THE UNBREAKABLE PIECE (FIRST BOOK OF THE HIDDEN WORLD) English version

CHAPTER THIRDTEEN: FRAGILE

Water fills my boots at every corner, chilling my feet. My spine started to shake by reflex, which scared Eamon, and he wrapped me in his arms, using his body as my personal shield.

"I think we talked about personal space."

Gemma raised one of her eyebrows and winked at my neighbor, who at that moment let me go as if I had leprosy. He readjusted his body, straightening his back, and stretched his shirt in the process. His cheeks had barely turned red.

"Where are we?" I asked, concerned.

The water remained motionless under my feet. Outside, it was daytime, the sun shining at its highest, but we remained hidden thanks to a concrete block above our heads, preventing the rays from touching my skin. The stench of decay quickly reached my nose, and I wrinkled it by instinct. It was the smell of mud and moss mixing; I could recognize it from my walks around Central Park's lake.

"Under a bridge, Your Highness," Kimberly replied, disgusted, poking her head under the parapet. "If you allow me, Hayes, I'd like to lead the way."

There was something in the tone of her voice that I didn't like, although I couldn't discern why.

"All right, Kimberly," my friend replied. "Make sure no one sees us leaving this place."

I saw her golden hair tied in a high ponytail shake from side to side as she looked over her shoulders to see if anyone was in sight. After a few seconds, she signaled with her head, and we moved forward.

Pushing through the water was easy; the challenge was the mud pulling me down thanks to the heels I had decided to wear. I felt his warm hand at the base of my spine helping me move, and the furtive glance from Jayden watching our movements from a distance.

The light hit my eyes directly, forcing me to cover my face with my arm. Sunny days were few lately in New York, but I knew we were in Central Park, as much as the cells of my skin recognized Alba.

"What a beautiful day in Manhattan," Sophia commented, offering me a smile.

The water had reached our hips, and there was neither a fast nor a logical explanation for why we had come out from under a bridge. However, this was New York, and a group of people with muddy legs was the least strange group you could encounter. How I loved this city.

"Where are we going first? Or what's the plan, really?"

A stone had slipped into my shoes. I took one of my boots off, and when I was about to lean against a tree, Eamon's hand found me halfway and helped me stay upright. We stood there, devouring each other in the passing seconds.

"First to Blue's, we need to talk to Cade and find a believable excuse to explain our sudden absence."

Ben shook his head, clearly distressed. He didn't have to tell me; this situation would be difficult for both of us since we liked Cade.

"That was going to happen eventually," Eamon spoke, and each time he did, his voice was a melody to my ears, and I couldn't help but gaze at him, enchanted like a snake charmer. "Just much sooner than we thought."

"I don't understand why we have to give an explanation to the human," Lexi added, inspecting her cuticles. Every gesture of her body indicated she would rather be getting a lobotomy than being there with me. "He doesn't deserve our time."

Gemma swayed her hips toward her. I recognized that gesture; she was about to spice things up and devour her alive in front of us.

"The reason we will give an explanation to the 'human,'" she moved her fingers in the air, emphasizing the quotes, "is to not raise suspicions. It's something you should know, Lexi."