The Alpha Twins and their Runaway Witch

25

The bus was slowly drawing up on the latest bus station along the long route. Ariel was trying to sit up as straight as she possibly could. She was tired, she had run all over the city before she had gotten on the bus. She already missed sleeping in her bed. Missed the apartment.

She felt bad that she had not gotten to thank everyone at the diner for being so kind and welcoming to her. Even looking at her own recently coloured hair hanging down from over her shoulders was now a reminder of all she was leaving behind.

Ariel felt so stupid she had let herself get attached. First rule of being alone in the system was never get attached. Nowhere is home, no one is forever. Nothing is yours or real. Only rely on yourself. Thirteen years on her own in the system, five years trapped under Gisella and the cackle. Less than a week free and she had stupidly let herself believe she was done running. Had a home.

If she hadn't been trying so hard to be ignored and not stand out, she would have screamed out in frustration at how useless and dumb, and helpless she was. They had been so close. They had found her in the diner, had been waiting when and where she was supposed to work. Of course they had found her. They were predators and a witch. She was just herself. So worthless that not even her own mother had wanted her.

Hot, frustrated tears were building in her eyes. The bus lurched to a halt at the latest stop. Ariel ran off the bus to the washroom. Heavy bag in her arms. Wanting to silently let free some of the tears she was holding back. She knew she could be silent and let some of the awful feelings out behind a closed door, needed to let it out. Except as she left the bus, bag over her shoulder. Tears already starting to fall. She heard someone call out her name. Her real name. "Ariel!" She froze in place. There was only one voice she had heard use that name in years. She turned. Binh and his beautiful antique car were parked in the bus depot. Waiting on her.

Ariel wiped her tears on her stolen mens jacket. It was still by far the warmest garment she owned. She stumbled towards Binh in shock. Her bag feeling like the only weight that was holding her to the ground. "You did not say goodbye." He accused her, not upset, not judging her. Voice soft as a whisper, every step she took towards him silenced another intrusive thought until her mind was quiet and her own again.

She was someone. She was Ariel Briar Rose. From nose to toes, a princess is a princess, she heard her mother's voice in her ear. "Why are you? How?" She asked with a stutter in her voice. Unsure if it was for the apparition of her mothers voice, or Binh.

Binh was lifting the bag from her shoulder. Placing it into his trunk. "Come back Ariel, it was not the ones from your nightmares today. I promise you." Binh's words were punctuated by the familiar call of a raven from a nearby streetlight pole. Coming to land at Binh's feet. Looking at Ariel. Trying to force his obstinate witch to accept him. To trust the dream eater. For the love of Nightmother stop looking for ways to die.

Ariel saw a flash, two men, roughly her age she guessed, one with shaggy boyish blonde hair, the other had a tight, slick top knot. They looked like brothers, their eyes were the same. They had similar reddish blonde hair. A vision of the two men talking to Beth-Ann, as though viewed through the window of the diner. "They were looking for me?" She asked the raven directly, confused how she knew that it was the raven's memory she had seen.

The raven bobbed. Binh pretended that there was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary happening right now. "I can trust him- For now?" pointing at Binh while looking at the bird. Nothing was forever, but the raven bobbed again. "Okay." Ariel went to the passenger door and got in.

Binh inflected his head towards the raven. "Thanks partner." Binh said low enough that Ariel in her shocked and tired state would not hear. "I'll let you into the penthouse tonight." Binh promised the overworked dedicated familiar.