BLESSED BONDS

CHAPTER 04

Have you ever had a nightmare that felt too real?

They frequently haunt me back then, making me lash out in my sleep, screaming bloody murder from what my sister had told me before she would empty a glass of water on my face to awaken me.

The colder the splash, the faster I get back to reality.

I waited and waited —my whole being submerged in freezing waters yet I never woke up from the current nightmare I was living in.

The only thing I felt was my body growing numb, my other senses paralyzed as I continued to sink.

I still waited for me to wake up, hoping, praying that this was all just another nightmare that came to haunt me tonight.

The impact on my back when it met the water had already knocked the air out of my system, my lungs starting to screech in agony. I even forgot the burn in my throat from the excessive vomiting I did.

I then realized at that point that I was already awake. In fact, I was never asleep in the first place.

It was all real.

I both hear and feel the water near me abruptly move. Willingly, I strained my eyes open, blurry at first before focusing on a dark object gradually moving towards me.

The sudden hard grip and tug to my wrist finally kicked my head into gear, and I registered the face so close to mine.

Kylo?

I gape at him. Grasping that the i***t had also jumped and followed me down here.

One second he was staring me straight to my soul, the next he was pulling us up and soon we broke through the river’s surface.

Coughing out the water I inhaled, we struggle a bit to prevent ourselves from going back down again.

“There they are!” Amidst the sound of the river and hoarse intake of breaths, I hear distant shouting. I seek the source and see the bridge, dark figures at the edge waving and screaming directed our way. There was already a noticeable gap in between as the river continued to drift us, the current strong but not harsh enough to kill someone.

“Are you f*****g nuts!?” My ears ring at the close proximity of the shout. I turned my head to once again meet Kylo’s face, this time a livid look spread across it.

His hold around me tightened and I struggled against him, “Why did you jump?”

“Because you jumped!” I could see the vein popping on his forehead, “Why the f**k did you jump?! Are you trying to kill yourself?!”

Despite what that stunt I did earlier looked like, I wasn’t planning on dying. The river flowed with a stable current and there was a creek up ahead where we were heading. I was going to take foot there and make a run for the woods to get away.

That was the initial plan.

Then this bastard cannon balled himself to the river and basically attached himself to me like a leech.

“Let go!” Pushing him away, “I can swim on my own.” He didn’t budge, snaking his arms around me every time I was able to push off his hold on me. I didn’t have that much strength left in me anyways, the puking like hell took a good amount of energy I had.

“No! We’re in a f*****g river for f**k’s sake!” Kylo snarled, “And you literally are planning on running again! Can’t you be normal for once and just stop?”

The anger radiating from him was contagious and seeped into me. What happened next was my arms thrashed as my hands grabbed his hair.

“I said let go of me, damnit!” I cried like a banshee, and with the reserve power I had, I decided that I should drown this fucker.

“f**k!” He wasn’t going to die that easily, fighting me off him as I was dunkin his head in the water.

We grappled in the current, looking like two fishes hooked in one line. We were at it for another few minutes before eventually I felt my feet starting to touch the river bed.

As an act of desperation, I pinched him through his shirt, twisting a n****e.

“Ow!” He shrieks in shock at the jolt of pain giving me just enough leverage to finally shove him away from me.

“That was an illegal move!” Kylo accuses, his hand covering his chest for any more foul moves I would pull.

I rolled my eyes at him before swimming to shallower waters. I crawled up to the river's edge, flipping and laying on my back to catch my breath.

Looking up at the sky, it was clear. The moon shone light down undisturbed.

“Jesus f*****g Christ.” I heard Kylo mutter profanities, and I look to the side to see him hauling his ass out the water, “That’s the last time I’m diving off a f*****g bridge for a girl. Never again.”

I clicked my tongue at that, “I didn’t ask you to act like a hero and come save me.”

Kylo huffed out his disbelief, “Then maybe you shouldn’t be diving off bridges or cliffs or whatever is up your alley.” He sat up, emptying the water in his shoes, “What was the point of the flashy exit anyway?”

“The point was to get away from all of you.” I said in a matter of fact tone, pulling myself up to my feet and walking away.

“Where the hell are you going now?”

“Away from you, obviously!” I disdainfully announced, making a beeline towards the trees. It was bright enough out here that it was easy to maneuver around the woods.

I heard stomping behind me and I picked up the pace.

“What's that supposed to mean, huh?” Kylo resumed our conversation, easily catching up to me with long strides — stupid long-legged bastard, “You agreed to come to the Capital and talk.”

I came to a halt, so sudden that Kylo bumped into me. I spin to face him, pushing a finger to his chest.

“Then what, Kylo?” My eyes narrowed, “After we have our lovely talk in the Capital, then what?”

He looks down at me, his lips forming a thin line instead of answering. It was a cue to continue my tirade, “You honest for god think this will end well after talking? For us? For me?”

“You’re already thinking way ahead and assuming the worst when we don’t even know how it will end.” He argues, shoving away my pointed finger.

I make a grab at my hair, “You don’t get! Do you think I can walk out of all of this after? That I can easily come back out of nowhere and go if I please? You four and I wish for two different things by the end of all of this. I will refuse having to be tied down when the majority vote wins.”

Kylo growled, eyes ablazed, “Actually, that makes two of us. Who said I wanted to tie you down?”

I couldn’t help but scoff, “Yeah, because the hoard of investigators and detectives that are on my ass is really convincing. Not to mention the obscene amount of money offered for my return, like I’m a damn lost show puppy.”

“That was all Hael’s doing.” He said, even rolling his eyes. I wanted to damn poke them with my still pointy broken nails.

“So are you saying if it comes to a certain point, will you let me walk out from it all?”

“Hael’s the one—” I cut him off, my eyes dare to gaze his.

“I’m not asking about Hael. Neither about Luca nor Calix. I’m asking about you, Kylo.” I searched his orbs for an answer, “Will you let me walk out of this in one piece?”

Something in his fiery eyes faltered, his emotion wavering for a split second before his face hardened again. His mouth opened and closed, no words at all. So I decided to put words in his mouth for him.

“Maybe you're not a fan of tying people down like you said. But do you really think Hael’s not the type to do so? How about Luca and Calix? I don’t even want to think about how they’ll react. If you’re going to claim that you don’t give a rat’s ass about any of this, then why didn’t any of you call off the obnoxious search years ago?”

After a brief moment of him letting what I said sink, he finally found his spine, “Because Hae— We…..we have enough power and financial source to do the bare minimum to at least look for our fated bond who ran away from us and finally give us the small amount of closure to why.” He says, voice losing the heat and turning quieter. Gloomy even. “We— no, I… I simply got dragged along the countless endless chases.”

My lips quivered a bit as I sucked in a raspy breath, “Then why are you here, Kylo?” Eyes not breaking away from his, “No one asked you to dive after me. Hael didn’t ask you to follow me. You jumped a few seconds later after me. Why are you here with me, Kylo?”

Somewhere in my gut, I dreaded what his response would be. Turning my heels, I didn’t bother to wait for him or his answer as I started walking away.

From him. From them.

I needed to get away.

He was calling out my name, trying to keep up with me.

I blocked his voice. He wasn’t calling for me — he was calling for his fated bond.

I wasn’t that anymore.

I’m not her.

When I faintly felt the brush of his fingers graze my arm as he wanted to grab me — I bolted.

Running away and never looking back. That was what I was good at.

○○○

HAEL

The f*****g nerve of that girl—

“Get in the car. Calix, you drive.” I barked, almost ripping the car door off.

I instructed the other driver to take the other car back and a minute later Calix was in the driver seat, already starting the vehicle he was driving, and Luca slipped in the back seat right after me.

“We just follow where the river leads.” He mumbles, securing his seatbelt. I did the same, just in time before the car spun and catapulted into a ridiculous speed thanks to Calix’s insane driving.

“She did a fast one on us, gotta admit.” The driver from hell gives credit. I was left pinching my nose.

“I should’ve let them keep the restraints on her.” I voice out my regret.

I feel Luca shift next to me, glaring hard, “She’s not our prisoner. Hael.”

“Might as well treat her like one,” Calix adds, “since she has a tendency to run off, you know.”

“She won’t make it far. Kylo went after her.” Luca tries to give solace, before eventually sighing, “Although I don’t appreciate the back to back heart attacks. Why are kids rushing head first with their adrenaline these days?”

He was sounding like an old man, tired of the younger generation’s wild antics. I don’t really appreciate that since he was only a year older than me. I’m not old, despite the stress lines forming on my face from this hectic night that only seemed to lengthen.

“As if Kylo being there would make it better,” I say.

“He’s right. The kid was already off his bonkers hours ago. He was doing fitness drills on the plane for crying out loud.”

Luca groans his worries, “Can we not think about it too much. I’m already trying to get rid of the thought of him letting her drown because he decided to swim against the current as part of his training.”

I couldn’t help but grimace. There’s a big chance that was a possible outcome.

I felt my pocket vibrate, getting my phone out, I unlocked it.

My eyes immediately widened at the red dot beeping on a map — Kylo was sane enough to turn on his GPS. After months of nagging him to have it on all the time, he finally chooses the right time to do so. Also, thank god he was able to convince me to invest on water-proof phones for us all.

“Kylo turned on his coordinates. They’re heading a bit north from us.” I announced, handing my phone to Calix, “Just keep following the river that way. We’ll catch up in no time.”

He nods, absolutely destroying the gas pedal.

I swore I heard Luca do a small prayer for himself.

Despite currently experiencing whiplash, my thoughts were filled to the brim: starting from the once in a lifetime chance of receiving the right tip out of hundreds and thousands we get daily. The absolute luck of hiring William Cole who had a police son that was nosy enough to dig up information about a psychotic girl using a fake name. On how we finally were able to get Sylvia Sinclair’s blood just a few months ago to add it into our system, after years of her refusing to even talk to us, let alone see us.

We found a match.

It was a long shot, the system showed some kind of connection but the report they gave was so shitty that I almost thought it must’ve been just another close call — we already discovered unknown distant relatives in the Sinclair family tree, but it was never her in the end.

The mugshot, I was skeptical at first. She was far from looking like the pictures of my supposed fated bond, her mother used to send me back then. The persona radiated from the mugshot of a Rue Copper, was far from the regal and delicate vibe I got out of the young girl who I was only then allowed to meet and interact with during special occasions years ago.

She was unrecognizable.

I even tried to convince myself it wasn’t her and that it was an entirely different person.

However, I never skipped on a what-if case. Ever. So why wouldn’t I take another bait?

Canceling my plans for the day and flying out to where this unhinged girl was being kept at, I was sure the guys were going to chew me for dragging their asses out to another fruitless endeavor.

Somehow, only this time, it wasn’t in vain.

I wasn’t religious, but hallelujah!

The moment my eyes laid at the girl on the other side of the window, my knees buckled a bit and I had to steady my footing.

She really was different, not a trace of who she was in the past left today — hair dyed platinum blonde, body ridiculed with ink and art, face covered with makeup and piercings. Even her whole demeanor was foreign to me, unabashedly snapping and giving sass to the interrogators that were trying to milk her of any information.

However, the moment I stared in familiar dark almond eyes, I instantly knew I was sold.

It’s her. It’s definitely her.

I waited for the others and even when they voiced out their doubts, I was solid on my verdict.

Our eyes lighting up gold, finally validated our bonds that were given to us a long while back by fate.

We found her.

After four years of tedious looking, she was finally reckless enough to get caught, her temper bursting in that chaotic bar brawl being her downfall. I don’t even know if I should consider it a blessing that a girl’s face was smashed up from recognition. God, I should send over more than just a basket of apologies.

Calix then notifies, “They’re near.”, and I bobbed my head.

With measured breaths, I calm myself. Sure, I was angry at yet again another escape from her. She could at least be considerate enough to give us all a break from all the chasing. Weren’t the past four years of doing so sufficient already?

Sensing the vexation from me, Luca, the ever observant one, starts to rationalize, “I’m pretty sure she has a reason for doing all this.”

“Aside from her being a b***h and enjoying pulling on our balls? The sadistic little s**t she is?” Calix crudely adds on.

“No.” Luca disapproves more with the words used, “I’m saying that we consider her side of things. She owes us an explanation, sure. But she ran for a reason — maybe from something else or simply just…. from us.” His words trail solemnly.

Not me nor Calix say anything to that. Nevertheless, what he said was right. She does owe us an explanation.

That was supposed to be the initial course of action — to get her to talk. At a place private for all five of us to openly release pent up emotions and frustrations.

Then she f*****g jumped.

The look of no hesitation she had on her face, flashed in my memory. Jesus. When we can apprehend her properly, I take mental note not to set our supposed meeting near open windows in high-rise buildings. I would rather avoid her leaping down a hundred stories.

“Is it just me or is the dot going faster?” I looked at my screen according to what Calix brought to attention, “It is, right?”

I nod, observing how the red dot was indeed picking up pace.

“He’s running, maybe?” Guessed Luca, before I suggested a better one, “More like chasing.”

The car horns blazed aloud, Calix slapping the center of the stirring wheel multiple times, “f*****g move!” He slid down his window more to flip off another passing car, “f**k, Kylo’s chasing her then.”

I made an action to grab onto the back of the driver’s seat, “Never thought I would say this,” I sighed at our impending doom, “but Calix, go faster.” We shared a look through the rear-view mirror, before he let out a short wicked laugh.

“This car’s gonna disintegrate if I force it. But don’t worry. I’ll get us there in time to join the hunt.” The mischievous gleam in his eyes was a bad omen, the next second the car whipped a sharp right and then the car was airborne. We were holding on for our lives in the backseat. The car landed with a harsh bump, jerking us all over the cramped space. Looking around, we were racing through a clearing.

Calix yelled an explanation, “Shortcut!”

He’s going to get us killed, I’m sure of it. If not today by a miracle, then one day, for crying out loud.

As we continued to zoom through his claim of a shorter way, he soon finds a rough patch to resume on driving. As we passed, the foliage alongside the rocky road was growing thicker, trees crowning high.

I was about to voice out a concern about where the hell we are, when I lurched forwards, unprepared by the brakes being hit. The only thing that prevented me from flying towards the radio box in front was my wise choice to buckle up.

After the strangled grunt me and Luca gagged out simultaneously, Calix twisted his body towards us.

“They’ve stopped.” He pointed, and he was right. On the map, the dot was still. In place. “They’re nearby. Let’s go.” Calix eases his way out, whilst the two of us in the back were stumbling out.

“I think I feel my heart in my throat,” said Luca, trying to find his footing.

I was still leaning against the car when I watched Calix practically gallop to where Kylo was on the screen, holding my phone in his hand while the other had his, the flashlight on.

It wasn’t too dark here, a clear sky with the moon lighting bright enough to prevent me from smacking straight into a tree as we followed behind Calix.

From a distance, I swore I heard something just ahead, “You hear that?”

The others did, picking up our pace towards where it came from. As we got closer it was clearly evident of a scuffle being heard.

“Kylo.” Calix said, flashing the phone to let us see we were merely meters away from the red dot.

“I said let go!” There was a shout. A feminine one, “You’re hurting me!” A pained howl followed.

We hurtled over in panic, practically bursting out from behind the trees. In blind rush, we almost ran over two bodies on the ground.

“No, you let go! You’re the one kneeling on my lungs!”

“If you stop groping me everywhere, I will!”

“If you would just stop trying to take off, I wouldn’t be groping you then!”

Standing bewildered at the sight — the two of them were in the middle of a heated battle, rolling on the muddy ground. They were so into it that they took their time before noticing us standing agape at them a moment too late.

Her eyes visibly widened at seeing us here. On her face flashed horror, then panic, before outrage. The last one directed towards Kylo as she whipped her head back to him.

“I told you to let me go!” She raged, “Now look what you did, you neanderthal!” She was on top of him, pinning him down, while he had a vice grip on her, pinning her in place. Her hands were already in his hair earlier and she resumes her nightmare by pulling at it like crazy.

I jolt at the awful yelping released from Kylo’s mouth, “You psychotic little s**t! Stop pulling my hair!” He was near to shrieking already, “Someone f*****g help already!” He threw us a desperate look as he fought off those acrylic nails from balding him too young and early.

Three things happened all at once:

Luca attempts to get her to release her death claws on Kylo’s head.

I was behind her, trying to basically peel her off him.

And lastly, Calix had pulled out his phone, documenting all of this from the start, “This is f*****g gold.” He wasn’t much help.

“Let go of him already.” I hissed at her. She responds by barking back.

“He ripped my f*****g shirt and was trying to feel me up!” She accuses and I accidentally look down to see a big gaping rip at the front of her shirt, her chest was now seen out and bare, her bra threatening to spill out private parts.

Seeing me eyeing, she now lashes at me, “Don’t f*****g look, you sicko!”

I wasn’t looking. Well, not that long, I’ll admit.

“Kylo!” Luca gasps at the sight of her state, swiftly averts away and glaring at the accused.

Kylo was quick to defend, “I didn’t mean to! She was clawing at my face and I accidentally pulled on her top too hard!” He then further explains, “And I wasn’t feeling you up! My hands were just too busy mindlessly fighting you off me anyway I can.”

He unintentionally looks down past her neck which was a bad idea. Now me and Luca were both clutching her hands and wrists, preventing her from digging her claws at his eyes.

“Calix!” I growled at him to make himself useful. He was in mid-cackle when he grunts, shoves his phone in his pocket and slides his way over.

He looms over us, an eyebrow raised, “What’s the deal anyways? It’s not like there’s enough to see under her shirt. I’ve seen better.” It was a taunt, goading her to redirect her focus on him instead. It does the job.

I could hear a bellow coming from her, “Probably your mother’s, right?” She throws it back at him. Successfully distracting her enough for me to yank her off Kylo in one swoop.

“Hey!” She dangles in my hands.

“Give it up already.” I shake her a bit, as if that would help to calm her down. “Good god, you’re filthy.” I turn to Kylo, Luca helping him up, “Both of you are. Did you run into a wood chipper or something?”

The two of them were a mess. Mud everywhere with twigs and dead leaves stuck to them.

“He tackled me first.” She lets out a whine, slowly settling down from her kicking and swinging. I held her up longer than I should, but was mildly surprised when it did actually work in calming her rampage.

“My knee hurts.” She whispers to herself. My eyes fell down to see the damage she claims and then realized she was running in the freaking woods bare footed. Blood dripped down from cuts she sustained here and there on her legs. I suspect more wounds on her feet but the mud covered it up.

I narrowed my eyes into slits at Kylo who grimaced, “My bad.” He shrugs, wiping away the grime from his face.

Dismissing him, I instead say, “It’s time to go. She’s out of gas and won’t be jumping off anything anytime for now.”

“But—”

“We will all talk later. Not here.” I interject, throwing her over my shoulder. A startled squeak escaped her lips before she wiggled a bit in resistance to my hold.

“I can walk on my own,” she concedes and mumbles.

“I bet you can. And I bet you’ll run, so no.” Heading back from where we came from, the other three were trailing behind; Kylo complaining about his scalp stinging, Luca lecturing him about mishandling his strength, and Calix replaying and laughing at the video he took.

“Would it be appropriate to say I want to puke again?” She voices out from behind me, her palm pressed to her mouth, “Being treated like a sack of potatoes is making me queasy.”

“Fat chance.” Said Calix, “In fact, feel free to let it go. Hael has a hundred pairs of the same suit anyways.” He suggested, and I let out an offended grumble.

“Don’t. The car’s near here somewhere.” I quickened my steps, and soon I spot the vehicle parked ahead.

Quite thankful she didn’t take the suggestion of vomiting all over my back, I cautiously lowered her down on the back seat. Instructing her to scoot over to make space for me. Luca opens the door on the other side and takes his place next to her too. Kylo at the passenger seat was a better choice as it was far enough that she won’t be able to reach and sink her nails in him again.

Calix entered the car last, plopping down on his seat.

“So?” He begins, “You two groped each other in the woods, huh? Quite kinky, I gotta say.” I couldn’t help but throw my head back in frustration, while the two in general were barking back.

“I wasn’t groping her!”

“I wasn’t groping him!”

Our designated driver amusingly howled, starting the car.

“Drive slow.” I instruct and I knew it peeved him. He had no choice, unless he wanted to take a chance of her projectile vomiting all the way to the wind shield.

“Aren’t we going to say something about the suicide attempt at the bridge?” Calix set us on a decent speed back to the main road.

“As I said,” I glance to see Luca blanket my coat on her, “We’ll talk later.”