The Immortal's Gamble

Chapter 27 Fears

The sun blinded my eyes as I squinted into the distance, disoriented for a moment by the sudden blinding light. The crash of waves and the salty wind made me second guess my surroundings. I turned and everyone I knew and loved was here, even mum and dad. 

"Laura, come on." Mum, dressed in a sundress with shades over her eyes, waved from the sand where a picnic basket was set up, I haven't seen her smile like that ever since dad left. Her hair was long and healthy, flowing with each light breeze. Dad was next to her, as though he never aged, his smile just as I remembered and he beckoned me over.

"Laura... Laura..." She waved, but her voice became deeper as she called out to me. My vision narrowed and the sides faded to black as she became the focal point and even that started to disappear.

"Laura!" I bolted upright and my eyes flashed open. Taking a gulp of air that my lungs felt deprived of, I winced immediately. My eyes rolled back as I was overcome by a wave of dizziness and I fell,  but instead of the bed, a pair of arms came around me.

"It's okay, I've got you." A solemn pair of grey eyes murmured and I lifted my hands to touch his face but froze. 

My hands were shredded raw and bloody, I could even see bits of dirt and pebbles. Right, I fell when Dale jumped on me. I watched as he grabbed my hands, his mouth moving to tell me it's okay. I watched in silence as Alex and Bri took over and cleaned me up, Arden rubbed my back helping calm me down as everything happened. 

I made a move to grab Bri and Alex's hands and they flinched at my movement as though I would burn them. Taking back my hands, I've got my answer. They were afraid, of me. My head pounded and I closed my eyes, gathering my missing memories. I played them in my head yet trying hard to keep my emotions at bay. I remembered the fear in everyone's eyes, except Arden's, his were blazing with determination. 

"You're all afraid of me," I whispered, the understanding that I nearly killed them all settling in my gut wasn't a nice feeling. Arden stepped around and forced me to look in his eyes, I could feel him trying to get to me. But I couldn't register the words that spilled from his mouth.

Alastor stood out from the shadows where he observed quietly with Penelope next to him. Motioning to her, she immediately moved to me and helped me up and brought me out of the room and into the garden. Oh, how long ago the three of us with Annalise was running around having fun. Yet all these crazy events turned our lives upside down. 

"So, uh, I just want to like you know, apologise for my behaviour the first time I met you. It'll be an excuse if I say I don't know what came over me. It just felt like I lost someone dear to me. But enough about me, I'm really sorry and that's all you need to know. As for Arden, I can tell he really likes you, that much I can see." She smiled tightly and looked down at her own hands, "I just hope that you won't hurt him, emotionally I mean. I can see the connection between the two of you. They always said Immortals and mortals aren't allowed to be together and that's been a battle that hasn't been won." She said so quietly, I almost didn't catch. 

"What do you mean?" My words tumbled out faster than my brain can comprehend. But all she did was shake her head and smiled at me, a genuine smile. 

"Enough about Arden, I know you heard me," Her knowing grin sprang out as she continued, "I also know you feel responsible for what happened and I don't blame you for feeling that way. You did after all almost killed everyone who is sitting in that room including myself, except Alastor." I winced at her words but she continued, "But we are still your friends, acquaintance if you like since I barely know you. But the thing is, those people inside are your friends, they deserve to know what happened and what made you almost take their heads off." She nodded in the direction of the group.

"Let's go then." She stood up and offered me a hand, I looked at her curiously. 

"Are we friends now?" I asked and she turned a shade pink and I stood up as best as I could to assure her I didn't mean any insult. 

"Maybe." She smiled and guided me back into the house where everyone was sitting. 

As the door slide open, five heads turned back to each other and I ducked as Penelope led the way back and sat down next to Alastor. 

"Come now, my dear." Alastor gestured and I settled down next to him, keeping my head down I didn't know what to do, what to say. "So from what I heard, you left the house around ten. It's been four hours Laura, we need to know what happened out there. What did you see?" Alastor prompted, his eyes bore into mine and I squirmed under his intense gaze. 

"It's hard to explain, but maybe I could show you," I stated and put my hand into his. Alex came over and placed a hand on my other and I watched as both men closed their eyes and minutes later they opened simultaneously. 

"It's Allura, I'm sure of it. She's the only one to have such a keen sense of intuition that could have manifested into a gift." Alastor muttered, pacing up and down the room while Alex looked deep in thought.

"What caused the red haze? We've never seen it before, even during our training." Alex looked up and I fiddled with my fingers looking over the scraps and cuts. 

"He insulted mum." I murmured and silence fell over. "I'm sorry." I carried on, "I couldn't recognise you guys when you tried to help. I nearly killed everyone here." But a pair of hands landed on my shoulders and I looked up to see a pair of baby blues staring right at me. 

"You're my best friend and I would do anything to help you. I'm sorry for flinching. Just give us a heads up before going all psycho-bitch on us alright?" Her eyes filled with tears as she smiled at me, as we collapsed into a hug with Soren joining in my own eyes started watering and buried my face into Bri's arm.

"Well, I guess it's a happy ending. But I need to go back and report this to the upstairs. You know how they're like. And this sounds serious. Penny, you stay here and help them out however you can. I'll come back when I have news." Alastor instructed and then moved over to me where I was still in the middle of a hug fest, "Take care, my dear." He smiled and gave my shoulder a squeeze, the only part of my body that was not being hugged out by Bri and Soren. 

As the portal closed behind him, silence fell over us. I could feel Alex's eyes darting around the room before he pretended to yawn. "Man it's almost 3 am time for bed now. Come on Bri." He mumbled and pulled Bri along, who in turn pulled Soren. Their muffled argument over the sleeping arrangement faded as they went up. 

Penny walked over and gave my shoulder a squeeze and went over to Arden and did the same. But before she disappeared up the stairs she mouthed, "talk to him" and pointed to Arden then ran up to break up the argument. 

"Why did you do that?" He asked once Penny was out of an earshot. 

"Do what?"

"Running away, you know you had us. Do you know how worried I was?" His voice rising with each word he spoke and then closing his eyes to reign in his anger. And when his eyes reopened I saw the vulnerability that he kept hidden away. 

"I thought I lost you when I saw you fighting with Dale and when you turned on us, I could only think of how you were feeling, how lost you were. Tell me, Laura, what did we do wrong? What did I do wrong? My heart hurts at the thought of losing you, I felt so guilty, it felt as though I had forced you to become this way. " His voice cracked as he crossed over and held my hands in his. 

"Why? You didn't do anything, so why are you guilty? Why can't you stand the thought of losing me?" I asked, and he leaned back surprised by my question. What am I to you to cause you so much conflict?  

"Cause you're my friend." He replied looking away, but it sounded like a question instead and my heart dropped. I nodded and looked away, taking out my hands from his. 

"No need to worry then, friend. I'm fine now, I'm sorry for causing you so much heartache." I mumbled softly and went up the stairs. 

Is that all we are?

Friends?