Entwined

Entwined Ch. 14

~14~

~Bill’s POV~

I stared at Krystel and her Marks in amazement. I’ve never been captivated by such…such…

“You look like a High Priestess!” Mickee piped. “Except, I’ve never really seen Marks one someone’s hands before…”

“I don’t there has ever been such a thing,” Georg stated and crossed his arms, deep in thought. “In all of the things I looked up these past days, there hasn’t been a clue of this. It’s odd how they appeared on her when she was separated from her body.”

“Sometimes, one’s appearance will change into the true image of their spirits,” Gustav said, stepping around Krystel and observing her carefully, “Do you feel any different? Like in an off way?”

“I don’t think so,” she replied and rubbed her arms, “I feel cold, but I guess that’s normal, right?”

“Yes, it’ll wear away in a minute or two. You won’t feel any temperature changes afterward.”

I instinctively, slowly reached out to her. She saw my hand and flinched a little. I took a large step to her and tried to caress her face, but my finger melted through her skin. I felt a small wave of sadness, and I could feel hers too. “I…I thought I could,” I muttered softly.

“You can,” Gustav reassured me. He gave me a light shove and I nearly toppled over in shock. He saw my gaped expression and laughed, “You don’t remember when I pushed you through the wall?”

“Oh, right,” I went back to the memory, but cringed.

“You can push people through things?!” Tom slammed his hands on the table, his eyes wide.

Gustav rolled his eyes before placing a firm hand on my brother’s shoulder and propelling him backward through his chair. I laughed hysterically as he tried to get up, but the claymore on his back weighed him down. He looked like a turtle as he flailed his arms.

“Laugh all you want, Macky,” He sneered at me and I glared back.

Samantha helped him up, but instead of sitting, he stood straight, posture perfect.

I glanced back at Krystel in time to see her fingers nearing my chest. I could tell she was in deep concentration, so I stood as still as possible; I even slowed my breathing. Her index finger grazed my shirt, the black fabric ruffling slightly. I heard her gasp and her hand jerked back.

“Go on,” I supported her. “You can do it.”

Her cheeks gained a pink tint and her fingertips slowly found me again. I shivered from the contact; it was almost like dry ice. It grew steadily, and soon, her entire hand rested over my heart. I carefully lifted my arms and encircled them around her waist.

“It…it worked,” Krystel’s voice trembled a little.

“What’s wrong?” I asked worriedly. I thought you’d be happy…

“I was scared that it wouldn’t work,” she said and looked up at me, “but it did. I still wanted to touch you, to hug you, and to…” She trailed off, her gaze nervously drifting away from mine. 

Even though I couldn’t read her mind (which really annoyed me), I still knew what the end of her sentence was. My voice dropped low, “To…to kiss me?”

Her eyes grew wide and she dissolved away, the welcomed cold being replaced with uncomfortable heat.

“Where did she go?!” Samantha’s panic was visible and so was mine.

“Up here,” Krystel’s small, quiet voice came from above us.

I looked up. She appeared to be standing upside down directly above my head, leaving only inches of space between our faces. She frowned a little, “Sorry, I’m not really sure what happened…”

“I can’t really explain it, but it similar to attacking a ghost with iron, except you don’t disappear completely,” Gustav explained as he floated up a few inches to meet her line of sight. “Something happens and you seem to evaporate, but you’re still there. Other people just can’t see you.”

“Could you see me?”

“Yes, you can see anyone who’s out of their body no matter what the circumstance.”

Before I knew it, I was on my toes, my lips grazing the tip of her nose. I heard a squeak and she “was gone again, somehow reappearing under the table. She observed me shyly, and what she said sounded like, “Dun do dat.”

“Hey, how long are you guys planning on keeping this dimension up?” A deep, strained voice asked from behind me, “The energy is starting to give me the worst headache.”

I spun around and face the source, expecting a teacher, but only found a teenage boy only an inch taller than me. His golden blonde hair was slightly tousled and it reached his chin. His eyes scared me the most, for they looked deep, true black. Can someone’s eyes really be that color?

No, his eyes are dilated.

The boy continued to stare at us, and discomfort began to creep along my skin.

Thankfully, Georg broke the ice, “How did you know?”

“Well, it’s clear as day,” the boy explained and waved his hand, “Plus, it really cold over here. And…” He motioned to Gustav, “He keeps floating around everywhere. It’s distracting me.”

“Well, just ignore us,” Kenickie said curtly and crossed her arms, “You ain’t got no business o’er here.”

“On the contrary, I do,” he replied.

“For what?” The words formed viciously from my lips. I wasn’t sure why, but I felt highly…intimidated by him. His eyes said something, and I felt no trust. I tried peering into his mind, but it was like looking at a static television.What the h*ll is this?

In a split second, he was glaring directly at me. A shockwave of fire ran through every part of my being. My legs gave away and I fell to me knees roughly, instantaneously feeling my brother by my side.

The boy’s hissed his words, “Certainly not for you.”

“Leave him alone.” Krystel stood on my other side. When I didn’t feel the cold air, I knew she was back in her body. How did she return to it so fast…?

“Ah, Miss Asher,” said the strange boy, his sharp tone becoming polite and respectful. He bowed at the waist, “We finally meet. You may not know me, but-”

“I do,” she said quickly, “I mean, I don’t, but I do…I drew a picture of you in my sketchbook.”

Samantha gasped in recognition, “Oh my God! She’s right! I saw her draw it when she went on that weird…uhm…drawing spree?”

“So it has finally begun then?” The boy raised his head, his pupils shrinking to normal size and showing their bright violet color, “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Derik, a vampyre. You, Krystel Asher, are our shining light.”

“What are you-” She cut herself off, her hands shooting up and covering her gaping mouth, “The drawings…no…”

“Yes.” Derik stepped closer to her and held out his arm. In deep purple lines, the Triple Goddess adorned his wrist. “Miss Asher, the Apocalyptic War has begun, and you are our only chance in surviving it.”