The Hidden

5

Her salty eyes
told me stories, that
made my heart weep
I wanted to wrap her
in a blanket and tell her
She was safe forever.
                                  ~Atticus
Edited

As the light shown through the window Akira could still hear the pitter patter of last nights disaster hitting the pavement outside their window. Her head rested on Àngel's unclad chest. His breathing steady, he held the expression of someone concerned, worried, concentrated on something deeply important. He was leaning against the headboard. Why? and how? Is what ran through her mind "wasn't he uncomfortable." She thought.

She took in his features. His jet ebony hair and minute hairs on his chin as he held a strong frown on his face. "That's not new". She silently chuckled and climbed out of her bed to go brush her teeth. When she finished she tiptoed back into the bedroom and examined Àngel to see if he was awoken before meticulously making her over to the window, careful not to wake him. Her hand gently pulled the curtain back. AKira looked outside. The ground covered in puddles big and small. Flowers with drops of rain on the and insects starting their day sat under the window. It was beautiful. Even if it wasn't nothing like to how it was back at home. Where she would walk through the forest, tagging the trees after the big pour from the day before.

Akira watched as rain drops slid down the window. She always thought they were having a race against each other. She placed her palm against the window feeling how cold it was. She closed her eyes, sighing deeply. "Mom, Dad." She began to speak to herself. "Remember when we'd go out in the rain and jump in the puddles every morning after it rained, or when we'd sing that musical from that tv show I was so addicted to. The one about raindrops." She smiled, closing her eyes. Remembering every moment like she was reliving it again. She could see her childlike self playing and holding the hands of her papa and mama. Back when things were not complicated for her and they solved her every worry. "Don't you worry little one, it's all a part of something bigger than you and right now it may not make sense but it will. Soon."
"Dad?" Her voice broke. "I—"

"Out of the window. Now." A voice interrupted.

"Get out of my head." She shot back with an exhausted sigh. Before she could continue her blissful dream there was a loud bang that had broke her concentration.
Àngel had startled her and snapped her out of her noetic conceptions. She retracted her hand as if it had been burned by acid. She let her hand sadly drop to her side.

Akira saddened by the rude disruption turned around to sit back on her side of the bed. Àngel stretched his muscles and rolled his neck that was aching from the night afore. He deciphered that Akira was terrified of thunderstorms from what transpired last night. The trepidation in her eyes. It was like she wasn't there. Knowing that now he knew to be prepared in the future, but for now they needed to get back on the road since immediate teleportation was out of the question. He also needed to hurry and prepare Akira, to see what kind of fighter she was. She's apparently very consequential and holds the key to the future whatever that signifies. He was told not to ask significant questions. 

"I'm gonna go get breakfast. Stay out of the window and keep quiet." He spat. Then he stalked up to her. Dangerously close."And if you run or even think about running...well, you already know. Right?" Akira nodded fearfully. Not daring to look the man in the eyes as if he was Medusa.

He pulled his black shirt over his head and slipped on his shoes. He wondered why couldn't he just kill her or something. What's so special about her. His job wasn't to babysit he had things to take care of. He is highly ranked amongst his kind. No one higher than him except the person he trusted with his life. Also of course the heir to the throne. His hope is that one of the Kistonian's he found is the heir. But right now his quandary right now is Kira.

He could help but think about how he could be at home right now, with a girl in his bed. He called the person who gave him the orders.

"Àngel how are you." She spoke

"Tired." It was evident in his threatening tone. "Tired of babysitting, tell me why I'm doing this again."

"Àngel we believe she's the last Kistonian on the human side of Earth. We must protect and care for our own. A few of the fighters brought in the others she's the only one left. We scanned the entire map. Remember when you-"

"Yeah yeah I know. No need to remind me." He told the person on the other end of the line. "I'll bring her back. But I'm not gonna be her mentor."

"Now that you say that. Can you men-"

"No." Angel interrupted. He would never mentor ever again. Not after the last one he tried to mentor. "I want no one bothering me when I get back unless it's work related. Understood?"

"Mmhm" she responded

*  *  *

Angel picked up his order of food and headed back to the inn. When he got there he was jubilant to find that Akira hadn't escape to. The two feasted in silence out of the styrofoam trays. His thoughts were unorthodox. He mentally conceived how she could be the heir. She's impotent and useless. Akira was far to fragile. It takes so little for her to pass out. She's too nice for her own good. But Akira felt safe with him and at the same time trepidacious of him. He knew it. He felt it.

"When your arm glows what color is it?" The phrase shocked her. She didn't answer him. So he asked a different question. "What color do your eyes turn?"

"Why did he want to know?" she mentally conceived. She was reluctant to answer him again.

"Fucking mute." He muttered and she heard him limpidly. "Show me." Àngel demanded, getting more and more frustrated with her. She wasn't talking to him and it was driving him insane. How was he supposed to teach her anything if she was faineant. "Either show me, tell me or I'll make you and it won't be to your liking Akira." It was moments like this where she felt unsafe, trepidacious.

The next thing she knew she was being held against the wall. Her chair knocked to the floor. He was clutching on to her neck. All he needed, all he wanted was a tear and tears were prying their way through her eyes. "SHOW ME!" He yelled. The tears fell from her eyes heavily, she was breathing harshly. He enjoyed seeing people like this. It made a feeling rush through him, a feeling like no other. But for her he felt pain, guilt. Would he show it?

Not in a million years.

He swiped the tear and physically contacted her arm. Her markings appeared. Angel smirked. "Was that so hard?" As humorously asked as he let go, she fell to the floor violently sobbing.Trying to regain oxygen.

Àngel didn't believe what he had just done. He had his moments and anger issues and sometimes he lost it. But this girl was making him become out of control.

Akira couldn't believe it. One minute he was placid and fine and holding her in her bed. Then suddenly he switches up. Safe was something she no longer felt towards him and the pull they once felt like it had loosened. She hated him even more than before. She crawled into put a dark corner and leaned against the wall still sobbing.
Angel couldn't bare hearing her, causing his guilty thoughts. "SHUT UP!" He yelled. She ceased but the tears still came sliding down her face into her arms. Her arms were now a fuchsia color as they sometimes were when she cried. She didn't tell him the authentic color they were. Her markings never abided by one color when they came.

When night fell Angel had learned that Akira fell had asleep in the corner.

Àngel closely examined her. His leg jumping in aggravation. He realized something in that moment.