You can't find me

Chapter 36

Ari's POV

Her violet eyes stare at me with panic as she runs towards me mouthing "RUN!" as I hold my doll and stare at her in confusion. I stay rooted in my spot next to our garden. Behind her there are big scary monsters with their fangs open chasing after her while she tries to get to me. 

I reach out, scared, that they are going to catch her. "Mommy I'm scared."- I tell her and when she's close enough for me to touch her hand, I reach out towards her but never make contact with her skin as she disappears from my sight. The monster's eyes shift towards me as their next target and I back away as they come forward though this time it's with their heads bowed down to me. 

 What the-?

"ARI GET UP!! You gotta see this!" someone says and I'm woken up to a bucket of cold water hitting me face. 

"Bruh what the hell." I groan and sit up straight on the comfy bed which is good enough for 10 people to sleep on. 

Ry is dressed in a thin strapped v-neck pink gown that reaches below her feet and her hair is pinned up into a messy bun. 

I look down at myself and my coat is off but my beige ruffled dress is now entirely wet. Just how lucky am I??

I can't even get off the bed myself as Ry yanks me up into standing position and drags me to another room down the hallway. 

I wave my hands through my hair and come back with a bunch of brown powder. 

Shit. Did my powder rub off? 

"Ry is my hair red? Is the powder gone I-"

She barely registers my words as she opens a room door and pulls me inside. 

I let out a gasp at the sight in front of me. 

Cassian is shirtless with his arm around Alexander who's head is on his chest. Their still in their suit attire which is now entirely crumpled from their sleep. 

"I didn't know they were that close! Gosh look how cute they look. I'm taking a selfie with them because this is priceless." Ry whispers as she walks over to Cassian's side and turns around to snap a picture with her fingers. 

I shake my head and smile at her. Just yesterday she was screaming for being around him and now she was taking a photo with his sleeping form. 

She now waves her hand and points to Alexanders side and tells me to stand there. 

I don't hesitate as this is definitely a photo I also want. 

I lean down for the photo so all of us can get in and am about to get away from him when both of them shift in their sleep. 

I don't move a muscle and stare at Ry who looks at Cassian's sleeping form and moves away his brown hair strands that cover his eyes. 

In an instant he's awake and his hands fly out to her neck as he presses her form down on the bed. 

Panicking I move back but bump into the side table and the lamp starts to shake on top of it so I grab out to stop it from falling on Alex. 

His alert probably goes off as he also wakes up and I'm debating whether I should let the lamp fall on him before he pulls out a knife from who know's where and hurls it at me. 

Freaking hell. 

I speak a deflect spell and then realize I messed it up when it goes back at him so I hold out my other hand to stop it from touching his face and he does the same. 

Clumsy me then trips on the bedsheets as I fall towards the bed and he reaches with his fingers out as they curl around my neck to hold me in place.

Oh my god, please end me now this is so embarrassing. 

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he says in a husky tone, having just woken up. 

I levitate the lamp back to the table under still being held into chokehold. 

"Gosh we are both so sorrry! We didn't purposefully want to ruin you two's sleeping session. Don't worry we won't bother you two next time." Ry says in a teasing manner before winking at an aghast Cassian. 

Alexander stares at me with wide eyes and let's go of my neck, making me fall onto him as I have no balance. 

Did I have something on my face??

"No but really do you know how cute you look when you were sleeping." I tell him in a playful tone. 

I put my right hand around his cheeks and squeeze them before shaking his head sideways. 

And surprisingly he doesn't resist. 

"Awww you cute little child."  I say in a baby voice knowing I'll probably never get a chance to make fun of the heir of the kingdom ever again. 

His eyes turn dark red for a second before changing back to his normal color. 

Was I hallucinating?

I release my hand from his face and slowly look at myself in the mirror next to the bed. 

I clamp a hand over my mouth as I see that my hair is entirely back in it's dark red state and even my eyes are glowing a dark red. What the hell is going on with me? 

Black inked tattoos start making their way up my wrists and I look back at the person who's in front of me with a utterly terrified expression.

Was this happening because of him? 

Shoot I can't be looking like this around him. 

I shift back towards the end of the bed and try to scramble off but he pulls me to him. 

And the most unbelievable thing happens. 

He wraps his arms around me and hugs me. 

I don't know why I get so emotional but I can feel like I'm going to break into sobs any second now. 

"Shhh. It's going to be okay. You have me now, Ari. I'm sorry I let you down." he quietly says into my ear. 

I feel so safe and happy in his arms for an unknown reason that it takes me a moment to realize he didn't call me by my full name and also apologized for I don't know what yet.