Jade broke into a full run almost as soon as she had turned around, not even thinking of looking back. All that was in her mind was that she needed to get as far away from Drake and his mind before Damien found out. She did feel bad about abandoning Dane to his brother's wrath, but he seemed more than capable of handling it. Making a turn to her right and entering a street full of people and shops set up on the building walls, she realized that she had no clue where she was even running to. She didn't know where the train station was or how to get a ticket. She didn't even know where she would stay that night. However she didn't regret not planning her escape out, because this was probably her only real shot at freedom and if she was caught this time Damien would lock her up so deep in his house that there wasn't even a chance for hope of freedom.

Suddenly she ran smack into someone and both hit the ground hard. She sat there dazed for a moment until her vision came back into focus and she realized that the man she had just run into was now standing and shouting at her angrily. He was short, fat and old. Then she realized why he was shouting at her. As her eyes drifted out into the staring crowd she noticed a slender boy slipping away holding a handful of golden necklaces and jeweled rings. A tall man in silver armor quickly grabbed the boy and walked over to where Jade sat still dazed.

"These two thieves just robbed me!" The man shouted as he panted for air from the exertion of yelling so much. "This one," he pointed a thick finger accusingly at Jade, "distracted me while, that one," motioning to the slender, unshaven boy who seemed indifferent to it all, "stole those," pointing to the jewelry in the young thief's hands, "from me."

"All right, I've heard enough," the tall man growled, "seizing Jade by her arm with his free hand, "I'm taking these two with me sir." He handed him back his precious jewels, "I'm sorry for this inconvenience. Their punishment will fit the crime, Believe me."

"Hey, wait," Jade cried out as he began to tug her through the crowd which was parting for them, "I had nothing to do with this!" She glanced over at the boy, "Tell him!"

"Shut-up," the man snapped, tugging them along harder.

Well, dear that lasted long didn't it, Drake's voice laughed in her head. I suppose prison is better than Damien's though.

She rolled her eyes and moaned. It was as if fate was against her. What had it been? Ten minutes? Fifteen? That was ridiculous. The man stuffed them into a large carriage filled with other people and chained their wrists to the wall, slamming the door behind them. It was dark and smelled of sweat. The carriage gave a jerk and with the clip-clop of horse shoes on the stone they set off.

The boy sitting next to her who had dragged her into all of this yawned and then smacked his lips together lazily, irritating her seriously. "Why did you drag me into this?"

She could just see his dark blue eyes where two dots of light sone on them from the line of fist sized holes lining either side of the gutted out carriage. His eyes widened as he looked at her with those twinkling reflected thin shards of light in them. Then the corner of his mouth twitched, "I'm sorry I didn't plan on it. You just happened to run into him as I snatched the shit."

"That's it?" Jade laughed. That was his explanation for ruining her one good chance at freedom?

"I'm sure your old man or someone can come by to pay off the guards and get you out in no time," he rolled his eyes, slouching as he stretched his legs out in front of him, the chains rattling and clanking together.

"I don't have anyone like that to do that for me," she muttered not out of self pity, but from irritation. How could this have happened to her? Why did she have such bad luck? Hadn't she always though?

I'll come pick you up love, Drake thought smugly. That was the very last thing that she wanted. Drake's voice seemed to be faint though and his thoughts were flickering in and out of her mind. She must have been close to the mile marker. She smiled, knowing that that meant that Damien wouldn't be able to track her down. If she had escaped from his cruel clutches then surely she could wiggle herself out of this situation.

"Don't worry," the thief muttered, "it isn't that terrible if you do end up staying."

"Just exactly how many times have you been sentenced?" Jade questioned him.

He grinned, white teeth shinning in the bright light, "Who knows? I usually escape before my sentence is finished. They aren't very concerned with keeping the prisoners locked in . . . if you know what I mean."

"Well, how close are we to the prison, do you think?" She asked him a second question.

"Um," he tilted his upwards so that he could just see through the slit in the wall, providing the limited light, "I'd guess that the carriage will stop at any moment now. We were pretty close when we were caught."

Jade sighed and look around at the lit faces of the other criminals surrounding her in that small musky little room. Most of them were men and she didn't feel safe as their hungry eyes examined her. The thief to her left seemed to notice her anxiety, but apparently had little to no desire to placate it as he said, "Better not close your eyes for even one second."