escondida

Chapter 52

Oliver's POV

"Why have we not heard from her?" I shout as I slam my fist down on the wooden table we're all sitting around.

It's been nearly a week and we haven't had contact from Miki yet. And I'm starting to get worried. I feel so helpless, just sitting here waiting for her to come home. Not knowing when she'll get home. Not even knowing if she's alive.

"She's not going to be dead Oliver, stop worrying about that." Attikus says calmly. How does he always have a cool head. She's his sister too, maybe not completely as we have different fathers, though I know he cares about her.

"He's right Oliver, she's strong, she's not going to die." Melody whispers softly from beside Attikus. Her voice is strong and she speaks her words with such confidence that I almost believe her.

I want to believe her. So, so badly, but there's always a voice in my head screaming at me.

What if he killed her first?

What if she just decides that she doesn't want to come back here?

What if she's forgotten about us? About me?

What if she's dead?

And they just don't stop. They don't go away.

I need to relax.

I need to see Coralia again.

It feels like ages since I've last seen my girl. And I miss her.

I stand up from my seat quickly, the chair sliding out behind me, making ugly scratchy sounds echo through the room.

I don't say anything as I turn around and leave our conference room, ignoring the others telling me to stop.

I know they won't follow me. I know they know how hard this is for me. And I'm so grateful that they don't follow me, because they can't. I don't want to put my girl in any more danger.

I make my way through the halls and out to the gardens. It's night time now, and slightly cloudy, though I've walked this path countless times so I now know it like the back of my hand.

I keep walking until I get to my lake. I strip out of my clothes until I'm standing there shivering from the cold air. I lift up and grab the loose rock and take out an indigo leaf. I cover my nose as I stuff the leaf into my mouth and chew. I've never gotten used to the foul stench of the leaf. And I don't think I ever will either.

I ignore the pain of my gills splitting in and jump into the lake. I try not to shiver as the icy water rushes up to reach me and instead focus on my surroundings.

It's so beautiful here. The bright flowers growing around the edges. I'll never get tired of it.

Flashes of pink move quickly in my vision and I smile as I see the shiny blonde hair of my girl. She grabs onto my wrist and pulls me down with her, taking me to the bottom of the lake.

She pulls me into her home and I nearly fall to the ground with the impact.

"A little softer next time Cor." I groan from where I'm curled in a ball on her carpet.

"Oh stop being such a drama queen." She huffs as she extends me a hand that I gratefully accept, passing me the spare robe she keeps for when I visit.

"Not that I'm complaining," She says as she guides me to her couch, "But why are you back here so soon?"

"I missed you." I pout and she laughs.

She kisses my nose as she gets up and walks to her little kitchen. I watch as she pours her premade tea into two cups and brings them back to the couch.