The Hidden Gemstone

Chapter: 03

Alex's POV:

"What's your name?" I heard the guy ask. Unwillingly, I opened my eyes to look at him. It was still too dark to see him properly with human eyes, and I was still too tired to focus my energy on my supernatural sight.

"Alex," I replied shortly.

"I'm Cody," he said.

"How did you do that?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Do what?"

"How did you make the ground crack?" I repeated.

Instead of answering, he grinned. "I could ask you the same about the fire."

I looked away, unable to suppress my own smile.

"Did they hit you?" I looked at Cody who wasn't grinning anymore, but looking intently at me. "The men? Did they hit you?"

The memory of one of the men punching me came to my mind. "Why?"

"There's blood at the side of your lips," he said. I drew in my eyebrows and touched the corner of my lip with my thumb. I winced and, feeling the sudden pain, drew back my thumb, which felt damp with blood. "I got this." Cody took a step forward and put his thumb on the corner of my lip. His touch was soft and warm like he was handling it with precise care.

He stood close enough for me to feel the warmth his body gave off which was welcoming against the coldness of the warehouse. He smelled of soap and light perfume, tangled with a little bit of sweat. I saw his eyes flick to a blazing green color for a moment. When the glow faded, so did the pain at the corner of my lip. "There."

"Thanks," I said. In any other circumstance, meeting someone with gifts like mine would've left me speechless. But I was tired and the only thing on my mind was the men who had attacked us. I stared ahead of me, into the fire. It was nearly extinguished since the warehouse was cold and there was nothing to support the flames.

"What did you mean when you said they wouldn't be dead for long?" I asked, still looking at the fire.

"I'll explain it to you later. Right now, we need to get out of here. It's not safe," he warned. I nodded without question. My instincts told me to trust him, and my instincts were never wrong so I went with that. I walked forward and picked up my bag, swinging it over my shoulder and turning toward Cody.

"How does the woods sound?"

He shrugged. I nodded and, casting the faintly burning fire one last glance, turned to walk out of the warehouse. As soon as I stepped out, the chaos in my surroundings made my eardrums vibrate so hard that it felt painful. I closed my eyes at the sudden contact with loud noise. The warehouse may have been cold but it was quiet in there and the traffic noise had caught my senses off guard.

"Supernatural senses?" I nodded. "Must suck."

"Sometimes," I said and began to walk toward the woods. The rain had started and stopped while I was still in the warehouse and despite the cold weather, I had to admit, I was a little disappointed. The breeze blew past me, pushing my hair back and calming my nerves. Air was my favorite element. Even though I had little control over it, it managed to keep my negative emotions at bay.

As we walked deep into the woods and reached the clearing, the traffic noise became faint and I exhaled in relief, throwing my bag aside tiredly. Cody sat down and leaned against a tree. I joined him, sitting across from him so I could face him.

Now that we were outside, I could see him clearly. His eyes were neither green nor red. They were a deep blue color that reminded me of the way the ocean looked at night. His dirty-blond hair was tousled and nearly fell over his eyes. His skin was fair, matching the blond in his hair and making the blue in his eyes more prominent.