The Enemy Beside Me + The Liar Beside Me (Book 1 and 2)

Chapter 33

I PACE AROUND, unable to quiet my nerves as I wait for Alasdair's further instruction. Declan hasn't responded yet. I can't help but think that something has happened to those two.

'Maybe this is just a misunderstanding,' I say, forcing myself to breathe normally. 'Why would Watanabe do something to Eien?'

My monologue stops as my mobile gets a message. I spend no time and read it.

Satan: i've found them

Guy Perfect: Great! Where are they?

Satan: do u know the ao street in the himawari area?

Guy Perfect: That's where I live.

Satan: well, there's a mobile shop beside the lava lamp shop. I don't know why Watanabe brought Eien there, but it's where their GPS stopped.

Guy Perfect: OK, I'll be there. I'll wake up Declan too. Where's his room?

Satan: there's no need for that. He's with me. We're all going there. By the way, I'll send you an image. Show it to the guards, and they'll let you out.

Guy Perfect: Great. See you

As soon as our communication ends, a picture shines on my phone's screen. It's the same emblem of our school: One red lion with angry eyes, a crown on top of its head and spears formed into 'X' behind him. I don't know what's so special about this, but I gotta trust Alasdair's words.

Knowing that Declan will be there puts me at ease. No offence to Alasdair, but I don't think he's got the guts to use his gift against real humans.

Besides, this could be a huge mistake.

No, my brain says.

Every part of me screams for me to stay, but as long as Eien isn't in my arms, I can't do that. He's helped me countless times. It is time I do the same for him.

With determination shooting through my veins, I open the door, ready to prove myself wrong.

Something is wrong. The Alasdair I talked to didn't feel like the Alasdair I know. Since when did he start typing his first sentence in lower case?

A shadow moves towards me, and I feel its hand force my face forward to the next wall. The sound of my nose cracking fills my ears; my tongue tastes iron. Head throbbing with dull pain, I push myself off the wall, but the shadow-no, not a shadow. Someone. Jake?-brings its fist to the middle of my face, and everything goes dark.

* * * * * *

'You're finally awake.'

Opening my eyes have never been this difficult. I've had experienced waking up with a hard hangover mixed with the effects of the pills. But this one, this pain can never match the things I took to numb the voices in my head.

'Look at me,' a voice says. How can someone sound authoritative whilst almost whispering? Am I dreaming, or is this real?

I blacked out. I was running, and then something cracked. That's it. 'Open your eyes,' the voice repeats.

'Honestly, shut your mush,' I say, my head lolling to the side. Shit. The pain that goes deep in the crevices of my head helps me recollect, albeit unclear, the jerk who did this to me. 'Jake, I'll kill you.' That wasn't done by a gift wielder. I've practised with them, and I know how powerful we are. But a human rage goes beyond any gift.

I hear someone stand up from their seat and then feel their-his hand on my head. 'Kids these days. They do not understand the word "respect".'

'Brilliant! Why don't you try getting smacked on the wall and then getting punched? Let's see where your respect can take you, bogey cow!' I spit out without thinking. The more my vision gets clear, the more I regret calling him a bogey cow. 'Sir Yamato?'