The Girl of Shadows [COMPLETE]

Nine

["Darling, you have so much sadness in your eyes, I can almost touch the scars on your soul and cry." -Alexandra Visiliu]

Our evening escape from the hotel led us down the street at a cafe that was almost closed. We had glasses of water and small confections to hold the hunger for now.

Thorne was oddly silent and staring out the window to the cloudy sky that overcast the city.

"Thorne." Niko affirmed, waving in front of his face.

"Earth to Thorne." Niko raised his voice a bit. Thorne blinked multiple times before coming to consciousness again.

"Yeah?" He asked, resting his forehead on his hand.

"Any luck?" Khai butted in. Niko glared at him for stealing his sentence. I just glanced at Celia, who was giggling at their telepathic bickering.

"No." He answered, gloomily. "You will soon, don't worry." Hugo reassured him. Thorne was struck with Hugo's undying care but shrugged as if he was blanking on what to say back to him.

"I just- it's so stressful... like we're being hunted at the same time." He explained, worrisome in tone and decreasing his volume. "For all we know, we are." Niko shot back.

"Yeah, I just.. All I know is that he's here." He gestured as he spoke about Detroit. And he was for that matter.

"These things take time." I said, taking a small sip of my ice water.

"I know." Was all he managed to choke out, on the verge of frustrated tears.

"Well we need a plan." Hugo announced, lowering his head so the waitress couldn't see him talk.

"Yeah. But what?" Khai replied, moving his eyes around for ideas. Then, a couple walked past our booth, looking skeptical of our being at the cafe.

"That's it!" I declared it a little too loud. A few heads whipped around to my direction but returned to their original states, and me blushing from embarrassment.

'Ok, what, chatterbox?" Niko asked sarcastically. I so desperately wanted to smack him across the face but I kept that urge of violence to myself.

"Either Celia and I will act as one of you guy's wives interested in the Chosen Ones. We act as a couple. A façade, if you will." I confidently stated, taking in the shocked looks displayed among their clueless faces. Oh, how satisfying that was.

"That... actually might work. Hannah you're onto something, you genius!" Hugo praised.

"Maybe. Hannah's a good actress. She's also not going to turn invisible when she sneezes." Niko hinted at Celia, who was clearly offended. I wanted to laugh but I knew I'd have to hear about it later.

"We'll see who acts as her fake husband." Khai added, smiling bright as usual. I shook my head in an amused way.

"Right now, we need Thorne to hurry the hell up!" Niko growled, crossing his arms impatiently. I glared at him and Thorne repeatedly, annoying with his behavior.

"Hey! It's not that easy. I need to think, dumbass." Thorne whispered. Niko whipped his head around to Thorne's direction, just as offended as Celia was minutes ago.

"We're not here to bicker, we're here on a mission. Don't you realize that? Cedric's in danger. And if we don't act soon, I doubt he'll still be alive. Stop acting like children and do your damn job before we lose our father." I spoke, trying to be loud enough to show I was serious but still maintaining a decent inside voice. That shut them up real quick. I swallowed back the tears, because I was afraid. Afraid of failing. Afraid of losing him from our irresponsibility.