CHAPTER 43: YOU’D BETTER CALM DOWN

"They haven’t gotten far." Ether said as she walked with Silas, frowning as he threw his arm over her shoulder. She narrowed her eyes and shifted close, "You can lower your hand."

"To where? Don’t get any ideas and be a good girl." Silas rolled his eyes. He felt that she was getting comfortable around them recently, ’I guess that’s expected given our situation.’

"I just want you to feel a little more lax with me." Ether smirked, staring at Silas from the corner of her gleaming eyes. He locked eyes with her, then she added, "You can relax."

"Said the wolf to the shepherd." Silas chuckled and Ether giggled. As they walked forth, chuckling away, Silas turned his gaze to the side, then he slowed down to a halt with Ether.

They both turned in the same direction— a sloping road leading into a street. Across the road was a sign, just besides the traffic lights, pointing towards the road, "Sagev Host 2?"

"Man, it’s a four junction." Ether groaned as she raised her hand to scratch her head, a wrinkled frown forming on her face as she clicked her tongue, "They split up around here."

"They must be in the Jun’ and Sagev Districts." Silas said after a quick glance at all the signs, then he returned his gaze to the expectant-faced Ether, "No, we aren’t splitting up."

Jun’ Downtown, Sagev Host 1, Jun Uptown and Sagev Host 2— not the best names, but they served their purpose —seemed to be one, huge interconnected district. It was a given.

If they split up, not only would he lose her excellent nose and his ability to control her but he wouldn’t be able to provide backup if she falls into a trap. There was too much risk.

’If there were more of us, then I would have considered that.’ Silas frowned as he fell in deep thought, his gaze shifting from side to side, ’I wonder which road leads to their base.’

They were going to chase the idiots going in the opposite direct. The chances for being caught in traps was higher if they followed the ones ’leading them’ to their boss’ territory.

"This is because of their confidence. If they aren’t confident in whatever they have in store, then no one would go in the direction of their hideout." Silas spoke in a calm voice.

"Confidence?" Ether sniffed. There were at least four people involved in the attack at the cafe, yet they only split into Jun’ Downtown and Sagev Host 1, "It’s their foolishness."

Out of the two roads, only Sagev Host 1 led towards the hideout. Sagev Host 2 along with Jun’ Uptown served as distractions, in the case someone comes in search for them.

"There’s something strange though," Ether sniffed, grasping Silas’ arm. He stared at Ether as she tugged on his arm, his eyes twitching as he listened, "It’s a familiar smell."

"Someone from the base?" Silas guessed, turning in the direction she was looking in with a frown on his face. There were numerous people, and he didn’t know who it was.

Without her sense of smell, finding them in this crowd would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. He raised a brow as Ether hugged his waist, "What are you doing?"

Ether snuggled closer, dragging him off in the direction of the familiar scent. As she pulled him by his waist, Silas turned to stare in the direction she was dragging him into.

It was the ’familiar’ scent she spoke of. Silas sighed as she crossed the road and they both walked into Jun’ Uptown, then they began tracking the scent, but Silas got worried.

"Why not the others?" he asked, looking from left to right. He felt that it was best to chase down the others, but for some reason she was hunting a guy she was familiar with.

"Don’t you think it’s weird? Why won’t that one walk in the direction of the base?" As they crossed the road, Ether scoffed. Silas turned to her, blinking with a twisted expression.

"I cannot believe that you cannot understand that, but," Silas cleared his throat, then he shifted his glance to the walkway filled with people, "He knows his scent would fool Ether."

"Fool me? If he knew that, then he would have led us into the traps with the others, not walk off alone and hope we’d follow a random scent." Ether said then she squinted her eyes.

Silas matched her pace as she started rushing through the crowd, casting his gaze from one building to another to understand the area. It was quite a busy district for any battling.

He even sighted some uniformed men in the shadows, probably on patrol. After taking a few seconds to understand the area, he shifted his gaze back to the thinning crowd, "Huh?"

It was a familiar figure, but their back was turned to him so he couldn’t make sure, but the closer Ether led them in that direction, he more curious became, ’That familiar hairpin.’

Ether shrugged off his hand, rushing forth into the crowd to grab her target. Silas took a deep breath, then he began following closely behind her, digging his hands in his pockets.

Ether stretched her hand and grasped the slender shoulder, then the person in question paused. She turned around, her twin buns bobbing as she moved her head, "Is there a pr—"

Her expression immediately changed when she saw Ether’s face, then Silas who walked closely behind her. She blinked, casting a quick glance to the hand on her shoulder, "Ether."

"Yeah. I’m glad you remember me." Ether said calmly, grasping the woman’s shoulder tightly. The woman held Ether’s glare as a bead of sweat rolled down her face, "Matilda."

"What?" Silas paused, getting a close look at the woman’s face. She did look a lot like Matilda, who he met on the train, ’So, she was working with the resistance all this time?’

"Tell me Matilda, where’s she?" Ether growled, her claws extending and digging into Matilda’s arm. Every human on the walkway began giving the both of them weird stares.

’Shit. Superhuman activity is bad here.’ Silas frowned as he quickly stepped forth and placed his hand on Ether’s shoulder, causing the chill to disperse, "You’d better calm down."