Pᴇʀғɪᴅɪᴏᴜs || Tʜᴇ Cʜᴏsᴇɴ Eɪɢʜᴛ Bᴏᴏᴋ Fᴏᴜʀ

Chapter three// Spilling Tea

Zarlo
"Zay..." I gasped, clutched in her strangling grasp. "Zay... can't... breathe..."

She released me. "You're alive! You're here! You're... you?" My twin sister studied my eyes, suddenly seeming wary.

"Yeah. It's me." I offered a pained smile.

"Good, he's been identified." The black haired guardian-leader interrupted. "Now we really need to move, or else we'll never get there before the Conquerors."

I looked across the group, my gaze connecting with Lizzie's. A cold shiver ran down my spine as we started into the heat of the desert. Zay walked alongside me, chattering about this and that. She spoke about little things, unimportant things, but I just enjoyed hearing her voice and feeling her presence alongside me again. "... hey, is there something between those two?" I interrupted, gesturing with my head toward a redhead girl and a dusty brown haired boy.

"Sabien and Navia?" Zay glanced in their direction. She chuckled. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that they're more than friends."

"Oh?" I smirked. "Anyone else?"

"Well duh." She elbowed me with a roll of her eyes. "Niko and Lucia kinda have a thing for each other," she pointed them out, "as do Tazi and Lizzie." My sister nodded to the other duo that were walking quite close.

"Hmm... I suppose that leaves you with... annoying Zhong dude?"

She blushed, but turned away to hide it. "Sasha? Oh, no. We're just friends."

"I sense embarrassment." I teased, "ooooh someone has a crushhhh!"

"Shut it." Her face was beet red now. "Or I'll let Sasha beat you."

"Oh, so you are more then friends." I grinned. Just then, said boy strode to Zay's side.

"Is this idiot bothering you?" He asked brusquely, looping an arm around her shoulders.

"I'd say no, but then I'd be lying." She replied softly, tilting her head up to look at him.

"Wha-? Hey!" I frowned. "Thanks for the loyalty, sis."

She stuck her tongue out, standing on tiptoes to kiss Sasha's cheek. "Love ya too, bro."

"Aha!" I crowed gleefully, "you two do have something for each other."

Another blush bloomed on Zay's cheeks. "Ah, n-no! That's not-"

"Yeah we do," Sasha growled, wrapping her in his arms and leaning down to plant a kiss on her lips.

"Hey!" I frowned at him.

"What? Jealous?" Sasha let go of Zay and grabbed my collar, lifting me at least three inches off the ground.

"Sasha, no!" Zay tried to stop him, but Sasha barrelled on. He leaned in and placed a large smooch onto my lips. Smirking with satisfaction, he dropped me back to the sand.

I spat in the dirt, wiping my mouth with my hand. "Nope. Not jealous. He's a terrible kisser."

Zay was roaring with laughter. "I... can't... believe... you..." she managed to utter between fits of giggles.

Sasha looked pleased with himself as he hauled me back to my feet. "Obviously." He turned to me, offering a hand to shake. "I'm hoping this means we can start over. Sasha Leuko."

I shook his hand awkwardly, since mine were still bound. "Okay. Zarlo Scaups, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"You guys are both dorks." Zay interrupted, stepping between us.

"Your dorks." We chorused in reply.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes, suppressing a grin. "You two are both my dorks."

After another few hours of walking and joking around, Tyler finally called us to a stop. "We have yet to come near any villages, so we had ought to be alright travelling during the day. Now, it's almost sunset and we must rest." He indicated a tall sand dune nearby. "That should be a good place for us. Ryan, Hoya and I will keep watch while you all sleep."

The group started toward the dune, and I was pulled along by Zay. Everyone was laying out their bedrolls, chatting and laughing together. I felt out of place, like an outsider. I watched as Zay and Sasha chose a slightly more isolated spot, then headed over at their beckoning. "You can take my bedroll," Zay offered, "I'd rather sleep on the ground."

"No," Sasha insisted. "Have mine. I'll sleep on the ground."

"But-"

"No excuses." He shot us both a dark look, which I didn't argue with. Zay, however, muttered grumpily under her breath.

She's changed a lot. I realized, taking a seat on the bedroll that Sasha had lent me. If Father had given her that look about a month ago, she would've dropped her head and obeyed him in silence. Somehow, she's become stronger. More outspoken. My heart suddenly ached as another realization hit. And I haven't been here for any of it. I stretched out on my side, pondering in silence as the rest of the group slowly fell quiet. My eyes were drawn to Sasha and Zay, who lay side by side, the former's arm draped over the latter. I smiled wistfully, rolling back to look up at the sky. The stars were obscured by clouds, much like my own mind. I breathed deeply, almost fallen asleep when a soft conversation startled me.

"He's of no use to us!" The female guardian's voice carried, though she was making an effort to whisper. "We have to just leave him!"

"We can't." I had to strain to hear Tyler's soft reply. "He can be useful. We can use the boy as ransom."

"For the talisman?"

"Obviously. Thing is, we have no idea how to reach the Conquerors."

"Can't we just use Gerathon? She's in his head." Ryan, as I believe the female guardian was called, asked more quietly.

"Yes, I suppose we could." He sounded thoughtful. "Hoya, opinions?"

"Don't ask me." That had to be the sick-looking pink haired lady. Lizzie'd killed her spirit animal on her first mission.

"Are you alright? You look worse then yesterday." Ryan seemed concerned, but even I winced at the way she worded that.

"I've been better." Hoya admitted. "But don't worry about me."

"Well, we better get back to the plan..." Their voices faded from earshot, but their words were burned into my mind. The discord inside my head must've awakened Gerathon, because the sound of her scales suddenly filled it.

"They want to use me, do they? I'll show them. And you, boy."

I swallowed. That didn't sound good. What could she be up to?

*gAsP* a chapter?! Dan g. Heya guys! Crazy this weekend, that's why I couldn't update earlier. Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned and comment! Peace!