The Disappearing Fields

chapter 37

+Haven+

"You look utterly terrified. You've spoken to Niko before in dreams so why are you so scared?"

Victoria watched Niko playing with Valerie from the kitchen. It was like she was afraid to get close to him. The mere thought of even touching him sent her running for the shelter of the kitchen corner.

I sighed. This isn't going to be easy. "Stay here." Before I could get far, she grabbed my elbow.

"Where are you going?"

"To talk to Kaz. I figure he'd know the best way to breach this distance between you two."

She fiddled with her hands and looked around nervously. "Go ahead."

"Didn't need your permission I was gonna do it anyway." I take the stairs, knowing Kaz is probably in his room. I spot him in the hallway with his brother. They were leaning against the banister talking staring down at the folks in the living room.

This looks kinda personal... I know it's been awhile since they've seen each other. I shouldn't just pop in.

I sink against the steps and inch my way closer. Just because I don't pop in doesn't mean I can't listen. I lean around the stairwell and peer at them.

Almost instantly, Taj meets my eyes with a smirk. Then he purposely starts talking louder.

Still, I can't hear what Kaz says, but the one thing I picked up was my name.

"I don't know. Seems like she'd cut you up and boil you if you did that."

I inch a little closer and manage to hear what Kaz says.

"She doesn't know how to boil anything. I've seen Haven burn water."

I frown when Taj laughs. "how do you burn water?"

"I don't know but she managed to."

I glare at their profiles while they laugh about my not so great cooking skills.

"I guess that takes talent."

"Or lack of." Kaz stops laughing as he falls silent. "But Lord Irenaeus wants nothing to do with her. If we let our guard down even a little, he could snap her like a twig. Besides, who'll watch Nikholas if something happens to both of us?"

It finally sinks in. Kaz is gonna ditch me to take on what's his face on his while I play discarded lover and runaway with our kid. That  fire breathing, devious, scaly hide jerk. He can't just make that decision on his own! I'm the one who makes dumb choices not him!

I bit my cheek to stop myself from exploding. I zoomed in on his profile as they continued to talk. All their words went in one ear and out the other. I stopped listening entirely. I didn't realize I was shaking until bumped against the banister hard.

"Shit." I retreat back quickly, before they saw me, but there's no doubt that they knew I was there.

Kaz peers over my way before he starts searching, a wicked gleam in his eyes. While he's looking over my way, I continue backing up on all fours. Conjuring up enough wind in my veins, I disappear into my room within the blink of an eye. Then jump out the broken window, scale down a tree and hide. Luckily, it's nighttime, so I don't have to try hard to disappear.

As my heart settles and. Calm down, I question why I'm hiding. Sure Kaz's temper is something to run away from but at this late in the game, he should expect this from me. More importantly, he knows my essence. He should have felt me use it.

Something else is going on here. Scanning my room from the ground below, I wait for a sign. Of what? I don't know.

I focus on the window, wishing I could see what's going on. Just when I decide to go back inside, something cold touches my leg.

If it wasn't so familiar, I probably would have lost my head. I glance down at my beloved furry pet. Melon loves sneaking up on people.

"Melon! How did you get outside?" He tilts his big head up at my question before running around me and dashing off into the trees but stopping before he disappears. He was his tail at me, waiting.

I glance back up at the window, knowing that's how he escaped, and followed him into the thicket.

He runs ahead and scouts out the area as he always does never going too far that I can't see him or him me.

He stops up ahead near a giant oak tree and gets low. His attack stance. I step lightly over the fallen twigs and leaves, careful not to make a sound. Melon loves scaring squirrels more than me.

I get to the spot next to him and peer around the tree.

Just as I thought, squirrels. They were doing whatever squirrels do and running around.

Melon had spent too much time around Alex. He pounces better than a cat.

One second, he's next to me the next he's leaping through the brush at squirrels. They look startled for a second and flee as he gives chase.

A smile worms it's way to my face. Only Melon.

He chases the squirrels away from the trees and keeps them in the center.  They split up in an attempt to throw him off . One heads for the Oak tree the other runs in the center. The one heading my way stops when it sees me and runs the opposite way where Melon lures the other one towards it and proceeds to chase both of them. He's herding them and they're none the wiser.

That's when the pieces fell into place. That's what what's his face is doing. He's throwing things at us left and right, to keep us guessing all the while we're playing right into his hands.

Kaz had said what's his face was working with the Hunters to get Niko. To weaken Kaz. I know Alex, Zeik, and Elliot had distracted the reaper in order to gain Intel. We had planned to take one on at a time. A divide and conquer strategy, like the squirrels. But if Melon's the hunter and the reaper. I would be What's his face, standing on the side lines watching. Show enough of myself so they'll stay part of the game.

And that's what he did. Valerie, Victoria, Kaden, Taj, Kaz, Niko, and I. He herded us all together. Maybe even Zeik, Elliot, and Alex are pieces in his game.

And now that we've  divided and conquered we're all together, recovery, recuperating, and relaxing. The perfect time to attack.

Almost as if confirming it, Melon had the squirrels backed into a theoretical corner. They were tired barely even moving. Melon drops low, ready to pounce. He springs into actions and starts licking them.

Only our situation that would have been game over. We need to spread out.

Turning around, I rush back towards the house. I've played in these forest for months now. I know my way back. But after watching that haunting display, I find myself on edge.

He could attack any time now that we're all together. We need to split up, he won't be able to find all of us.

"You truly are the Sole queen's daughter. To think you'd figure out my plan just by watching a mutt play with rodents." A chilling voice echoes throughout the forest.

My blood runs cold as I search my surroundings for him. It's gotten too dark to see anything. I can barely make out the outline of trees thee feet in front of me.

A cold hand clamps over my mouth. The voice speaks too close to my ear. His words sends chills down my spine. "Do you know how easy it would be for me to kill everyone in that house. If Tabitha wasn't there, I would. But now I need a new card."

Closing my eyes, I try to draw on my essence but I can't. Nothing comes to me but tiredness. I can't bring myself to open my eyes again. Before the darkness overtakes me, he leans closer and whispers.

"And now, ive got one."