This chapter is dedicated to SoulEater1313 , she's been an amazing fan! Commenting and voting on every chapter! Thank you so much! And thanks to everyone else reading. Enjoy
~ Brooke
---
I was in the woods again. Pines and poplars. That sharp, clean scent that cleared your head, that cut through the stench of rotting leaves.
“Zeya!” I turned at the sound of my name, smilingly as I saw it was Caleb. His wounds had somehow vanished, along with all the blood and sweat and soot, and I was glad. He was looking cuter than normal. His shaggy black hair was swept around his head, and it had naturally formed into a hat-hair halo.
God, he was cute!
He smiled back, white teeth seeming brighter than ever in the gloom of the forest. He moved closer to me, smelling of deodorant and boy. I felt my heart beat faster. He bent his head, and I leant up to him, closing my eyes…
I jerked awake to the sound of Caleb’s voice. His nose smashed into my forehead, and we both reeled back.
“Jesus!”
“Omigosh, Caleb! I’m so sorry!”
“Ah…damn. Its fine” I was so glad to see that he was alright. I opened my mouth to reply, when Ace whooped with laughter.
“The Mighty Caleb just got pussy-whipped!” Lilah mock-gasped and put her hands on hips.
“Excuse me?” Ace and Lilah were probably the most in-your-face people I’d ever met; it was a bit hard to get a word in sideways. I realised Lilah was speaking again. “…think you’re so tough. As if a girl couldn’t whip you.”
“A girl couldn’t beat me…at least not in a fight!” Ace sounded indignant.
“Want to bet?”
“Well, now you come to it, not particularly…” Lilah cut him by punching him in the face. Ace yelped and moved back, holding his hands up defensively. “Lay off! I didn’t mean it!” Lilah responded by kicking his thigh.
“Suck it up, princess,” she smirked. Ace turned tail and bolted away from us into the trees; Lilah chased after him, shouting a colourful mix of threats and curses. Caleb turned to me, moving a few inches closer, and very suddenly my dream came flooding back. Bad timing. My cheeks flamed red, and I turned slightly away, hoping he wouldn’t see.
“Um, I’ll go get the others, just quickly, you stay here, um…” I broke off and walked away, blushing furiously. I walked amongst the trees for a few minutes, just enjoying the quiet solitude and sense of peace that the trees brought on.
“Annoying, isn’t it?” I yelped in surprise and whirled around. An older man – somewhere between sixty and thirty, it was hard to judge – smiled back at me. My spidey-senses tingled. Well, they didn’t actually, but the man radiated a sense of menace, like that feeling you get when you’re watching a movie and threatening music starts playing. I gulped, and took a step back.
“Who are you?”
“Being left alone all the time,” he continued, as if he hadn’t heard me. “Those three…well, you can’t exactly trust them.”
“Who are you?” I repeated suspiciously. He smiled again, running a hand through his cropped black hair.
“I’m Marcus.”
“So what do you want?”
“I want to help you, Zeya,” he said earnestly, leaning forward. “I know that you think Ace and Lilah are on your side, but they’re not.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, before realizing he knew who I was. “And how do you know my name?”
“I was a friend of your father’s,” he said, looking mournful. And despite all my reservations about this stranger, I couldn’t help but think he was genuine. “You need protection, Zeya.”
“From what?”
“I can see they haven’t told you the story yet.”
“The story?”
“About the hallows of power.”
“Hallows?” I repeated again, inwardly cringing. I sounded like a parrot.
“It’s a powerful force – no-one knows exactly what it is, but it can be highly…destructive, if it’s placed in the wrong hands. And believe me, Zeya, the hands of your ‘friends’ are the worst there are.”
“Jesus…” I couldn’t believe it. Sure, Ace and Lilah didn’t seem like the nicest people, but being a bit arrogant and rude didn’t mean they were out to destroy the world….I realized Marcus was speaking again.
“…the Shadow Corps – which I am a part of – need your help, Zeya. You’re more powerful than you know.”
“Me, powerful?” I laughed. “You’re talking to the girl who barely scraped a C in most of her classes.”
“Pah.” He waved a hand dismissively. “Education. I’m talking about real power - the power to alter the world.”
“Me?”
“Yes, Zeya, you. You see, you have spirit.” He leaned back, regarding me thoughtfully.
“Ace! Zeya! Lilah? Where are you guys?” The shout reached us a heartbeat before Caleb saw us. “You!” He glared at Marcus. “Get away from her!” I glanced sideways at Marcus, and decided that staying away from everyone until I could figure out what was going on would be safest.
“Caleb.” Marcus smiled icily. “How pleasant of you to join us.” He turned in mock surprise. “Ace and Lilah too? Isn’t that nice. All four Elementals together.” I watched, horrified, as Ace and Lilah were dragged out from behind a stand of shrubbery by four vampires, led by the blonde vamp Isabella.
“Get away, Zeya,” Caleb shouted. “They’re in it together!” Too late. Marcus reached out and grabbed my wrist.
“A profound discovery, Caleb,” he sneered. “A shame it was too late. Now, come with me or your friends get killed - painfully.”
“I thought you said you were the good guys!” I whispered, stunned. Marcus shot me a disappointed look.
“People lie, Zeya. It’s the way of the world.”
YOU ARE READING
MOVED TO BROOKIEISMYNAME 'S ACCOUNT
FantasyZeya always thought she was different, an outcast. Until a cute boy shows up in her dreams and in her school. She tries her best to ignore him, but he's more important than she knows. He's watching out for her, not stalking her. One day he saves h...
