Rise of The Guardians 2: Just Like Fire

Chapter 11: Jack

North, Bunny and Sandy were waiting for us in the doorway.

"Now what?" Bunny asked North while glaring at Aria.

"You should ask her that." He replied.

"What?" Bunny exclaimed. "She broke our trust, and just abducted the two of you. Has she brainwashed you?"

"No, she showed us what she is trying to protect."

She shuffled on her feet, uncomfortable as they talked about her. Her tanned skin seemed paler, and she pulled her jacket closer around her body.

I intervened in the conversation quickly, my brain struggling to process the day's events.

"Bunny, stop." He turned to me, shocked. "It doesn't matter anymore. They're back, and they're alright. If North says we can trust her, we can." I smiled softly at her and she looked at me with a strange expression on her face, her strange amethyst eyes flashing as the setting sun picked up hidden gold flecks.

Bunny opened and closed his mouth like a stunned fish and I tried to hide my smile.

"Aria, what happens now?" North asked her.

She straightened slightly, her emotions sliding smoothly behind a clearly practiced wall. The change darkened her eyes, and made her seem like stone. Oddly, my heart panged as I watched the real Aria vanish under a layer of attitude.

"Nothing." She replied bluntly, and we all jerked in surprise. "Think of this as a game of chess. I just made my move, now it's his turn. All we can do tonight is get a lot of rest. I don't know when we'll next get the chance."

"That sounds sensible." North agreed. "Come, I will show you to a room you can use during your stay here."

She nodded and he guided her out of the entryway and down a corridor that curved lazily out of sight.

The moment they were out of earshot, Bunny turned to us. "I don't like this. I don't like this at all."

Sandy shrugged, while Tooth nodded enthusiastically in agreement of his words.

My muscles stiffened. "It doesn't matter whether you like it or not. If she's right, we have a serious problem on our hands."

"Same goes for if she's lying to us mate." He countered. "We'll have 'issues'."

"What motive does she have for lying to us?"

"I don't know, but there's something she isn't telling us."

There was a part of me that agreed; her body language wasn't quite right, but the rest of me, I couldn't describe it, it was like I snapped. I couldn't even control it. "I've had enough! You have no reason to still mistrust and dislike her, so why are you still looking for ulterior motives?"

Fuming, even though I really didn't know why, I turned around and stormed to the bedroom that I used when I stayed at the Pole, slamming the door behind me.

I flopped on the edge of my bed and created a hummingbird to fly around the room.

My strange anger evaporated as quickly as it came, and my face scrunched in confusion.

There was a soft knock at the door.

I got up to answer it, when the hope that it would be Aria standing behind the wood popped into my head, sticking like glue.

I opened the door, disappointed when I saw Tooth standing there.

"Hey" she said.

"Um, hey?" I asked, curious.

Uninvited, she walked into my room, lying on the bed.

I frowned. "What are you doing here Tooth? I thought you were mad at me?" I allowed the door to fall back on the hinges and I took a few cautious steps into the room.

"Oh, I was." She said, sitting up again. "But then Aria showed me the Mother, and it was so beautiful, I realised I may have misjudged her. And I also realised maybe I was too hard on you."

"Ok?" I said, wondering where she was going.

"I'm sorry." She continued. "Can we still be friends?"

I sat on the edge of the bed. So many thoughts ran through my head, quicker than I could process them.

"Do you really think I would say no?" I said finally, trying to put a wry smile on my face.

Her uncertainty and worry melted away, and she grinned back at me.