CROSSING RIVER (B×B×B..) *COMPLETE*

Chapter 16- Understanding

Riley felt like River had gone for ages and he started panicking a little. He have known Veronica and most of the people in the organization for nearly two months before he transformed and he could swear, the voice that took River didn’t belong to anyone he had seen or met.

Riley started swimming in circles with his new tail as he waited for River’s return. While the ashy green boy was rummaging through his memory to pinpoint who the voice belonged to, Wayde had his eyes set on the said boy. When the three of them were closer, before the red lights started blinking, Wayde had felt strong protective emotions coming off this boy for River and he didn’t like that.

Before River left, Wayde remembered the boy trying his best to say he wasn’t lander. He could only assume that the boy had connected the dots and understood what lander meant. The siren wondered if River wasn’t lander then why was he assisting them and their creations. He also didn’t understand how the boy seemed more like lander than Meras.

However, Wayde didn’t need to keep on thinking further as the ceiling on the top of his cell opened and came in a machine which had River on hold. Wayde was at the surface in flash and so was Riley on the other side of the glass wall looking pale. He couldn’t understand why they were putting him with Wayde or how he agreed to it! The siren clearly wanted to hurt them both not long ago.

River slip through the machine once it submerged inside and watched in amusement as Wayde started taking out his frustration in the machine by slapping it hard with his tail, causing deep vibrations to emerge from the contact.

The machine went up and out of their sight and the siren’s focus was turned to him. River felt uneasy from the stare and looked away, not feeling like challenging a creature born and raised deep in the ocean. It didn’t matter because he was roughly pushed to the wall and trapped by the creature’s weight as he heard a hoarse word said in utter disgust, “La-an-der!”
The painful biting or killing intent didn’t come as River waited for it, so he opened his eyes and watched Wayde’s black eyes and handsome face which was very close to his own. Riley was just on the other side slamming hard on the wall, yelling at Wayde to back off.

River watched Wayde who was also staring at him but when Riley started shouting on the other side, the siren’s expression changed to one that was something close to satisfaction. A gasp escaped his mouth as he was suddenly pulled by the hand to the other side, far from Riley.

Wayde pushed him to the corner and placed himself in front of him, trying to block Riley’s view. River thought, ‘so petty’ but didn’t move an inch or say a word. He just quietly allowed Wayde to be in-charge. Wayde smugly looked at Riley while the latter became incredibly angry. He didn’t understand what River was thinking then he wondered if he was being forced to stay with Wayde.

The smug look on Wayde vanished and so did the worried expression on Riley when they heard a low and high frequency humming come from River’s mouth. The song was exotic, something that gave anyone who listened to it, a sense of peace and understanding. One would throw their weapons and drop to their knees upon hearing this melody.

Wayde snapped his body back to look at River with disbelief but didn’t make any move to stop him from humming the melody. He knew of the song but he had never heard it until now. All melodies are passed down from generation to generation, they are engraved in their blood. Similar to that one species of snake who can act dead right after hatching from egg after encountering a predator.

After River stopped, both of them looked at each other then Wayde gave a small nod which River mirrored. Riley snapped out of the peaceful trance and watched as River extended both his arms and placed them on Wayde who seemed to have shivered upon contact but still copied and placed his own hands on River’s shoulders.