When The Night Falls Book 2 of When Good Things End trilogy

CHAPTER 24

"Did I wake you?" Laurent asked as I pulled my pillow off my face. He shuffled for something in the nightstand as I sat up.
My head seemed to think clearly as I wiped the corner of my mouth.
He seemed confused along with me for a second. "Everything okay?" He asked.
"Yeah I'm fine, I think I just had a weird dream."
He nodded in understatement. "I got a bit worried since you seemed to be having a bad dream."
"It's not that bad. I'm fine now. I don't even remember it at this point." I quickly made the bed with him and followed him out the room. It felt strange having my face free from the pillow, it felt like it was muffling me up until now.
I ate breakfast quickly and headed out to the hospital after checking up on Tide. The wind running through my hair was like the rippling feeling of rain. Ny didn't mind my detour as I leaned forward and swerved past trees and all the way up over them.
The trees were a canopy of green. The ground couldn't be seen from were I sat. I pushed higher, flying through clouds that dampened my hair before breaking out in a cold sweat. Rolling hills of white shined from below me.
I steered Ny down a bit. My smile falling as I felt the gravity calling me back down.
The hospital wasn't fully packed. Most of the people there were lying around and trying not to move.
Shivers ran up my arms as the day changed into a dark blue. Doyle found me at one point and helped me finish up my work. I tried to keep myself from asking why he was happily twitching every few minutes.
Come on.
I shook my head, a strange though slipping into my head.
"Good news," he finally said. I smiled at him as we both went into the hall.
Crossing my arms as I waited. "Well you gonna tell me?" I asked.
"Were heading home," Ein's voice broke over the end of my sentence as he surprised me from behind.
"Don't touch me," I said recoiling from him as he pat my shoulder.
Doyle rolled his eyes. "Come on. Stop being so offensive. We're heading home tomorrow morning anyways."
"He's not supposed to come with us," I whispered, pulling Doyle's arm down so he would be at my level.
It was easier to ignore the voice in my head with whatever was going now.
Ein only chuckled along with Doyle as he shrugged. "Guess you can't expect everyone to be happy about going back."
"Does Laurent know about this?" I asked. He won't let this happen. I'm not letting Ein even come close to my kids.
Doyle nodded as if it was an obvious answer.
"Come on love," Ein mimicked Laurent as he pulled a hand around my shoulders and tried to take me along with his and Doyle.
I froze, only getting a strange look from them. What am I supposed to do? Tell Doyle why this guy is an ass?
I pushed away from Ein, trying to smile and not hurt Doyle's feelings. "I'll just run this through with Laurent on my own right now. Besides I need to pack and get ready," I added in the last part as a safety measure. They can't follow me.
The fly back to the house seemed fine.
I know Laurent wont just let this slide. He can just help me explain why to Doyle and we'll just go home without Ein.
He was helping Tide strap something onto his feet. Noticing my worry right away.
"Hey bud, mind if I step out for a second?" He gestured to the kitchen. "Everything okay?"
"Ein's coming with us back home?" I questioned, trying not to get bothered to much. I made my way to the corner, feeling better once I felt the walls at my back and shielded away by him.
Laurent smiled, looking a bit surprised by my question. "Well yeah. I don't see why that's making you uncomfortable."
"Laurent, you're kidding, right?" I sounded defensive.
"Why are you being so emotional over that Ann?" He laughed, trying to play things off as normal as he figured the conversation was over.
I stopped him but he pulled away from me. "What going on here? Laurent you know why I don't like him."
"Your picking at some poor guy for no reason," he said. "If you have something against him just tell him. He's right here anyways."
I bit my lip as Doyle and Ein walked into the area.
"What's up?"
"You gonna tell him?" Laurent asked, crossing his arms.
I glanced from him to the others. What does he want me do? Why is he even acting like this? Does he not remember our conversations?
"I just," I fumbled. "I was—"
"She want to leave you here. The 'Lord' of Phoenix Drop," Laurent paused. Eyes thinning as he smiled at me. "No I'm wrong. I'm sorry, your majesty. I meant to say that the supposed 'queen' wants to go and abandon you."
"It's not like that," I said, tears of frustration welling up at the corners of my eyes.
It made everything blurry as Doyle started to glare at me. "Why would you even want to do that?"
"Anna?" Ein sounded heartbroken.
"Stop that. Laurent can we talk about this in private?" I hated the crack in my voice. He's not acting the way he normally does. He's not even trying to hear me out right now.
I backed up as Ein sat up onto the counter in front of me. A cocky smile playing on his lips. "Come on 'love' it's not something you actually want."
"Stop calling me that," I grit through my teeth.
Doyle twitched in time as the light flickered. Something in my stomach curled and iced over. He wasn't Doyle, his eye color should have made that clear to me right away.
"Laurent?" I called, molding back into the corner.
"Don't worry I took care of him, you'll be joining him soon." Ein jerked my head back and closed his hands around my neck. Laurent wasn't standing on his left anymore.
Ever watched silently along with Crete. The both of them turning pale and blue as I choked.
"What did you do?" I clawed at Ein's hands. His skin felt like stone and only broke at my nails. What is going on? I was just going on with my day normally. How did they get here?
Wake up.
"Let go," I groaned. My lungs crying out for help before he let go. Air pushing its way back into my body as I stumbled. Cold hands helped me stand. That was until I realized I was just being held back from running away.
I struggled against their hold as Ein snaked a hand around my head. My brain ached as he pulled my hair back. I could feel his nail scrape over the scabs running across my neck.
My breathing turned into sharp inhales. He punctured into the scab and slowly started to peal. Pulling it off in small jerks. Every nerve in body seemed to spike with a shooting pain.
"Stop," I cried in a shaky breath. His other hand slipping under my shirt. My legs tensed. I couldn't jerk away from him. Stop it.
Please.
"Stop that. It hurts. Stop," I cried.
He slowly ripped of my scab. Peeling my skin off. Picking at it even though I was already bleeding.
Muscle around my neck seemed to snap. A cold shower of sweat flew through me. My head spun from the opening in my throat. It was a gaping hole in my body.
I felt to the floor. Trying to stanch the blood. I'm choking on my own blood. The hot stream pooled at my feet.
Crete was saying something. I couldn't tell to who he was talking to. Panic was crushing me down. I'm not breathing.