Knowledge is Deadly: Book 1: The Azuran Series

Chapter 26

Back at the house, Blake, Katelyn, and Kilin were sitting in the kitchen chatting. Other than their voices it was strangely quiet.
"Wait. Where are Apsen and Kile?" Katelyn asked, realizing they had disappeared. They all exchanged glances and suddenly they heard shouting outside.
"Oh no." Kilin said and bolted out the door followed by the other two.
The shouting had indeed come from Aspen and Kile, who were now shirtless on the dock. Kilin started running down towards the dock. In two seconds they had both beautifully dived into the pond.
"Oh my..." Katelyn said as she started down the hill to the dock.
Two wet heads popped out of the water.
"Who jumped further?!" Kile called.
"Can you even swim with your injures?" Kilin replied.
"Yeah!" They both said.
Katelyn reached the edge of the water. "What are you two doing?"
"Swimming!" Aspen called.
Blake stood beside her with a fed-up sigh.
Katelyn rolled her eyes and smiled at him mischievously. "Sorry." She said.
"For what?" Blake asked, but he was cut off by Katelyn shoving him into the pond.
Aspen and Kile both laughed and Blake disappeared underwater with a yelp. But he didn't come back up.
Katelyn didn't notice at first, but then she realized he was still under. She came to the edge and stared into the water nervously. 'He can swim, right?' She thought, but he still didn't come up.
At least two minutes passed. 'Oh my god, he's drowning.' She thought, panicked. She was about to dive in after him but his head popped up near Aspen with a laugh.
She sighed in relief but was angry. "Don't do that!" She said, crossing her arms.
"That's what you get for pushing me in!" Blake called.
"Yeah well-" Katelyn started but was cut off as someone shoved her into the cold water.
She screamed and swam up to the surface, gasping for air. "Hey!" She yelled at Kilin, who was standing on the bank with a smirk.
Katelyn's glare turned into a smile as Kile snuck up behind Kilin. Before she could reply he grabbed her waist and jumped in with her. She screamed in shock and they disappeared underwater for a moment. When both of them came up Kilin was kicking and shoving Kile away from her and the others were laughing.
"I didn't want to get in!" Kilin snapped. Kile just splashed her.
"Neither did I but look where we are now." Katelyn said.
"You deserved it." Blake said.
She splashed him. "I only pushed you in for your own good."
"My own good? How did you know I could swim!?" He asked.
"I guessed."
Aspen disappeared underwater and popped up beside Katelyn, splashing her. She put her hands up to shield her face.
"I'm getting out." Kilin grumbled.
"Oh no your not." Kile said grabbing her.
Kilin dragged him under with her.
Katelyn watched them happily. She felt arms wrap around her. "Sorry for this." Blake said and flipped her under.
Katelyn turned upright in the water and grabbed Blake's arm, pulling herself up and pulling him down.
As she hit the surface a hand grabbed her ankle and dragged her back down. She met eyes with Blake underwater before he started back to the surface. She swam up beside him and caught her breath. When she had, she scooped water into his face.
"Ugh." Blake said splashing her.
In the midst of him splashing her, Katelyn caught the smell of wood smoke and turned. She saw Mr. Howard sitting a newly made fire along with Phoebe and Ms. Smith. The warm fire was tempting.
"I'm getting out. This water is cold." She said, starting to swim towards the dock.
"Aw." Aspen pouted.
Kilin beat her to the shore and laid on her back with a huff. Kile splashed her from the pond.
"Stop that!" She snapped.
Katelyn crawled out behind her and shivered as she stood. The breeze seemed to turn her wet body to ice.
"It's too cold for this craziness." Kilin muttered.
Katelyn pushed her hair out of her face and squeezed water out of her shirt. Then she started towards the fire.
'Wait for me..' Blake thought starting after her.
She slowed down to let Blake catch up and they walked over to the fire pit. They sat down on a small bench near the blazing flames.
"So who's idea was it to jump in the pond?" Mr. Howard asked.
Blake was quiet and looked at Katelyn.
"It was the effects of the cake on Kile and Aspen." She said, looking at Mr. Howard.
He laughed. 'Phoebe gets that way.' He thought.
They were joined by Kilin, Kile, and Aspen.
"That was fun." Aspen said sitting down in a chair. Kilin sat down on another bench and Kile sat beside her.
Katelyn shuddered and rubbed her shoulders. The fire wasn't doing much to warm her up.
'She's cold to. But it won't help much since I'm wet to...' She heard Blake think.
Katelyn studied him briefly before looking back at the fire and leaning into his side. Blake nuzzled closer to her trying to keep her warm. Kile looked at them, raising an eyebrow. He nudged Kilin and they both looked over at them. Kilin grinned and whispered something to him happily.
'I think they are looking at us.' Blake thought to her. 'I can move if you want.'
'No, it's ok.' She thought back.
'Okay, good. I was hoping you'd say that.' He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. 'Wait, is it 'say' or 'think'?' He rambled in his head.
'You're warm. I'm not moving.' She added, trying to convince herself that that was the only reason.
'Good. You're warm as well.' He thought.
Ms. Smith stood up. "I'll be right back." She said before entering the house. When she returned, she was carrying five towels over her shoulders and a tray of hot cocoa for everyone. She dispersed the cups and towels and sat back down. Katelyn draped her towel over her shoulders and leaned back into Blake, holding the warm mug in her hands. "Thank you, Ms. Smith." She said politely.
"You're welcome." She said, sitting down beside Mr. Howard again. Kilin sipped her drink and pulled her legs up under her, leaning her back against Kile's shoulder. The door opened again and Phoebe walked out joining everyone at the fire. She sat beside Aspen quickly.
He glanced at her. 'If she leans on me, I swear...' He thought. Katelyn smirked at him knowingly.
Aspen looked over at Katelyn. 'You just wait, it will happen.'
She raised an eyebrow at Phoebe. 'She likes him?' She wondered.
'Who does?' Blake thought.
'Phoebe.' She replied, still watching her.
'Likes Aspen?' He looked over at them. 'Ew.'
'Yeah, not a good match.' Katelyn agreed.
'And that's just weird.' Blake thought. He imagined them together and shuddered.
Katelyn snickered quietly. 'You'd have Aspen as a stepbrother in law.' She thought.
'I'm already his dad.' Blake replied.
'Well, that's awkward.' She thought.
'Yeah.' Blake thought.
'Oh Azura help me she moved closer.' Aspen thought trying not to look at Phoebe who had slid closer to him.
Katelyn put her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh as she watched Phoebe, who was rubbing her arms, pretending to be cold.
'Oh please, on Azura's grave please stop that.' Aspen begged mentally. "There are probably some blankets in the house." He noted looking over at Phoebe.
"But it's so far..." She pouted.
Katelyn pursed her lips. 'I'm not annoying to you like that am I?" She thought to Blake.
'No. You couldn't be that annoying.' He thought.
"There is a fire." Aspen said, looking at it.
"I'm still cold." Phoebe whined quietly.
"Then move closer." Aspen said, sounding slightly annoyed. Phoebe huffed, giving in, and moved to sit closer to the fire.
Katelyn laughed but smoothly converted it to a cough when Phoebe looked at her.
Aspen looked at Katelyn. 'That was awkward.' He thought. She just grinned at him and laid her head on Blake's shoulder.
Ms. Smith whispered something to Mr. Howard and he nodded.
"Well, we're going inside." She said. "Make sure you put the fire out before coming back in." She added before walking up the hill, hand in hand with Mr. Howard.
Katelyn felt Blake stiffen as he watched them. She was pulled into another memory, this time it was Blake's. He was a small child and this memory came in parts. A woman and a man, who must have been his parents were walking together, holding hands. Then it jumped to them yelling at each other, then to his mom sitting on the hill with a bottle of whiskey. When it faded she found herself back where she was, by the fire, and Blake hadn't moved away from her. She glanced up at him, her eyes moist. He looked at her and then away sadly.
"Blake, I'm sorry." She whispered softly.
"I've already told you it's fine." He said, although he didn't sound so sure of himself.
Katelyn bit her lip and looked down. 'I didn't mean to do that.' She thought to herself.
He looked over at her and rubbed her arm trying to be comforting. "You're fine." He promised quietly. She shook her head and was quiet. "Really." He added trying to look down into her eyes.
Katelyn met his gaze. "I'm not sure I like this new development with my locket."
"You will just have to learn to control it." He replied quietly.
"Doesn't sound easy." She mumbled.
"No!" Kilin snapped loudly, sitting up. Evidently she and Kile had been talking before that because Kile laughed and responded with something quietly.
'Big annoying cutie.' Kilin called him in her head and laid back on his shoulder.
Katelyn smiled at them. 'They're so cute.' She thought.
'They really are.' Blake responded. 'Sometimes I wonder how they met.'
'They were probably instant friends. They are so much alike.' Katelyn thought.
'You could ask. Or you could just see their memories.' Blake thought. 'Although I know you wouldn't do that on purpose.' He added quickly.
Katelyn shifted uncomfortably. 'Sorry. Shouldn't have brought that up.' Blake thought, looking back at the fire.
'It's ok.' She dismissed, although she still felt uneasy.
'Great, now you're just making her uncomfortable, Blake.' He chided himself.
She patted his leg. 'You're fine, Blake.'
He ran a hand through his hair. 'Whatever you say...'
Katelyn relaxed against him and looked at the sky. The sun was dipping below the house in front of her quickly.
Kilin laughed quietly. "It's true." She said quietly.
"Is not." Kile said and Kilin dropped her voice back down to a whisper.
"What's true?" Katelyn asked them.
They both looked at her. "That-" Kilin elbowed Kile making him stop. "Nothing." She said and smiled anything but innocently.
"What?" Katelyn asked again.
"She says it's nothing but..." Kile said trailing off as Kilin glared at him.
"Oh now you're just teasing us." Aspen said bringing Phoebe's attention to the conversation.
Katelyn tried to read their thoughts. "What?" She demanded.
Kilin's thoughts came easily but Kile's were harder to read for some reason.
'I swear if he says anything I'll... Yeah I probably won't do anything really.' She heard Kilin think. 'It won't change anything.' Was the only thing she heard from Kile's head. Other than their thoughts they were quiet. Katelyn huffed impatiently.
"Can I please?" Kile asked Kilin.
"If you want to." Kilin huffed.
"We were just saying how adorably cute the sky was tonight... The sky being you and Blake." He said.
Aspen laughed and Blake tensed up, blushing red instantly.
"Blake and I were saying the same thing... the sky being you and Kilin." Katelyn countered.
This time Kile's face flushed and he looked away. Kilin glared at Katelyn trying to ignore her own red face. Katelyn smirked at her and shrugged.
'Everyone else is cuddled up. Why can't I be with him?' Katelyn heard Phoebe think as she crossed. Katelyn laughed quietly and looked at Aspen.
"What?" He asked meeting her gaze. She made sure Phoebe wasn't looking when she nodded in her direction with an eyebrow raised. Aspen shook his head.
"She wants to snuggle." Katelyn mouthed silently with a smirk.
Aspen shook his head faster. Katelyn shrugged and sipped on her cocoa. Blake set his mug down ran his hands through his damp hair.
Katelyn was feeling tired already even though she had slept so late. She couldn't tell if it was from the warmth of Blake, running around town all day, or using her locket so much.
'Probably all of them.' Blake thought, picking up on her thoughts. She closed her eyes, not wanting to move.
'You want to stay here or go inside?' He asked mentally.
'I don't want to get up.' She answered.
'Understandable.' He thought resting his head on hers again.
After a while of listening to the crackling fire, Katelyn fell asleep.
She woke up as she was set on her bed and her constant heat source was removed.
She hugged herself from the cold and opened her eyes just a bit to see who it was. "No... It's cold..." She muttered.
Blake put a hand on her shoulder. "Go back to sleep." He said quietly and started to pull the covers up and over her.
She shut her eyes and went still. Even after he had pulled the covers to her face she still didn't feel any warmer. He stood up and turned, intending to leave.
"No." She protested groggily. "Cold."
Blake turned back to her. "I can't stay..." He said regretfully.
She opened her eyes. "Y-yes you can. I'm freezing."
His eyes widened and looked over her, wondering if she was serious. She just held herself tighter, shivering.
"Ok." He said and walked to the other side of the bed. Hesitantly he crawled into the bed, sliding over towards Katelyn. She turned over quickly and held herself to him for his warmth. He wrapped his arms around her and rest his head on top of hers, closing his eyes. Content and finally warm, Katelyn fell into a deep sleep quickly.