Shifters (Feline english version)

Chapter 16

I remained gazing at the stains of my own blood and the scars on my arm for a full minute. I had a better understanding of their condition now and the fact that it took them so "long" to heal. My burns must have reopened when I came into contact with the stony ground on which I had finally been dragged out of strength. I obviously repainted the whole tunnel with my blood! But, numb from my state of shock, I hadn't realized anything and, with hindsight, fortunately. I had to find a good explanation to give him in order to calm his growing suspicion. The worst part was that I couldn't even blame him, it was a little hard to believe. I would have had the same reaction not so long ago.

Finding no miracle solution, I decided to try a diversion. I got up and took the opportunity to cover my arm with a sharp gesture, before turning around towards the entrance of the tunnel and pretending to want to get out of the cave.

- 'What is it that shines there, on the ground?' I said in my most beautiful surprised voice, my eyes riveted to the ground.

If he was surprised by my unsubtle change of conversation, he didn't let anything show and came to see what I was referring to. He bent down to pick it up and examined it by rotating it between his fingers with a thoughtful look.

- 'It's a bullet. Moreover, a bullet that has already been fired. Now... I'd like you to explain to me once and for all what exactly is going on?'

Squatting, the projectile between his fingers, he looked at me with an angry and questioning look.

- 'I know no more than you do,' I began.

- 'Bullshit!'

He suddenly got up and approached me, his face subtly altered by anger. I moved backwards and found myself with my back to the wall. He moved forward again until his face was only a few dozen centimetres from mine.

- 'This cave is impossible to find without a detailed map, except by accident,' he breathed gently. 'You managed to get out of this place, supposedly alone, having lost at least a liter of blood and return to the city on your own without attracting anyone's attention? Already more than unlikely, but whatever! And finally, you can see a bullet barely a centimetre long, which, by the way, doesn't shine at all, in a dark cave and all that without light? So there are two things: either you have a supernatural vision or you put it there. I would rather lean towards the second hypothesis, since on top of that the bullet is as clean as a new penny. So I repeat my question... What is really going on, for fuck's sake?!'

He had only raised his voice over the last words, catching me off guard. I suddenly wanted to run away, but his still body was blocking my way.

- 'All right, you won... I have a bionic sight!' I wryly said, my eyes glued to his.

I hoped that my humor would confuse him until I could find a plausible explanation or, who knows, a miracle. Of course, his eyes remained cold and his face impassive. I pretended to free myself, which brought him closer. Slowly he put his hands on the wall, framing my head with his arms, before bending over to me.

- 'You're going to have to do better than that,' he whispered to me, a few centimetres from my mouth.

For a brief instant, I considered kissing him. His lips were only a centimetre from mine and that would certainly be a more than effective diversion. Nevertheless, I remained frozen in front of him, losing all my senses, something he had perfectly anticipated given the small satisfied grin he had on his face. His penetrating gaze seemed to mean to me: "Tell me what I want to know or kiss me if you dare! »

Fortunately for me, his position had a weakness and I took the opportunity to slip under his right arm and get out of the cave as fast as I could. As soon as I was outside, I knew that Jude was still there and that he was anything but happy. How did I know that? No idea, but his grumpiness seemed to perfume the air.