Careless Encounters

Chapter 8-

Cairo was walking out of the school building, Ally and Skye had after school clubs to attend and this was one of the only days a week she walked alone. She had to catch a bus to get home and since she didn't drop by anywhere she had been twenty minutes early and was sitting at the bus stop.

“Cairo Storm,” said a tall dark haired and green eyed man in a suit. He extended his hand to her and she shook it cautiously. “Ethan Harding. Eli's brother. Can we take a walk?”

“My bus,” she answered, eyeing him noticing he had green eyes.

“I can drive you home,” he offered.

“You don't look like Eli,” she murmured refusing to move from the bench.

“My eyes aren't red because you're not under my spell when people look at Eli they see green eyes, I refuse to taint my skin with meaningless ink, my hair color in black just like his,” he told her swiftly, as if his patience was running dry. She couldn’t help but ponder about Ethan just saying Eli’s eyes were green. “If you miss your bus I will give you a ride home, can we walk now?”

“Only on the main street,” Cairo responded, finally standing up.

“Fair enough,” he answered as they began to walk. “I’ll be very quick about this. Eli is hesitating to do the only thing that keeps him alive. It's been almost two weeks and I happen to know you've been spending time together. I need one of you to move on.”

“I can't-” she began and he interrupted her.

“You can, it's that you won't,” he told her. “And Eli respects that. But I can't have him dying, as his older brother I need to keep him safe.”

“He could die?”

“He will die if you don't help him break the spell.”

“Is there any other way to break the spell?” Cairo asked feeling a sense of dread.

“There is,” he told her in a silky voice, the voice of a snake in the grass.

“How?” She asked, feeling a bit more frantic. Eli and her had spent almost everyday the last week ditching study hall and dwelling in empty classrooms just talking. He'd kiss her and tell her it was so he wouldn't need to take a nap during his other classes. She'd let him, letting the tingly feeling take over.

“You just have to come with me,” he murmured extending his hand again, this time she noticed his eyes were glowing a red tint taking hold of his irises. She began to feel hazy and just as she was reaching for his hand she noticed a figure step between them. It was a welcome awakening to the haze that was taking over her, she felt dread once the haze cleared up.

“You can't have her,” Eli growled, standing protectively in front of Cai.

“If you won't break the spell I will,” Ethan warned.

“I don't need your help,” Eli shot back.

“Look, I don't understand why you're going about it like it's a courtship of some sort, but whatever this is,” Ethan ordered. “It has to end. She's nothing, but a source of energy, you're treating this like some school romance. End it before I do.”

With that Ethan collected himself, straightening his tie and fixing his sleeves, as if no disagreement had taken place. “It was a pleasure, Cairo Storm, hopefully we meet again. Under better circumstances.”

“Are you okay?” Eli asked taking hold of Cairo's shoulders. She looked into his eyes and was relieved to see they were still red and she still felt tingles through his touch.

“Why didn't you tell me?” She mumbled, feeling defeated.

“What?” He asked, clearly confused.