is predictable." 

She scowled. "Excuse me?" 

"You heal people. No matter how much you try to hide, you can't help yourself." 

Eliana didn't like how easily Kieran had figured her out. She crossed her arms. "And that's a bad thing because…?" 

"Because it leaves a trail," Kieran said. "And trails get people killed." 

She wanted to argue, but deep down, she knew he was right. Every time she healed someone, word spread. Whispers turned into rumors, rumors turned into reports, and before long, people came looking for her. 

Sometimes, those people just wanted help. 

Other times, they wanted to own her. 

Eliana sighed. "Yeah, well. Not healing people isn't exactly an option." 

Kieran didn't say anything, but she could feel the judgment radiating off him. 

They continued walking in silence, slipping through side streets and back alleys to avoid attention. The city was waking up now—street vendors setting up, people heading to work, the distant hum of cars filling the air. 

Eliana started to relax. Maybe, just maybe, they'd make it out without any problems— 

A gunshot shattered the morning quiet. 

Her heart lurched. 

"Move," Kieran ordered. 

No need to tell her twice. 

They took off running as another shot rang out, followed by the sound of boots pounding against pavement. 

"How the hell did they find us so fast?!" Eliana shouted. 

Kieran didn't answer. He grabbed her arm and yanked her into an alley, shoving her behind a dumpster just as bullets struck the brick wall where they had been standing. 

Her pulse thundered in her ears. "Okay, so, uh—ideas?" 

Kieran peeked around the corner, his face unreadable. "Three pursuers. Armed." 

"Fan-freaking-tastic." 

Kieran pulled out a knife. 

Eliana blinked. "You brought a knife to a gunfight?" 

Kieran didn't reply. Instead, he moved—fast. 

She barely saw him slip out of cover before the first attacker went down with a choked-out grunt. Kieran spun, dodging gunfire, closing the distance before the second man even had time to react. 

It was over in seconds. 

Eliana peeked out from behind the dumpster. "Holy shit." 

Kieran wiped the blood off his knife. "We need to keep moving." 

She swallowed hard. "Yeah. No argument here." 

Who the hell had she just teamed up with? 

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