Opposites: The Staff of Light [Book One]

46. Belinda of the Cliff

Annabeth

I hugged myself as Colton and I scouted the castle. We'd worn our cloaks after retrieving them inside the empty palace. The place was dark—literally dark—so I was forced to set my hand on fire. Alex was nowhere to be seen. I cursed under my breath. I had held my guard down again. Now my brother was gone.

"Are you cold?" Colton asked. I eyed him, studying his face—his lips, his hair, his face... all of which resembled his father's and Belinda's. And gods, his lips—I had nearly kissed them earlier that morning, unaware of my own consciousness. You were a fool, Annabeth Candum. You are his protector, not his lover.

"I'm fine," I replied, looking away. We made it halfway around the castle and both Alex and Combust were still missing. Where are they? "I'm sorry about earlier by the way."

"About what?"

"About the cuddle."

"What cuddle?"

I punched him.

"That's okay," he whimpered. "The important thing is we find Alex and Combust."

"Combust," I mumbled. "Where is that owl?" Ever since Fervor got wounded, Combust hadn't shown up. I was afraid something might have happened to him, but the previous night had me distracted. I swore to myself to avenge Fervor's wounds, and Belinda of the Cliff—the greatest witch I might know. I remembered the way the Staff of Light burned in my hand last night. Yes, the Staff burned—something I never felt before. Usually, I was immune. But overpowering Colton's father took enough energy for me to collapse.

Waking up next to Colton felt... nice yet awkward. I felt relieved to know he was alive, and I was, too. We were both safe. But it left a bitter taste in my mouth. First of all, I wasn't supposed to love him—to fall in love, to have any attractions towards him. And it was my fault. I knew it was. If only I hadn't ran away, none of that would have happened. I could have been sitting around in Camp Haven, getting away from the crowd that never would stop judging me as a monster they never feared.

"You're paling," Colton observed, holding me by the shoulder. "You okay, dude?"

"I-I think so." I wasn't sure. My life suddenly morphed into a roller coaster—at the beginning, the ride would be slow, and as time passed, it zooms forward. It had been a little too fast. And indeed, I was having difficulty with coping up. "I'm getting a little lost." Colton and I made it to the middle of the left bailey which had been decorated with burnt grass from on random places. The mist wasn't so thick in front of the castle. I darted my gaze towards the sandstone path I once crossed yesterday which now had been partly turned to rubble. "I caused this. I caused every little detail."

"Annabeth—"

"No," I hesitated, covering my ears with my hands, falling to my knees. My heart pounded in my chest as I moved my hands towards my face. Tears streamed down my cheeks. As mist enveloped all around us, I let my emotions go. I was tired and I never wanted to feel guilt. "This is all my fault, Colton. All mine."

I sobbed—in guilt, in pain—and right in front of Colton, I afforded nothing to hide. I'm sorry, Belinda. I'm so sorry. The tears streamed down my cheeks as the mist seemed thicker. Only my muffled sobs filled the silence between the two of us. I couldn't take it in. Beside me, Colton fell to his knees, just around my level. He arched lower, searching for my eyes. "Hmm," he began, nearly silencing me. "Now where's the Annabeth I know?" Two hands removed mine from my face. Even I faced the ground, Colton placed two fingers under my cheek and pushed my head up to face him.