The Girl of Shadows [COMPLETE]

Twenty-Seven

["We all can learn how to breathe submerged, we just have to find that person worth drowning for." -R.M Drake]

My breathing was heavy and my legs trembled. Why was I so nervous? I live here.

The anticipation I felt during the few seconds we stood there, feeling the sweat trickle down my antsy hands. A shadow was displayed among the door, appearing within seconds.

Gianna stood there, surprised and puzzled, but then realized we'd returned.

"Oh! How was the trip? You have to tell me everything! Niko, hi!" She hugged us both warmly. I then realized how much I missed her scent against my shoulder. Her eyes were then fixated on the white haired beauty that stood there awkwardly.

"Hi. I'm Maren, Hannah's sister." Maren's smile made her adorable dimples appear.

"Hi! I didn't even know she had a sister! The more you know, right?" You could hear the excitement in her voice, as Gianna always was.

"I want to kindly thank you for taking care of my sister while I couldn't."

"Why's that? She chose us."

"I should have rephrased that," She chuckled, embarrassed at her strange choice of words, "She needed someone, while that someone couldn't be me." She said. I had goosebumps.

"Ah, okay, well come on in! There's no point in just standing here." She opened the door wider.

The fresh scent of home hit my exhausted face as swiftly as I had hoped, receiving the warmth and the hospitality I so missed. Gianna had taken every item in Maren's hands to give to the quiet maids, who obeyed the kind woman's commands.

"I'm surprised you're still awake, mom." Niko said, slipping off his overly worn boots. The smell of his socks reeked the room, but I was sure I was the only one who cared enough to notice.

"Well, Cedric mentioned your arrival. He's asleep, but I am not on purpose."

"Makes sense." He replied. "You guys should head to bed. You'll have a long night ahead of you." Before she could finish, Niko sprinted up the stairs to his shared bedroom with Kinslee and Hugo.

I didn't have a movement in mind of where to go next, but I decided to bring the eccentric Maren up to my humble bedroom for her to wind down. I decided not to sleep, but to finish the book I started while bored in the car.

I led her upstairs, down the hall, and to the door I waited to return to for numerous days. A turn of a doorknob was all it took for my heart to feel whole in the room where I spent most of my time.

"You have a room by yourself?" Maren queried, eying the darkened room I had been away from for a long period of time. "Yeah, it's a long story."

"I'd like to hear it." She said as she dropped her suitcase on the carpeted flooring.

"Of course you would." I responded.

"Well...okay, fine." I gave in to her silent begging.

"We all shared rooms as children. Once we got older, our preferences as roommates had changed. Thorne, the oldest of us, and I made the decision to go our separate ways for privacy. But the rest chose to be within each other."

"Oh, so Cedric and Gianna gave you guys the choice to be housed independently."

"Yes. They felt it was only fair." I remarked.

"That's nice of them."

"Their whole purpose is nice." I replied, plopping down onto my chair. I felt so bewildered by the comfort of my room around me. Maren sat on the bed, waving her hands on the cleaned sheets with a large grin.