City of Lies

Chapter 13 - Hot Springs

(A/N: and this is Chase! ...he's supposed to have emerald green eyes but I couldn't find a picture so...)
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I blush as I get up from Chase. Lacey looks kind of jealous and instantly looks away. When I look back Chase is already on his feet.

"Are you okay?" He asks me.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Great! Now we can continue walking!" Lacey says taking the lead and holding out the map. "Let's try to get to the center."

~*~

It's now night time and we've spent four days already on this journey. Thankfully we didn't walk all day this time, we stopped for lunch and dinner because we skipped breakfast.

Lacey pulls out the map and studies it. "Guys, we're about an hour and a half away from the center."

I look up at the night sky. It's kind of beautiful. It's clear and filled with white stars and the moon is in a perfect half. The air is moist because it's been raining and it smells of pine trees. We're lucky we don't hear any demon screams. I've always wanted to spend a night outside just counting the stars.

"We can try walking to it, it's only about seven and then we can peacefully set up a bonfire to get warm," Chase offers.

"I'm fine with that," I say as I look around double checking for no demons.

"Then I guess we're walking," Lacey says as she instantly picks up the pace. Does she ever get tired?

"Can I see the map real quick?" I ask.

Lacey hands me the map. I study it. Near the center is a hot spring. It has a symbol next to it meaning it's a magic hot spring. I'm guessing that it'll heal your small scratches and bruises and relieves sourness. I need to sit in it. "Can we sit in the hot spring?"

"Where's there gonna be a hot spring?" Lacey asks. "Because I'm going too my legs are killing me."

"Um it's going to be near the center," I answer her.

"I would but what exactly are we gonna wear in it?" Chase asks looking over my shoulder to see the map too.

"A bathing suit, duh," Lacey giggles.

"Do the intex showers even offer bathing suits?" Chase asks.

"Yeah as long as you own one. You just gotta think about what you wanna wear and the intex shower will give it to you," Lacey slows down her pace to walk side by side with Chase.

~*~

After about and hour and a half of walking we arrive at the center. It's probably around 9pm. Chase sets up the bonfire while Lacey and I set up the tent. We decide to set everything up inside the center because the center is protected by wards. Although it's freezing outside we're still planning to sit in the hot spring.

Chase wanders off a little into the trees to collect some fire wood. Lacey sets down the infinity pack and gets out the tent. I help her put the needles in the ground.

"Bree can I ask you something?" Lacey whispers not facing me.

"Um yeah."

"Do you like Chase? Like more than just a friend?" She stops setting it up to look at me.

I stop to because I'm shocked she asked. "No," I kind of lie. I have been feeling more attracted to him since we were at the dwarfs. "Is this about what happened when we were climbing the rocks?"

Lacey gives me a look saying she doesn't really believe me. I forgot she had the ability to tell of people are lying. "No it's not I was just wondering."

Lacey and I begin to work on setting it up again. I break the silence. "Did you ask because you have a thing for him?"

She blushes. "No I told you it's because I was just curious."

I may not have the ability to tell if others are lying but I know that she is lying right now. However I decide to let it go and ignore the fact that she lied. To be honest, I don't know if Chase is interested in any of us. But maybe he has a thing for Lacey? I start to debate if he does in my head not really being a help to setting up the tent. Soon Lacey just finishes without me.

She hands me a intex shower and then heads into the tent. Our hands brush a little and I got a vision of a little blonde girl with blue eyes running freely in the forest. I'm guessing that was Lacey. She looked so happy and free. Right when I head in I see that Chase came back with fire wood. I decide to not go and talk to him because I don't want Lacey to think anything.

Lacey is already dressed in her bathing suit and she's digging through the infinity pack. She's wearing a black bikini and her blonde hair is tied in a bun.

"What are you looking for?" I ask.

She jumps a bit not knowing I was there. "Oh un towels. Are you gonna get dressed?" She goes back digging in the pack and hands me my sleeping bag and an extra blanket because it's pretty cold in here right now.

"Thanks," I go to my corner where I spelt last time and set it up. I put the intex shower to my chest and think about my bathing suit. My floral bikini then appears on my body. I'm even more cold then I was before.

Lacey gets up and hands me a towel. I wrap it around me hoping to warm myself up a bit. "Don't worry, the hot spring will warm you up a lot," she says holding the towel in her hand then leaves the tent.

I double check the infinity pack to make sure that the map is still there. It is. Quickly I grab a water bottle and drink some water before tossing it down on my sleeping bag.

"Are you going out?" Chase comes in.

I whip around to face him. "Yeah I'm just cold. Are you going?"

"Yeah. You know the hot spring will warm you up?" He chuckles.

"I know but the walk there is cold," we both laugh.

"Okay anyway I'll be there soon," Chase says as he goes to the infinity pack.

I nod then head out. The grass feels cool under my bare feet and I between my toes. Before I head to the hot springs I run toward the fire to warm my feet and hands.

"Oh my God Bree!" Lacey shouts from the hot springs. "This is much warmer than the fire."

I make a quick sprint toward the hot spring and set down my towel next to hers. "Shoot I forgot a hair tie."

"There's one on my towel that you can borrow," she point to it.

I put my light brown hair into a messy bun and dip my foot in. I take it out fast because that's hot. "Whoa okay that's burning hot."

Lacey laughs. "What happened to you wanting to warm?"

I laugh to and slowly get in. Soon Chase comes to and I'm caught by Lacey staring at him. She shoots me a quick look.

"Don't drink the water this time Bree," Chase teases playfully.

I laugh thinking back to the time we first met when I ran into him and pushed both of us into the water. Apparently that was a hot spring too. I settle back and rest my eyes. For the first time in a long time I feel relaxed and happy.