Devil's Elbow

Act III: Chapter 12

As the rest of the gang laid by a makeshift fire, Shani sat as a sentry looking out at the night, a heavy sigh the only sound he or anyone else could hear.

“Can't sleep, can you?”

He turned to the person who spoke and smiled at her. “Be lying if I could.” He told Gavriella, who walked up and sat beside him.

“Always the vigilant protector.” She smirked sadly. She wouldn’t voice it out loud but Shani could tell exactly what was eating at her.

“You never need protection, Gavri.”

“Have you not been paying attention tonight, Shani? I have done nothing but freeze up, choke up, or cry since this nightmarish s**t began…” She said frowning. “Since Cole was taken… If I hadn’t recommended taking this trip, Cole and Seth wouldn’t have...”

“Hey. You are not at fault here. I invited them, their deaths are on my conscience and mine alone. And for god’s sake not everyone is gonna react to this the same. It doesn’t make you weak, it doesn't make you useless, it makes you human. If we’re going to be real here, you are probably one of the strongest people I’ve met.”

She looked up at him and then looked away. “You’re just saying that.”

“I am saying that,” He pecked her temple gently. “But I mean it. Now I am going to make sure you get to Austin, but you have to keep your head up and that bitching attitude high.” He smirked.

“DeShan Perry, you watch that rude ass of yours, don't care how cute it is.” She said, glaring and held her mouth wide eyed as she cupped her mouth, while Shani just smiled seeing her old self spring back up. “There we go.” He said and hugged her.

“Keep that spirit going, sis. We need it…” He said to her and soon he felt her reciprocate the hug as she smiled.

“Fine. But you get some rest.”

“What? No, I’m fine being on guard-”

“Ah ah, don't want to hear it. You’ve been playing vigil since this s**t began.Get some rest, preferably with a certain lady friend.” She winked, smiling.

He sighed, lowering his head. “How can you be this persistent, even with all the crap we have been facing?”

“I want my bridesmaid and my brother, who is gonna walk me, to be together. I’m stubborn like that.” She teased.

He sighed and gave her his pistol. “If you see anything?”

“I’ll holler at you guys, don't worry.” She said, taking the gun.

He sighed and stood walking off.

“You care a great deal for him,” a voice said as he left, making her gasp startled. When she saw it was the spirit girl, Krista, she sighed before glaring.

“Krista, don't do that, that's a way to make me waste bullets.”

“Sorry, you just… remind me of Liam…”

She saw the sadness on the girl's face and understood. “Your brother,”

“When Mom and Dad died, Liam was much like your friend Shani; Protective and calm… Until the Entity got in his head… changed him.”

“Krista, Shani isn't Liam.”

“This is true. In some ways though,” She looked into the cave. “He is much worse than Liam…”

Gavriella looked at her confused. “What do you mean ‘in some ways?’” She asked the girl.

“There is something inside him… a darkness that no one in the group has. But what it is, I don’t know.” That was all the girl said, making Gavriella look back into the cave's path, puzzled.

“How dark?”

Gavriella looked back to find Krista gone, but the information she was given hung over her head as she looked back.

Shani... What is she saying..?

Shani looked as he saw Vincent limp his way from another path to the fire circle. “ “Where were you off to?”

“Looking for other ways out of this cave for when this s**t goes south…” Vince said quietly.

“Smart, but you should be resting.”

“If anyone else says that-!” Vince winced as his leg went out.

“Hey hey!” Shani reached for him and caught him before he fell, and it was only then that he saw the frustrated tears behind his best friend's eyes.

“I am tired of being the excess maimed baggage… I don't need pity while everyone is either dying or putting in more effort…”

“Hey c’mon man, we don't see you like baggage.”

“Maybe you don't, but let’s be real here man. Of the four of us left, who is the most likely to lag behind, huh? I’m the one who is hobbling around with one leg, so naturally, when things hit the fan… I’m the one who will be left. And I'm going to want you guys to.”

Shani furrowed his brows at his friend, digesting what his friend was saying. “Vince-”

“No man, promise me. If it looks like it's gonna go against us, leave me out. At worst, I die. But at the very least, I will slow them down like Kodi.”

Shani stared at his friend, taking a hard gulp as he thought about his answer. “It won’t, but if that is what you want… it will be brother.” He said, clasping his friend’s hand and yanked him up into a hug.

“Wish you let me listen to some of my K-Pop at least.” Vince chuckled weakly, making his friend do the same.

“We will when we get out of this,” Shani promised.

Vincent nodded and began limping down another pathway, leaving Shani with more worry than he wanted.

Mica woke up scratching her eyes, sitting up as she heard someone walking up, gripping her knife as her heart raced.

It slowed down once she saw it was Shani and gave out a sigh.

“Shani, you gave me a heart attack.”

“Sorry…” He said, sitting sullenly, which made her worry.

“Hey,” She said, crawling to his back since it was turned against her and wrapped her arms around his torso. “What’s wrong?” She asked him as he sighed.

“Vincent… he’s thinking like a martyr because of his leg and believes we should leave him if the Entity comes. When it comes.” He said, saddened, which Mica had to admit, ate her up inside as she laid her head on his back.

“And you don't want that.” He

“He’s my oldest friend, damn near my brother. I hate that he would ask... as if I would be okay with it…”

And you’re not.” She said, finishing his words, to which he nodded.

“Then I suppose we will have to ensure that doesn't happen, hm?” She asked, turning his head gently to look at her.

“Won’t we?”

He stared and slowly nodded and she tisked, hugging his head. “You always hold your heart on your sleeve. It's another reason to like you.”

“Just like?” He asked quietly, but his tone was light enough to make her smile. “Yes, like.”

She broke her hold as she looked in his eyes. “Shani, I have liked you for a while. Admittedly, not as long as I know you have liked me.”

He looked down. “When did you..?”

“Senior year, that date I had with-”

“Josh Beckindale.” He finished and smirked.

“Gavri invited you to Cole’s place so she wasn't singled out.”

“Yeah, but she knew I didn't like him, and that night further proved my point.”

“It wasn't all bad.” She chuckled.

“Mica, the guy flaked and didn't even show up to the movie you wanted to see.”

“True, but then you dropped everything to get me and Gavri tickets to see it because you knew the workers.”

He shrugged and smiled. “Summer jobs for ya,” he smiled.

“What you did came from your heart. And I was surprised and wondered why at first until I found out.”

“Gavri told you,”

“Gavri told me,”

He turned his head, shaking it. “I knew she was lying about what you were talking about.”

“She said you were being stupid and probably would never admit it then, even if I asked.” She smirked.

“Well, she wasn't wrong…” He admitted, smiling.

“Why not?” She asked, smiling back.

“Mica, I was a scrawny little s**t with a bad temper and, reluctant to admit it, shy. You were the epitome of a pretty goth girl who could easily pull off casual cute just as well.”

She looked down and smiled. “And… what about now?”

“Now?” He asked with raised brows and scratched his short hair twists. “You are a down-to-earth, stunningly beautiful woman, whom I am still surprised you would give the time of day in this hell we’re in.”

She placed a finger on his mouth, stopping him from speaking further as he lowered it and kissed him. “No more words…” She whispered and sat on his lap as she pressed the kiss more.

Shani, returned it wantingly as he ran his hand in her red auburn hair.

As he did, he felt her unbutton his blue and green camo'd flannel, revealing only his chest as he soon lifted her shirt over her arms and head, biting at her neck.

She then moved to his jeans, unzipping them as he did the same, but neither fully unclothing as she pressed tighter onto him, making him gasp for air as he moved with her.

Soon the two found their rhythm, moving in unison as he buried his face in her neck, occasionally biting and kissing her shoulder sensually. Mica, at the same time, gaped as she cradled his curly hair in one hand, while the other trailed his back. Soon, the small area echoed quietly only heard by the two as they ignored everything else the night gave.