Chapter 3
1255 Words
"I never said..."
"People talk." He winked. If Tae had seen that. His blood would have touched the floor. "Are you coming, or not?"
"I am." Walking from behind him as we headed out. "Are your men not coming?"
"They will catch up," he says. Fine with me. Fewer people to watch.
"Who's this?" Amelia emerged from the forest, followed by Sethadien. Their laughter stopped at the sight of our friend here.
"He will lead us through the passage," I spoke.
"He will?" Tae came from behind Ghost. His eyes never left mine. I almost couldn't bear to look at him. "Let's move then." Without a second, he grabbed his horse and his bag and headed on the road without any directions. He is trouble. But I cannot abandon him, as he wouldn't me.
"You've changed," he says. I flipped open the book, searching, ways searching for answers. I couldn't make eye contact with him. Not yet. I cannot and will not get distracted this close to trying to find what I need to break our connection.
"So have you." He got closer. The sweet smell of lemon entered my space. My dead wolf always comes back for just a second to feel his, before it gets snuffed out again. Just like my feelings. He placed his warm hand on top of mine and closed the book. "I have no time," I whispered. Looking behind him, I moved my hand, but he reached for it again. And held it to his chest.
"You are mine." ... "Are you not?" My hand on his chest grew warmer. I can feel his heart still alive. I pull away.
"No!" ... "I belong to him now. Just like you and the others." Again he grabs me and turns me around to face him. His fingers slightly touched my cheeks, and my eyes burned red. My anger can no longer be controlled.
"You are mine! And I will not abandon you. No matter what, My Violetta." ....
"You trust him." Amelia placed her arm on my shoulder and tried to hold me back.
"Are you questioning me?" I stopped. Held her back too. What has gotten into them all? "I know what I'm doing. I have done the research. If I am right, this passage will lead us to the crystal."
"And if you are wrong?" I grabbed her again, my eyes flared like a cracked emerald.
"Stand down!" I hissed. I will not allow this. Before her eyes could channel mine, she stopped. Her arm relaxed, and so did I. "You with me?" It was never a question, she had to be. Otherwise, she'll be against me and she cannot afford it.
"Always." Without a second thought, she said.
"Good." ... "We will stop here!" I shouted. We have only been walking for a few hours. But Sethadien needs to feed. Daytime has turned to night and I can no longer feel the tension, it's draining. I watched Tae pull the horses aside and tie them up. Our new friend here watched us all as if taking notes. I do not like it. I walked to Amelia again. "You can watch him." She looked into my eyes and saw trust. I will never start a war with them. That's the last thing we need right now. He heard me, of course, as he sat and gathered twigs to start a fire. He pats the ground next to him. "You can watch me right here." He looks up at me. "You can tell me your story." That smirk.
"Keep a close eye on him." I said again "Tell him anything he wants to know. Save me from answering his questions." She looked at me confused. "He'll be dead by the end of our journey anyway. If he runs, kill him."
"With pleasure." I walked towards Tae. My beauty's nose was buried deep in his hand gulping down whatever he had. "Shhhh" He hushed her.
"What's she saying?" I whispered, trying to make some sort of conversation.
"That I will always trust you." ... "Can you believe it? Even your horse knows me better." I chuckled for the first time in days.
"You're making jokes now?" I whispered.
"I just wanted to see your smile. I haven't seen it since." He stopped.
"My smile died the day we all died." The aggression got the bitter of me. I sighed. "We need to watch him. He knows more than he's saying."
"Is that an order?" I could have gasped. I turned back to him.
"Yes." If that's what he wants.
"Yes, Pandora." He bowed. My death name. And now our conversation is over.
...... Amelia POV......
I watched his pathetic fingers try and light a flame. It was at least ten minutes, I watched his fingers go numb. I leaned forward and clicked my fingers between the sticks and a spark lit them up. I leant back and watched his face screw, "You couldn't have done that before?" He gasped. I shrugged my shoulders and enjoyed the heat. "I heard you have to answer all my questions?"
"Don't get cocky." I spat. Answering all his questions would be dangerous. Would ruin our entire mission. But I haven't spoken to anyone outside our circle, not since the beach. "Are you going to tell me what you are all doing here? In my realm." For a moment I waited. It brings me back to the beginning.
"Noah!!" I screamed as it all went black. I could no longer feel the warm sand between my toes. The brothers are now gone, hopefully not hurt by my blast of power. This is not what my change felt like last time. The heat waves from the sunrise would bring more power to me and burn my second skin away to transform me more. But this is not it. This is not right. "Hello," I whispered. A whisper cannot get far. But it followed back with another hello. And another and by the time I've heard them all, four more follow my first hello.
I followed the voices. My hand finally reached another that startled me. "Hi. Do you know where we are?" The smell of death came from him. His pale skin and pieces of eyes were almost as dark as the surrounding room, the room that should be cold was hot, the heat burned through my skin, and it was almost impossible to breathe the air that was also trapped inside us.
"No. I'm sorry. I was going to ask you the same question." He turned and as he did a woman came into view. "Violetta?" He says. "Sethadien?" She was shocked. Another male entered our circle. "Prince Tae-Hyeong?" They all knew each other. Brilliant. I thought, I'm alone again. The last voice came to us. But she doesn't sound as worried or frightened as us. "Hi," she says. Her hair curled off her shoulders, she came into view with a light in her hand. But it was not a light. "Freya?" Of course, they know her too. Violetta stepped forward, then stopped. I walked close to them. I don't know why, but I felt peace the closer I got. Behind Freya stood a man. A man I had frequently seen in my visions. I have tried so hard to stay away from it.
"Hello there. My friends" he says as he steps in front of her. "We meet at last."
"Lucifer!" Violetta gasps...
"What do you want to know?" I said to him...
- Writer
