Chapter Five

## Plot

The RV continues travelling north, getting stopped at checkpoints aimed to prevent non-humans from reaching Enodia. Hawk, Teige, Abi, and Parker manage to shove themselves into the bathroom, hidden by Minnie’s invisibility charm. They pull over to a rest stop near the water soon after. Hidden from the road, Hawk helps Teige put his repaired binder on around his injured shoulder. They talk for a minute about Teige’s choice to risk his life to help the people bound for the slave trade in Leigh, but are interrupted by two unicorns. Aram introduces himself to both of them, and Hawk and Kim have a short conversation in sign language before Parker calls to Teige and Hawk that they’re leaving. As they continue driving, Hawk wonders how many monsters are going to Enodia. Abi estimates hundreds, or every monster that's able to.

That night, Hawk has a more surreal dream, featuring his brother telling him that death is no excuse to not help his sister. Parker checks in on him, and tells him about a monster run radio station to help him sleep.

On a ferry run by a mixed species couple, Hawk relaxes and learns more sign language with Kim and Aram. Parker refuses to let Teige make fun of him. That night Hawk gets up and sits outside in the rain, with Teige joining him soon after. Hawk tells Teige about his fear that once he gets to Enodia, Liya won’t be there. Teige promises to help him find his sister when they get to Enodia.

They continue heading north, seeing evidence of resistance groups resisting and trees turning orange. Teige’s wound has healed enough for him to shapeshift back into his human form. They travel even more, eventually stopping in a campground with Kim and Aram and another couple of monsters. They sit and eat and drink and talk about the Cynn and how Hawk learned sign language. Teige borrows a cell phone to call his family back on Earth, telling his mother about his travels and progress in joining the Order. Meanwhile, Hawk ducks into the RV, where Parker is listening to music. Parker asks briefly if Hawk knows how Teige gets his hormones, but he doesn’t.

On the radio in the RV and outside, the radio announcer announces that Enodia has officially closed its ports.

The werewolf suggests they make their way to a monster friendly inn, but Minnie disagrees on the fact that it will be packed. As they arrive, the see that it is indeed packed. Teige quietly suggests to Hawk that the two of them fly out in the morning.

That night, Abi, Minnie, Teige and Hawk go to the bar to have a few drinks. First Hawk tells Parker about his and Teige’s plan to fly into Enodia, feeling a little guilty at leaving his new friends. As Parker leaves to speak to Teige about the trans thing, a man chats up Hawk.

Teige shows Parker his cool magic hormone tattoo and points out that there are probably plenty of ink-witches in Enodia or Aetheri that could give Parker a similar tattoo. Parker forlornly comments that they have to get there first. The conversation turns to Enodia, and Teige admits hes a little scared of the fighting he’ll have to do as a member of RIT. The two notice that Hawk is missing.

Hawk and the man are relaxing in the man’s hotel room, but the conversation about the bar being a “death trap” triggers something in Hawk that spurs him to go back into the bar, but not before running into the man’s ex boyfriend, Dimitri, as he’s leaving. Hawk finds his way back to Teige and Parker, but soon after the man and his ex get into a physical fight in the bar. Hawk intervenes and consequently gets into a fight outside with Dimitri.

Suddenly, a warning siren goes off signalling the beginning of a raid. The bar disappears, leaving Hawk and everyone who was watching stranded and vulnerable. As the police arrive with magic dampening weapons, Hawk and his friends meet up at the RV. While the police blocked off the road, Hawk directs everyone to an abandoned building he had seen earlier. Before Hawk follows them, however, he stops to help Aram free himself from a harpoon. He directs Kim to the building before getting struck by a harpoon himself, the magic bringing him down.

Even though he feels compelled to try to help hawk, Teige stays with the few who successfully fled the raid. Most were taken captive by the authorities or died.

## Characters

* Hawk Press
* Teige Carroll
* Winifred Parker
* Abi
* Minnie
* Aram
* Kim
* Felix Kildeer
* Dimitri

## Trivia

* The title pairs with Chapter Seven's title.