My demons (book 1)

Funeral

The river that usually mirrored the sky above -both of them the kind of blue that colours those impossibly bright tourist brochures- was stained with blood of their enemies, whose bodies were flowing down the cold water, slowly disappearing in the distance.

Claire nodded at Jay who was carrying Lucas' body to his newly dug grave beneath the trees that hid them from uninvited looks.

Aisha held Claire in her arms as Jay put her brother in his last resting place and started covering him with the cold soil. She looked at Aisha for a second, unable to keep it together any longer. The magnitude of despair in her eyes was enormous as her eyes filled with tears and she rested her head Aisha's shoulder.

Meanwhile, Alina walked closer to the grave. She sank to her knees at the tiny grave, not caring for the soil that stained her dress. It was more than crying, it was the kind of desolate sobbing that came from a person drained of all hope. Her tears were watering the ground and her gasping wails echoed around the silent trees.

Claire cried against Aisha's shoulder, her tears soaking the thin material of her shirt, until there was nothing left inside but a raw emptiness. Then she stopped and looked up at her girlfriend, her irises threaded scarlet. Aisha could see it in her eyes, the finality of it all; the sun still shone, but not for her, the birds sang in the trees, but not for her, for her there was no beauty left in the world. "Can you give me a minute?" she asked with a shaky voice that was threatening to break.

"Of course," Aisha replied softly, kissing her on the forehead while Jay nodded and picked up Alina, who was still whining uncontrollably.

"We will be in the house when you are ready," he turned to Claire before following Aisha away from the peacefulness of the riverside.

...

"We need to talk," Claire said when she returned inside, her mask again firmly in its' rightful place.

"That look means trouble," Jay commented, walking closer. "Can we leave Ali out of this, she just fell asleep?"

Claire nodded and sat across the table from the remaining duo. She put her face in palms of her hands for a few moments and sighed. "I know you two will fight me so hear me when I say, I don't like this any more than you do. But we have no time to argue so just listen. They know where we are so we need to leave. Jay, I'll give you the money for plane tickets and for the hotel or wherever you want to stay, you'll have enough."

At that, Jay interrupted her: "You aren't coming with us?"

Claire sighed again. "I wish I could, but Lucas' friends weren't very happy when I told them about his death. They seek revenge and they expect me to help them. They will come to pick me up in a few and I'm going back to America for now. Don't tell me where you are going since there is always an option of me being captured. We also can't afford to be in any contact in that time. When it's all over, I'll find you," she gave Jay the money and stood up.

He took it and followed her suit, getting up as well. He shook her hand and nodded, no words of goodbye were needed.

"I'll give you two some space," he said and left the room, leaving the two lovers alone.

Aisha moved to a stand, closing the distance between them with just a few measured steps. Claire was looking at her with her sad eyes, still red from crying. "I'm so sorry..." she started but the brunette silenced her with a kiss.

"We don't have much time, do we?" she said when they parted, need for air becoming too strong to ignore. "Let's not spend it apologising."

Claire smiled softly before resuming their kiss with a renewed vigour, as if it was their last.