escondida

Chapter 59

KAIA'S POV

I sift to the forest near Zeena's house, knowing the minute she senses presence, she'll be out here.

Guns blazing of course. These recent times have been terrible for witches.

Zeena was one of my first target's when I was younger. But I couldn't do it. She was just a girl, a little older than me. How could someone be such a big threat to a whole kingdom?

So I didn't do it. I spoke to her instead. Told her what I was sent to do. And she was just as scared as me. And after a night of deep conversations, it turns out we had lots in common.

Both orphans. Parents killed by the same people that controlled us. By people older than us, more powerful than us. I ended up spending a week with her, helping her plan an escape from her coven - which from the stories she told me, was much, much worse than my situation. And when she did escape, she decided to stay here. Away from other people. Away from any chance of her coven finding her.

Of course, she didn't stay alone though. A boy whom I'm sure is her Mate, Nico, stayed with her. They were always so close. He was wrapped around her pinky finger. He'd do anything for her. And the crazy part was, that at the time, Zee didn't even realise it. And as much as I wanted to, I didn't tell her.

I decided to let them figure it out on their own.

All of a sudden I'm snapped out of my memories when I pick up on a sound in the wind.

The sound of an arrow flying through the air.

Without even thinking, my hands reach up and catch the arrow, right before it takes my guts out. What the fuck. Honestly, I'm more in shock of the fact that I just caught an arrow and less in shock that an arrow was actually fired at me.

"Kaizie!" A female voice shouts and I barely register Zeena's fiery red hair before she throws herself into my arms.

"Zeezie!" I say back, slightly out of breath from the force of her banging into my chest.

"Holy hell Kai, how did you just catch that arrow! That was awesome. I'm really sorry about the arrow too by the way. Jace is always on edge when I tell him I sense someone. He's more of a 'act now think later' type of guy. I'm trying to flush it out of him, but even after seven years, he still doesn't get it."

"Woah, Zee, slow down." I laugh as she pushes off of me and we both stand up. "Who's Jace?"

She gasps, almost as if she forgot that we haven't seen each other in nearly a decade. I used to visit her almost once a month, but as my 'responsibilities' increased, I had less and less spare time.

Thankfully Zeena understood that.

"Gosh, has it really been so long? Kai, you really need to visit more often. I suppose time really does fly by when you age slowly."

She laughs and I nod before she takes my hand, leading me through the trees of her forest.

"Jace, you can lower your bow now." She says and I see a tall man standing beside a tree with a black bow in his hands. He doesn't fully sheath it, but he does lower it.

"Nico!" She shouts out as we walk down a gravel path towards her cute cabin, "Look who's here!"

I smile as a very grown up Nico walks out of the door, having to bend down slightly so as to not hit his head on the door frame. He still has the boyish physique he had all those years ago, but he's grown taller, and more manly.

His skin is tanner than before and his hair has grown from the shaved hair I'd last seen him with. Brown hair now down to his shoulders in a curly mess. Though he still looks as beautiful as ever. Must be a witch thing.