Living in the shadows (1)

7. The Waiting Game

—————Trix's POV—————-

The last few hours had passed in a blur to Trix. The girl arriving - Reselda, if she remembered correctly, was what she remembered most, with the striking red hair and bewitching green eyes like emeralds. She was patient and kind, and had grown up with the boys from childhood.

That alone made Trix impressed, for anyone who could suffer in their presence for more than 3 hours was a saint.

But it didn't take away the anxiety.

They had opened a portal,a glowing white orb, and Tristan and helped Trix through it, before helping with his brother's body. Laying him down on a metal table in what seemed to be an animal clinic, but this girl knew what she was doing.

But she couldn't bare watch as they began cleaning the wounds. She'd slipped out after that.

So here she was, sitting in a bench in a random neighbourhood outside at 3 am, shivering slightly - well, she supposed it was more like trembling - and stuck in her own head. The only thing she could think about was Bella'a mauled body. And how maybe Ambrose did it.

Before she knew it, tears clogged her eyes and she began to sob, because she didn't think she could lose another innocent person out of all this. She'd already seen too much death.

She wasn't sure she could deal with another on her conscious.

She tried to act strong and untouchable, but she was falling apart. She couldn't do this. Who was she kidding?

"Trix?" Tristan's voice echoed around the courtyard, and she quickly wiped her eyes on her leather jacket (a lot of luck that did) before turning around and answered, "yeah?"

"What's wrong?" He asked her, as he sat down next to her and offered her a tissue. She gratefully took it, gave him a sad smile as she wiped her eyes. "Nothing. Just...bad memories."

"okay." He didn't push her, although Trix knew he wasn't concerned about her. There were more pressing issues, like his brother. Not hers.

"Zelda said he should wake up at any time. So now it's just a waiting game to see when his subconscious will get sick of being stuck in his own head."

"What's Zelda's deal, anyway?"

"Me and Blake grew up with her, we've known her since we were 2. We were always getting into trouble, but nobody would ever tell her off. She was the goody two shoes, or so our parents and tutors believe. She can be the real devil, though."

"Yes, sure, but what is she? And, who the hell are you? Because I want my explanation now. Of this world, of that glowing orb door thingy and where the hell are we."

"Palma, for your info." Tristan interupted.

"We're in Majorca?!"

Tristan laughed, "No, silly. Somewhere in west London."

"Where?"

"No idea. This is Zelda's territory. She'll know, but whether she can tell us, is another matter all together," He sighed, and for a second, Trix could see through his façade, and saw a boy trying to save his brother and not fall apart at the fact he could lose his best friend.

"You want an explanation, right?" Trix nodded. He continued, "There is another world that exists. It's called a Mirror World. To say it plainly, it's like someone copied and pasted Earth's blueprints, but where you humans are and have built on it, my race have developed it, an other...supernatural creatures dwell there too. I won't give you the whole list, because it's long. But me and Blake, we are part of an ancient race designed to keep the peace.  To protect our world from yours, and vice versa. We integrate into your world, and use our magic to keep the boundary strong, the same that glamours any use of our magic and helps us blend into the shadows if necessary, and  to keep the gate protected. Only one of our kind can pass through."

"Okay...but what are you? Like are you pixies? Tooth fairies? Gnomes?" Trix questioned, a tone of sarcasm added in to lift the mood.

He barked out a laugh. "Vey funny. No, we are Shadows, but in our family, or society, we can amifest our shadows into different classes. Hunters, Defenders, Paladins  - although they are as rare as hell and there hasn't been one in centuries - and a few more, but they are most common."

"You mean the ones you can remember off the top of your head,"

"Yep. I'm not great at history,"He laughed.

"Strange. History was one of my favourites," Trix told him.

"Well, maybe you didn't have a old bat teaching it to you, who was as smelly and disgusting as you could find. He would literally fall asleep as he was in the middle of reading out our line's history."

"What, so you're family is that old?"

"Basically, yeah,"

Both laughed, but that joy soon fled when Tristan saw Reselda wander over to them, her deep emerald eyes no longer sparkled, instead worry pinched at her face and her hair hung in a low bun at the back of her head. Hands in her pockets of her long grey cardigan, she hastily walked over to them but she looked fucking exhausted.

"What's wrong?" Tristan anxiously asked.

"He's awake, barely breathing, but stable. It's something else," Reselda glanced at Trix, and Tristant told her, "You can trust her."

"It's your cousin. He said there's been another death. In Cornwall."

"Well shit," Tristan muttered, wiping a hand over his face. Turning to Trix, he asked, "Wanna go to the beach?"

"But what about Blake? You can't just leave him here! What happens if-"

"Look, he'll be fine. Reselda's the best there is. And besides, there's a convoy in Cornwall which could help train and work out your powers for you."

"Okay, but what about Blake-"

"He'll be fine. You in or out?"

If I go with Tristan, I might finally get a full explanation and work out what the hell I am. But it's my fault Blake got hurt, and what if something happens? It already happened to Bella, so what if Blake dies too?
I can't face losing someone else. Stranger or not a stranger.

But...

"I'll come with you."

But it doesn't mean I won't feel any less guilty.

"Stop looking depressed. My brother will be fine. Now come on! We gotta get somewhere,"

A small grin on her face, Trix let Tristan led her away from Blake and from the clinic, and for once let herself think of something else. I've missed the beach. It'll be nice to get out of the city.

And out of my own head.

She couldn't help but laugh when Tristan almost ran into a lamppost. This will be fun.

But ghosts can follow you anywhere. Even to the edges of the world.

And the answers won't be that easy to get.