Ghost Bird | ✔

Fifty-One

"First, we need to evaluate you," Owen states.

I snort, "Evaluate? Do we even have time for that?"

"Nothing extensive," Kota promises. "We just need to see if you can take care of yourself."

Nodding, I agree. It makes sense, after all. They wouldn't want to take me into danger without knowing whether or not I am a liability. I wouldn't want to cause them to get hurt.

"Nathan is the best fighter, right?" I say blankly.

They all exchange looks. Finally, Luke speaks up, "You don't have to fight him. You don't need to be the best. We just need to make sure you won't get hurt."

"Oh, I won't," I assure him with an edge of humor.

Warily, Nathan rises to his feet. "In your backyard, Kota?"

Kota nods and we all head out back where I am nearly tackled by a Golden Retriever.

"Hello," I coo, running my hands through its fur. "Who are you?"

"This is Max," Kota announces.

I smile softly before straightening up. I head to the center of the grass and stand in front of Nathan. He adapts a flawless fighting stance. I merely stand there at attention.

A confused look crosses Nathan's face as he sees I am not taking a fighting stance.

"Begin," Owen calls. He is as emotionless as I am.

Nathan throws a punch at me, but it is slow and sloppy. I slap his hand away from me, not moving anything but my arm. I return to my blank state and raise an eyebrow. Conflicted, Nathan tries again, but he doesn't really try to hit me.

I sway slightly as his fist sails past my head.

"You're not going to hurt me," I promise Nathan. "If anything, you'll hurt my feelings if you keep this up."

Nathan nods and it is like a flip switched.

He throws a roundhouse kick to my head which I easily duck to avoid. I grab his leg with my left arm to keep him off balance and throw punches to his kidney until he can no longer stand. He collapses to the ground with a loud groan.

I quickly straddle him and draw a finger across his neck.

"Dead," I whisper, leaning close.

His beautiful sky blue eyes widen as he realized how easily I could've killed him.

Realizing I am still in too of him, I quickly climb off of him and reach a hand down to help him up. He clasps my hand and climbs to my feet. But he doesn't let go of my hand.

I lick my suddenly dry lips and look around. The others are startled. Apparently, they didn't believe me when I said I could handle myself.

"We believed you," North grunts, startling me. "But defeating Nathan with ease is different than being able to take care of yourself."

"I said that out loud?!" I exclaim.

Luke laughs at my outburst and my ears burn with blush.

"Okay, you can handle yourself," Owen concedes. "Now we need to all pack some fear and head down to the airport. We can figure out the course they charted when they took you to the mansion and fly there ourselves."

Nodding, my emotions immediately smooth into a blank canvas of pure precision and calculation.

"I'm going to need to see your supplies," I say firmly.

Owen nods sharply.

"We have a storage unit," Kota informs me. "It's dedicated to our gear."

We drove down to the storage unit together. The eight of us are split up in three different vehicles. Owen and Sean are together, Victor, Nathan and Kota are together, and North, Luke, and I are together.

"What kind of music do you like, Sang?" Luke asks me with a playful grin.

I shrug. "I like tons of different music."

"I don't have any music in here right now," North interrupts.

Luke opens his mouth to ask a question before closing it as if realizing the answer.

"Well, we can listen to the radio," Luke decides with a grin.

He snakes out an arm and presses a button and music spills out of the speakers. North shoots Luke a glare but doesn't say anything.

The song is unfamiliar, of course, but it is soon replaced by a song that I do know.

One of my songs, Absquatulate.

"Life without you
Doesn't ring true.
I feel empty now.
But, somehow,
I know you'll find me.
You'll come and fix me.
Then I'll fix you.

"You can't be gone,
You can't be done.
Life without you
Won't ring true.
Don't leave without a goodbye
Or looking me in the eye.

"I miss you so much.
I crave your touch.
But you aren't here.
You weren't here.
This life without you,
It doesn't ring true.

"I can live without you.
But I don't want to.
Life without you
Doesn't ring true
My dear.
I need you here.

"The ache of you missing,
It drives me to sing,
To fill this hole,
But I'll never be whole.
Not without you.
Life just doesn't ring true."

I mouthed the words soundlessly to the song, my eyes closed. I know each and every one of my songs by heart. They are, after all, a piece of me.

The quiet is broken by Luke asking softly, "Who was the song about? I've always wondered."

I hesitate before slowly answering, "It was never really about someone. It was more about the absence of someone. I felt like someone or something was missing from my life."

Now, though, the song has an entirely different meaning.

Now, the song is about Silas and Gabriel.

I need them back.

I didn't get to say goodbye.

And life without them just won't ring true.

***

Almost there!! This book only had a few more chapters to go!

The song is one that I just wrote, btw.

Happy birthday to escapingtodreams!!

Thank you for reading, voting, and commenting!

Jade