"The Sacrifice:;The Sacrifice Trilogy"[Book 1.]

14.Let Go and Breathe

Noah

Snuggled up on on our bed with Braiden next to me, her hair tangled from another sleepless night. I know watching my love sleep is a little creepy but if this moment may be the last tranquil one I have with her before everything explodes, I'll take it. Sometimes, being psychic sucked. Tip toeing out of bed without waking Sleeping Beauty over here proved easy enough, now if only true love's kiss could save her from an awful fate about to befall, I'd do it in the space of a heartbeat. Rummaging through my too-stuffed closet for just a plain t-shirt, all I found were suits, suits, and more-you guessed it-suits. Here's to wishing Alexander would pick out a better wardrobe. At least he doesn't keep me in the dark like the others about certain things. Yes, I'm still unaware of why it's necessary to trap us here, but thank God it actually hasn't been a thousand years like he deceived everybody else into believing. The oddity of my relationship with that crazy loon is he cares about one single person's well-being: mine.

Way down deep, I know why, but it makes me ill just thinking those thoughts. Without consideration or care, I plastered on a red bow tie and a jean jacket also comprised in way-too-tight gray pants. Sigh. Closing the golden door as if it were fragile porcelain, I slip out of our shared bedroom onto more pressing matters down below on the second floor.  Summoning the elevator from downstairs it planted itself in front of me seconds later. Purple and blue shimmy in a glorious partnership like fireworks and cannon balls mashed to combine one storm into another: I steal the moment to admire this wonder. Then I step through it and down I went.

Automatic doors open on my instructions, landing straight into a house constructed of wooden solely made by the enchanting Carolina Foster, the first Soul. Feet sweeping across the floor like law enforcements are on my tail, I halted at Savannah's room. With her door being ajar and creaking noisily: I went in just for the purpose of checking if she was still alive in there.  And found nothing. Well, not exactly nothing per se, but nobody was present in Savannah's bed at this moment, and I could've sworn I laid a very-unconscious Jakob on her ivory-colored mattress last night. A body didn't just get up and walk away, that's insane! Which begs the question: where are they, then? Because they're so obviously not here! Someone's looking to get killed, and I promise you it won't be Jakob. That girl is the most impulsive, reckless person I've ever met in my life, runner-up to my girlfriend, of course.

I gave both a mental eye roll, regardless of their absence. Women, one subject I'll never understand, no matter the time period. Utilizing magic to call the elevator once again, I walked in feeling pissed off and aggravated. 

* * *

Coming back to our room, finding Braiden crumpled on the soft-padded carpet balling her pretty little eyes out was something I'd never seen happen more than once. She startled herself by meeting my gaze, ashamed for crying so openly; which she shouldn't be, really. Braiden's dark silk robe sways behind her as she plants her feet on the carpet in order to scurry far from me, but my grasp captured her wrist enough that she's incapable of fleeing. "Brai please, talk to me. What's up, love? I can't help you if you won't let me!" the volume of my voice rises an octave and she flinches because of it. Black hair tangles in Braiden's eyes for a second but then she swipes it away with her sleeve. "I'm just so weary of belligerence, baby. Honestly, I don't have any strength to fight anymore! Savannah pleaded with me-implored me that I have to attempt at living a life I never asked for. How do I accomplish that without fracturing, Noah?" She puts her head in her hands, sighs.

Somewhere between Braiden's whining and crying, benevolence went out the freaking window on an extensive leave. "Do you truly believe I love this life, Braiden?! I have multiple problems of my own as well, I'm glad I don't have PTSD because of all the crap I've been through! Is this harsh? Yes, but It's the cold, dead truth. You don't see me complaining, right? Get over yourself," I allow what I said to simmer as I walked off, leaving Ms. Whiny-pants in shocked disbelief.

* * *

Inexplicably drawn into Savannah's room I sense another presence immediately following entering. Checking under the bed for demonic activity, I-like the first time I happened to find myself snooping around in here-found absolutely Nada. My skin jumps abruptly, hairs upon it leap on high alert. Alarming amounts of portals appear in synchronizing moments, and hatchlings come out snarling. Blowing sheets of ice around them like a barrier between me and indefinite death, the ugly skull-like creatures with really, really sharp fangs alongside angler, scarred faces act as if shackles prohibit them from advancing further. To add insult to injuring, Braiden entered at that precise time and begins screaming like a hybrid monster on drugs, breaking my concentration but also releasing the hatchlings out of their holding cells. Lunging for me, the hatchlings keep glancing in each other's direction as they declare who gets to kill me first. Settling silent debates weirder than Alexander's likeness towards me, all at once they attack; pinning me into a choke-hold meant for bloody documentaries. However, the gruesome things never stood a chance because in seconds, Braiden's eyes transformed into startling gold like sun.

When her body contracted painfully I grimaced in place of where she would have if she'd been capable. A muzzle sprouted, replacing Braiden's mouth with this ginormous round animalistic view. The snout grew quite nicely actually-naturally like it was always there. Soon, I was gazing at white fur that looked suspiciously as pasty as snow. Then she sprang on the hatchlings with all her beautiful life-force, ripping them apart shred by shred in a portrait of blood and shrieking. She's a wolf: she's my wolf!

Converting back to a Soul, she grins wider than I have ever seen it and not only that, it spreads into something rivaling a rose bush she's blushing so much. "I love you, Noah Anthony Paladino. God, I can't even describe how extraordinary that was!" extolling herself, there's literal gleefulness shining in those depths as if she were granted a new life. "Yes, but how did you exceed such taxing power as this? I'm confused, that's all," I murmur.

Peering up in my hazel eyes, Braiden's smile is glittering and still Intact when she says: "I let go and breathed, love. I finally had to let go and breathe."

Collapsing right then into these awaiting arms like she belonged here, I whispered near her ear, "I've got you. I'll always have you, beautiful."