Beyond The Fangs

Chapter 44

JAEGER

The days felt shorter when I was with Izzy, and before I knew it, we were only a couple of days' journey away from the Zvade. 

Anytime I thought of getting to the Zas, I felt a weird sensation in my chest. It wasn't nervousness, it was like angst. I was anxious. Overthinking. Worried. And I couldn't help the thoughts that followed.

What if we didn't make it out? What if Izzy didn't?

What if only one of us made it out? What if she died?

"At this rate," Izzy began, saving me from my thoughts. "I'll have as much stamina as you do."

"I highly doubt that."

"Why? I spend half my day walking after all, and I don't eat as much as I used to."

"True."

"True? As in you knew?" She asked and I nodded, "how'd you know, I've never spoken about the portions I had back at Lilliville."

"I've seen you?"

"Seen me?"

"I used to come to your village from time to time when I was bored."

"So you used to watch me? Creep," she added with a side glance.

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "I told myself it was to gain information on your background so I could threaten you. That I was simply spying and I'd come up with a plan later. But that was just another lie I told myself."

"I still can't believe you had feelings for me for that long," she laughed. "Since we met, right?"

I grinned, throwing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. "No, when I first met you I was genuinely trying to kill you."

"But you're glad you failed, aren't you?"

"No," I sighed, feigning sorrow, "I regret it every single day."

She snickered, "that's not funny."

I turned to face her and gave her a quick kiss before saying, "it wasn't a joke."

She pinched my side. Hard. But as usual, she failed to keep her lips in a straight line.

****

The weather was making our journey last longer than it should have. 

We were still quite a distance from the next village when it started raining, so we sought shelter beneath one of the many tall trees in the forest, only slight drops breaking through the canopy.

Izzy was leaning against the tree but I remained standing, keeping watch. It was pouring and the way the rain beat against the ground made it sound like footsteps, which put me on edge. I wasn't sure whether there was something or if it was just the rain.

"Think it's going to end soon?" Izzy asked.

"I can't tell," I admitted, my attention still focused on the rain.

"You're not just watching the rain, are you?" She asked me, noticing how reserved my stance was.

"I think I heard something but I'm not sure."

"Cause of the rain?" She asked, and I nodded. "Something like what?"

"I'm not sure."

She came and stood beside me, looking out into the rain. "Should we just run through if you think there's something up?"

"Run through all this mud?" I questioned, facing her, "with your clumsiness?"

A smile spread across her lips, "what? You think I'm gonna end up tripping and spraining my ankle or something?"

"Without a doubt."

"That's why you're here, with your fast reflexes and all."

"You expect me to catch you every time?"

"Don't think your reflexes are fast enough?" She challenged.

"No, they are, I just might be tempted to let you fall, just once, because it'd be entertaining."

"Entertaining?"

"Only slightly," I added with a smirk.

She nodded, looking out into the rain. "Got it."

"Got it? That's it—?"

My words were cut off when she suddenly grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me closer to her.

"Slightly entertaining you said?" She asked.

I grinned, "only slight—"

She suddenly pushed me back, tripping me over the foot she'd placed behind my leg so I fell and landed on the ground in the mud, the rain washing over me. 

A smile slowly spread across her lips. "You're right, it is entertaining."

"Funny," I said sarcastically and her smile only grew. "Now help me up."

I extended my hand for her to help me up. She lowered her hand and as soon as it was in mine I pulled and she fell, landing on top of me.

"That was dirty," she laughed, lifting her head so she could look at me properly. "Though I'm not surprised."

She brought a hand to my face and wiped my cheek, and I imagined she was wiping mud that had splashed onto my face. I wrapped my arms around her back, holding her against me. Her lips curved into a slight smile and she lowered herself, resting her forehead against mine, her lips inches away from mine. I ran a finger up and down her spine, and I felt her shudder under my touch. 

Our lips had barely met when there was the sudden sound of steps again. I paused, turning my head slightly, trying to hone in on the sound, unsure of whether the rain was messing with my hearing or not. Izzy noticed this. She paused too, her hand slowly reaching for her dagger.

"What is it?" She whispered.

"There's—"

"Good, you heard me," a voice suddenly said. "I didn't want to see whatever it was you were going to do in the mud."

Izzy rolled off of me and unsheathed her dagger just as I did mine.

"I'd have lost my meal," the voice continued and a shadow formed among the trees in the distance.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to see through the blurs created by the rain, but as soon as I did I couldn't hide the sheer shock on my face. This wasn't just any vampire, it was the Zas. My cousin. Perseus.

Perseus laughed as he approached us. "I thought you'd be happy to see me," he began. "I mean, you were looking for me after all, weren't you, cousin?"