“So you do know her name.” He chuckles. “She has just slipped in mind. That is why I asked. I block her out as much as possible. I hate her pitched, annoying voice talking and seeking around my head,” he answers. His face loses form, and I can’t help but lift the corner of my mouth. I like this guy.
I swamp my head to the side. A twig moves heavily, and I see a shim move fast. I freeze to the spot and use my signet to sway my sword in my hand.
“Watch ou—” Caleb jokes. I turn my head so I face him. I push my hand on his mouth hard, silencing him. I use my hand to make a silent gesture using my finger in front of my face.
“Shhh.” I nod my head to the side. His eyes change and he seems to understand what is happening. He takes his sword outand together we stroll forwards. I walk in front, and he follows. The shim runs away, but I have seen it.
I have seen her.
The snake herself.
Aaliyah.
I am surprised she is in her human form right now. I nod my head to make clear we’re following her. I start to run, and Caleb follows me. Twigs break under our feet as we dash beside the water. I have to duck away to not run into some thick twigs. My heart beats fast.
I am going to do some damage to this girl.
Otherwise, she will do it to me. Or worse, to Eliane. I can hear my blood whoosh and my heart drums in my ears. My body tingles, and Aaliyah moves in slow motion. She turns her head and her eyes wide. She is still in her normal clothes, but I know her signet is her biggest strength. Her lips are plump and she has scratches on her arms. Probably from running through the woods. Her human form disappears, and even though she is moving slowly, her form changes, leaving a luminous creature as she does.
A huge alligator appears in front of me.
My eyes feel heavy, but I need to focus. Aaliyah is moving normally again and she jumps forwards. Her jaw opens, exposing her sharp, shiny teeth. The alligator has a white stripe on his jaw. I use my signet to swing my arrow and bow towards Caleb. I roll my shoulders back as the things flies off my back. An arrow shoots beside me. It flies fast, but Aaliyah saw it. It lands on the ground. Using my signet, I hold the next arrow still in the air. I lift my hand and the tingle rushes through it. I twist my palm. The alligator mouth snaps close. The arrows fly straight onto her. Multiple arrows follow and I send them all straight to her. She snaps her mouth open and close fast, trying to get closer, but the arrows landing in her thick skin stop her. As Calebkeeps shooting, I stroll forward pointing my sword at her. Before I can make amends to cut her, the big alligator slides in the water to our right. Arrows cover her back. A red stream of something follows her into the water as she swims away.
Red liquid.
Blood.
I turn to Caleb to say something, but I don’t get to it. The door of my mental hiding cabin swings open and a light bursts into my little drawing house. I close my eyes to let her in and embrace her warmth. Her presence fills me up and I can feel her trying to reach me.
I let her.
She found me.
Even though I can’t see her, hearing her heals something inside of me. Relief fills my heart as she speaks. I can feel her smiling.
“Hi, Brax.”
I find the entrance of her mind and get in. I can’t help but smile from ear to ear and answer her as fast as I can. I am kind of glad she can’t see me, because she would tease me with this smile forever. I answer her, feeling proudness in my chest.
“Hi, Honey.”
Chapter 15
Eliane
“Hi, Honey,”he breathes out, his voice raw and lowering as he puts emphasis on the word honey. My stomach takes a few turns, the tips of my ears turning red. I have never been happy to hear the word ‘honey’ swim through my mind, but every time it is him who says it, I feel like part of me is getting healed. I would swear it even hurt less when I heard my parents’ voice in my head, because all I wanted when I heard them speak ‘honey,’ was to find Braxton even more desperately. He pretends to dislike me, but I know that isn’t how he really feels. He is just pretending to be the self-centered prick and monster everyone hopes he will be. I don’t believe it. When Kailey interrupted my fight with Delilah, we came to the conclusion we wanted to stick together. Only a bit later, I felt Braxton’s presence in my mind stronger than before. I reached out and boom—I got in.
“Where the fudge are you?”I argue, my voice pitching, putting my hands on my hips, letting them fall down as I remember he can’t see me.
“Since when do you say ‘what the fudge?’ You always just say fuck.”He flat out laughs in my head.
God, I have a new favorite sound.
His laugh.
“I am at a waterfall right now. With all those trees you like so much. It is very colorful around here. Very you,”he explains, but I am with my mind stuck somewhere else.
“Can you do that again?”I ask, scrunching my nose up.“Pretty please?”My mind falls silent, and it takes a few seconds before I feel his cold breeze brush against my warm mind.
