Trifecta: Wind [Complete]

Chapter 2: Uncomfortable

We kissed and I lost all sense of time.  It was like going somewhere new and coming home all at the same time. We kissed until we were both panting and I was shaky, but for once not from fear.

"I need to stop, Elise," he told me, pushing back from me.

I did not argue. We climbed up onto the rocky outcrop and I sat beside Matthias, our legs dangling over the edge.

Matthias held my hand in his and I marveled at how much bigger than me he had become.

I had always been a bit smaller than him, but this was ridiculous. Although I did not actually mind.

How had I been so blind as to what was right before me? It was so obvious now.

I wonder if my family was going to be surprised or if they had already suspected. They better not give me any irritatingly knowing looks, I thought. His family was going to be intolerable.

"So, how should we tell our parents?" I asked.

"Well, we open our mouths and use our vocal cords and tongues to—"

I gave him a shove with my free hand. "You open your mouth way too much, buddy," I teased.

"Buddy? Really? You can't think of anything better to call me? Besides, can you honestly say you haven't liked anything I said in the last few hours or so?" He pulled out his fake wolf pup eyes and I rolled mine at him.

"Seriously, though. Should I just text my dad? I don't know when I'll see my family and again in person. It would be nice if we were able to just go and see them together."

"Get him to bring you," Matthias suggested.

I cringed at the words. "I c-can't do that, h-he's as busy as dad is."

Matthias looked angry but quickly hid his reaction to my cowering. "Maybe you could just come with me now. We're already pretty close to the border."

I shook my head. "I wish, but you know I can't. I'm already surprised that I made it this far without breaking down."

"Wanted to see me that badly?" he teased.

I considered lying to tease him, but I decided to be nice. "Yes, but I think maybe it had more to do with the fact that I made my choice. I'm hoping. Or maybe time."

"That's a good sign that this might work," he commented.

I nodded, although the rest of my curse fear did not seem to have lessened.

"Oh," I said as what was really going on began to reveal itself in my mind.  It was not that I could go further from Serge at all.

Serge had followed me.

My stomach sank. It was just another layer of torture he piled on himself, trying to help me in whatever way he could.

The curse flared up and I could feel myself shaking.

"What is it?" Matthias asked. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were fixed on me.

"I just figured out why I was able to come this far. H-he followed me."

"He what?" Matthias said. The burning coals of his temper had just flared up into a roaring blaze.

I held on to Matthias's hand more tightly. "Not like that. He was probably trying to help me because he must have heard me leave and knew I was trying to get to you."

"But he—"

I cut him off before the fright consumed me at his words. "H-he's not an ogre, Matt. H-he wants this lifted more than anyone."