Hidden Away

chapter 9

When I opened my eyes again, I was in bed. "..huh?" It was all a nightmare?? Hehe.. so it was all just a nightmare huh... of course it was.. there is no way Zachary would- "AH!"
I couldn't help but cry slightly as I moved. My body hurt all over, but my leg... what happened to my leg?... Pushing the covers off of me, I propped myself up on one elbow and that's when I saw that my entire right thigh was covered in bandages. That's right! The grappling hook ripped through my leg! Wait... so that means all of that happend... LUCIEN! WHERES LUCIEN!? Looking around, I finally saw... Lucien curled up, on a mattress beside my bed. Back in the form of the boy I know who is Lucien, fast asleep. For a moment I just sat there and watched the rise and fall of his chest. There were dark circles under his eyes and he seemed paler than normal, but... he didnt seem to be wounded at all, just really exhausted. Then as I watched his eyes flutter open. We stare at eachother. "L-Lucien...?"

"Hey, echo?"

"Yes...?"

"Let's never do that again."

"Wait... so everything that... everything just now... that was real? Hey! Lucien, dont go back to sleep!" I tried to move out of bed to get to Lucien, but... "OUCH"
"Dont. move." In an instant, Lucien was by my side, supporting me so I didnt fall off the side of the bed. He moves shockingly fast for someone who seemed to be half asleep. "My...my leg.." lucien sighed. "What a troublesome human..." he went over to my desk and came back with a couple of painkillers and a glass of water.
"We'll try healing it with magic in the morning. For now-"
"Youre ok!" Lucien yelped as I tackled him around the waist, squeezing so tight I think I nearly cracked a rib. "You're ok... you're ok... you're ok..."

"I wont...be ok...if you dont...let go of me...!"

"I thought you were going to dieee!!"

"I...feel like...dying" smiling a little, I gave Lucien a little nuzzle and i start to tear up "Lucien, i thought I lost you..." Lucien glances down at me and hesitantly rubs my back "im here..." as I finally backed away and took my pain killers, Lucien backed away with an exasperated sigh.
"If you're this energetic, we should figure out what to do with them. The which hunter scum I mean."

"Zachary... Mary... I still cant believe...th-this really wasnt a dream...? I'm not going to wake up any second now?"

"If you wanted to pretend which hunters dont exist, you should have stayed in the forest with me. This is exactly what I warned you about."

"H-how could they have known I was a-"

"Which hunters are born with the ability to know when magic is being used around them. I've told you this before."

"But Zachary was my classmate! Hes the same age as me! How was I supposed to- I mean, hes so-" i would have ended that sentence with 'so nice', but my throat clamped up. My heart started to beat hard and fast against my chest as I remembered his face. The way he looked down at me with that look of absolute contempt.

"Dont you get it yet? I'm sure your prince charming is perfectly nice...to other humans like him. That's a category that neither of us fall into, unfortunately."

"But, I'm-"

"Doesnt matter to them. You have magic? You either submit to them, or you die."
I stared at him in horror. Lucien just sighed, his expression softening. "I'm sorry. It was my fault too- I didnt expect a whitch hunter to be that close to you. I dont even want to think what might have happened to us if you didnt have teleported us away."

"You're saying that Zach... zach would never-" my words felt hollow even as I was saying them.
"He would...n-never..."

".."

"..."

There was a sad silence between us until Lucien looks at me and places a hand ontop of mine.
"Thats what I used to think."
"Think what??" I look at him curiously. "That humans couldn't possibly be that vicious. They laugh and smile and bleed just like we do, after all."
"Lucien...?"

"Heh...you really have never wondered why I owe your great grandmother that life debt, have you?"
I look down... he was right, I havent...

"Why do you owe Angela a life debt, Lucien?"

"Its not much of a story. I used to have parents..."

"Used...to?" I look at Lucien sadly.

"Its fairly typical for someone like me."

"Oh my gosh...Lucien.." Lucien just shrugged. "We thought we were safe in the woods just like you thought you were safe here. But hunter scum- just likes ones you saw today- tracked us down."

"Th-then...your parents?" Looking away from me, Luciens voice cracks a little. "They're gone and I'm still here. Sometimes I dont know if I'm grateful to Angela or hate her for it." I sit there silent for a moment trying to process everything he just told me. Squeezing his hand in reassurance "I'm s-so, so sorry Lucien... I didnt-" he cuts me off
"Honestly...all things considered... it would probably be better if I died." Looking at Lucien in utter shock "huh!? What are you talking about? Dont... dont ever say that Lucien" lucien moves his hand out of my grasp and turns away from me? crossing his arms in front of his chest...no, not crossed. He was just hugging himself, like...like he was...
Scared
"Echo, listen. If that asshole shows up again, dont stand around gaping like an idiot. Just run, run and never look back."

"That asshole? You mean Zachary? O-or Mary?"

"NO!"
I nearly choked on my water, I never heard Luciens voice so loud before.
"You...know who I'm talking about"

"You cant mean..." the strangers face flashed into my mind again- the colour of the night flecked with red.
"What... happened to you, Lucien?" He sat there silent for a bit.
"The reason why Angela kept me hidden in the cottage. The reason why she never let me get close to anyone. Each transformation heals me, but...I didnt want to...I wouldn't have..."

"Huh? But... you transformed to save us, right? W-why are you-"

"Promise me echo! If you see Leviathan again, run..." he whispered soemthing under his breathe. I couldn't physically hear it, but... I dont know if it was my magic acting up or something else... but for some reason, I knew in my heart that this is what he said: "I am strong...strong enough not to need him...I'm strong, strong, strong, strong..." he was gripping his knuckles so hard they seemed as white as bone under the moonlight. Just then... a very familiar ring tone started playing. Lucien didnt move as I scrambled to pick my phone up.
The name I saw on the screen made my blood run cold. "Its... its Zack!" I look up at Lucien in panick "wh-why is he... do you think he...Lucien, what do I do?!" Lucien still doesnt move from his position and mumbles, "you decide." And he turned away from me completely. He looked so small and fragile...
I...