Leave {z.m.}

Thirty Three

Zayn's P.O.V.

"I love that you guys came to visit me, but why are you here?" 

Cecilia aimed her words towards Adelaide; she rarely spoke directly towards me. I figured that I made her uncomfortable as a result of how serious I remained. This was a serious matter though. Dealing with possession could be dangerous, and I would not take this lightly. It was worrying Adelaide.

"After...everything, we just want to make sure that you're still all right. We don't do much back home in Manchester anyway," Adelaide chose her words carefully and I nodded along, although Cecilia would not meet my eyes. 

Her powers must have sensed what I was. 

"Oh, okay. I appreciate your concern. Did you guys want to do anything in particular today?"

"We would just like to stay here and speak with you for today, if that is okay with you," I told her and Adelaide chewed on her lip nervously. 

"Sure. Got questions for me, huh?" She smiled at me for a brief moment, but I noticed a glint of fury in her eyes that did not belong to her. 

The air outside on her front porch seemed to become still and the sound of birds chirping came to a halt.

"Um, Lia, I'll be back. I need to talk with Zayn for a moment," Adelaide gripped my arm and pulled me inside the house. 

"Is your plan to just go out and ask her what she is? I'm pretty sure that plan is going to backfire."

"We are not here to make nonsense small talk. There is a purpose for this visit. You need to remember that. Whatever reaction we receive may confirm a few things for us," I reminded her. 

"You're right. Will you ask her?" 

It bothered me whenever she frowned. She was still beautiful, of course, but she wasn't as radiant.

Ever since she was informed about the world I am involved in, that frown has revealed itself more often than her smile. 

"I will," I promised her and she turned away to return to Cecilia. 

I wish there was something I could do to relax her. I was still uncertain of feelings though.

"Is everything okay?" I heard Cecilia ask Adelaide as I followed her outside. 

"Yeah, everything's fine," she replied unconvincingly. 

"Are you a sorceress?" I questioned without even sitting down yet. 

Adelaide shot me a glance of dread.

Cecilia jerked back against her chair and Adelaide scooted away from her. Cecilia appeared to become blank, as though her whole system had been restarted. Her hands grasped the arms of the chair tightly. Adelaide screamed as Cecilia jerked forward. Adelaide jumped up and ran, hiding behind me, her fingernails raking against my back in terror.

Cecilia slowly straightened and her head turned towards me. Her eyes no longer had pupils surrounded by ocean blue irises; her eyes were completely white. Her strawberry blonde, curly hair began to straighten. 

"You don't know anything. You don't know the truth." 

Her voice was not her own. Cecilia owned an American, yet slightly Irish accent; this voice was British.

"What is the truth? What do we not know?" I urged her, but she fell to the wooden porch's floor suddenly. 

I moved forward and picked her up, bringing her inside with Adelaide's help to a nearby sofa. We waited and waited. Twenty minutes passed without speaking. I met Adelaide's gaze every now and then, and she seemed to be expecting another episode of paroxysm.

"When did we come in here?" Cecilia woke from the possession and Adelaide began the excuse.

"Well, um, all of us fell asleep. Zayn woke first and then he woke me up. We tried to wake you up, but you were too stubborn so we moved you in here where it's more comfortable." 

It was surprising how easily Cecilia believed the lie. 

"I'm going to take a shower," Adelaide told Cecilia.

"Zayn, I need you to help me sort out the suitcases." 

Adelaide waved me on to come upstairs with her. 

"Oh, you two have fun with that," Cecilia winked at me and I awkwardly looked away. 

"Shut up, Lia," Adelaide tried to seem annoyed, but she only seemed embarrassed. 

Her cheeks flushed scarlet and I tried to hide a smile.

Once upstairs and in the room we had to share, Adelaide sighed and sat down on the bed. 

"I'm scared for her, Zayn. One second, she's normal, and the next, she's being controlled by something unknown. I can't help her either. She's like a sister to me."

Adelaide buried her face into her hands and faced her head down. I hurried over and crouched down in front of her. 

"Come here," I whispered. 

She revealed part of her face and I noticed that her eyes were watery. 

"I'm just frustrated," she explained. 

She slid off the end of the bed and sat on the floor beside me.

I rested on the floor and put an arm around her. She automatically leaned into me and I used my free hand to wipe her tears away. 

"There is not much we can do until we have a chance to talk to the specter and find a way to help Cecilia overcome the control of powers."

 "I know. I don't even know why I'm crying. I hate crying," she shuffled around in her suitcase and took out clothes to sleep in. 

"We can go back to Manchester tomorrow morning if you would like." She nodded once and stepped out of the guest bedroom.

I thought of her comment about hating to cry, and I realised that it was true. She truly was a strong individual. She had moved to England on her own. She had come to my flat without thinking twice and asked for help, and I knew that she would have been more comfortable finding a way to help herself. She did not seem afraid when she spoke to Louis. She handled the revealing of my world well.

She was independent, and she was only dependent when the situation was actually a dire one. This trip had been short, but I believed that this day had been enough. Adelaide could go back home and I would find a way at my home in Bradford to speak with the specter alone. 

I wanted to help her cousin, Cecilia.