In Shadows We Rise

Chapter 35

Xander

"What the hell happened?" Layla looks at Atticus expectantly. A has just woken up since Reia's outburst seems to have affected him the most. I can't explain what she did to the rest of us before she blacked out but it didn't feel like an attack. I think it's more likely that she couldn't handle what was going on and accidentally let her pain rush out of her in waves, thereby letting the rest of us feel it for a quick moment. I've felt what Rei did through my powers but it was always protected by the feeling of death. What she let us feel now, I had no idea such agony existed.

"Ask Sorin. This is all his fault," A says through gritted teeth. He doesn't know how to deal with the mess of emotions inside him so he's decided to settle on being angry for now.

"I was just honest; I know what I saw. I'm not the one she fell in love with only to find out it was only pretend. I'm not the one that fucked her into obedience," he mocks our leader. I turn to Atticus, hoping I heard something wrong. The others are silently watching.

"See, I know that is not true but please tell me she did not hear you say that." My friend can't meet my eyes but I can feel the shame coming off him. I can't believe it. My body is heating up with rage, all the negative feelings around me not having a good effect on me. "Why the hell would you say something like that!" I yell at Atticus. Reia is on a bed right next to us but she's still out cold considering the subtleness of her feelings.

Atticus raises his eyes to mine and I can see the danger playing behind them.

"You're the one that has been telling me to kill her from day one!" he spits right back in my face. Before I can say any more a third voice joins our screaming contest. A voice that was not made to reach this kind of volume.

"You are all horrible people!" Naiara yells while ripping her arm from her girlfriend's calming touch. "You've been an absolute asshat even though Rei has never done anything to hurt you," she yells at Sorin. Then she turns to me. "You have tricked her into trusting you while being nothing but fake and suspicious behind her back. And you." She regards Atticus with pure detest. "You are disgusting for saying something like that. You are stupid for taking it that far with her without telling her everything and you are apparently absolutely braindead, speaking about her like that where everyone could hear. She has every right to hate us when she wakes up. Hell, I wouldn't even blame her if she killed us all first thing she opens her eyes."

The usually sweet girl's outburst is followed by a stunned and heavy silence.

"None of us trust or even like her. I won't just pretend that's not true anymore because she couldn't handle the truth. You'll believe me after you've seen the letters in her room." We all turn to look at Sorin, unbelieving expressions mirroring each of our faces. I want to tell him to show us this game-changing evidence when Naiara's expression stops me. Her eyes are wide, her mouth open with unspoken words, and her shoulders stiff. "Seven of you, it needs to come through. Seven steps 'till you see the effects. Try another way and everything will stay." The girl comes to herself with a gasp and Calista is at her side in a second.

We're still silently thinking about the prophecy when I hear movement from the bed. I turn in time to see Rei slowly opening her beautiful eyes. She looks confused and dazed until her eyes land on our leader.

"Atticus?" she asks huskily but her voice catches everyone's attention as if she'd yelled. I can tell A wants to step closer to her but just as he's about to do so she tries to move her hands. Her eyes drop to where they lie in her lap and when she catches sight of the shackles binding them, she freezes.

"Atticus?" she asks again, this time even quieter. I can see the wheels spinning behind her eyes when she meets my friend's gaze again. I can already feel we're losing her and so must Atticus because he takes a desperate step closer to her.

"Rei," he tries to plead with her but that's the exact moment she seems to remember everything leading up to this. She visibly flinches and wrenches her gaze away from him, causing him to freeze in place. The rest of us stay silent, conflicted between wanting to give them privacy and needing to stay. Whether it's just because we're curious or because we don't want to leave A alone with her right now is not important. I doubt we know it ourselves. Probably both.

"Please listen to me," Atticus whispers. His voice sounds broken and desperate but he doesn't seem to care. For once, he doesn't try to keep up his image of our strong and untouchable leader and it's all the confirmation I need to verify my assumptions.

He loves Reia.

And now he's terrified he'll lose her.

Reia stays as still as a statue, her muscles tense and her eyes focused on the space ahead of her. She doesn't look like herself.