Inhale Exhale

Chapter 8

Hey! In this book, I switch POVs between Aaron and Lorna. But at some points, there will be a 3rd party POV. Like a narrator telling the story. Parts like these. Enjoy!!

Dedicated to infinitykariuki

Lorna stood still in the depth of the woods. Her hairs gradually stood on one end. Her tears were gradually drying up. The memories were traumatising in the worst of ways.

She shut her eyes tightly as if he was standing right in front of her, merely inches away.

If she hadn't messed with Noah Van Moscovitz she wouldn't be knee-deep in this Godforsaken situation. "That's what I get for being social, I guess" she laughed sarcastically at herself.

She trekked across the dark woods,
knowing where to go but not which direction to take. The castle was way out of sight. She couldn't even see the tower at the very top.

"Atara, please,catch my voice with your super vampire thingy or something" she whimpered.

It was freezing and all she had was Atara's oversized black cloak over her tiny frame. Warm but not warm enough. His scent was fading and hers was dominating. She didn't mind but hoped it would still last long enough to guide her to him.

"Didn't I already pass this tree?" She questioned herself. Her feet were swollen from all the walking and running, which wasn't a petty task. She sat herself down at the base of a huge tree and let out a shaky sigh.

"Lorna! Are you there!?" a male voice shouted. She stiffened. Was it... Her eyes widened in terror.

"Lorna! What are you doing here!?"

Oh phew, it was Atara. Relief washed through her and she flung herself at her best friend.

"Hey, go easy Doll," he chuckled. "You heard me," she whispered.

"Yes, but Noah happened to ring me up with a small job to take care of. What were you thinking, running away from the king?" he scolded with a slight smirk playing on his lips.

She scowled like a little kid, sensing his playful mood.

"This isn't like all the other times, Atara. This time you're taking me with you. I'm not going back," she said fiercely, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her head throbbed furiously. She was enraged. How could she go back, after all she had been through?

But he only chuckled, and the sound of it made her frown falter into a ghost of a smile. She tried with all her nerves to prevent it but the smile grew into a huge grin. She wondered if his vampire powers did that to her too.

"The more you talk the more he hears you." he smiled. The scowl she had earlier on returned. "And the more I don't care", she retorted.

Her arms went around her torso and a glistening streak of liquid rolled down her cheek. Her eyes were glassy.

"What he's done to me..do you have any idea what he's done? I understand your loyalty to him but you have to take me away from him, Atara. I can't take this. I can't pretend after all he's done to me." She was rambling in between choked sobs.

He just sighed and sat down beside her, holding her in his arms. How was she surviving out here? It was like negative nine degrees currently, which must have been really cold for a mortal human like her.

"Look, even if we ran and never looked back," he tilted her chin upwards, his stormy greenish gray eyes boring into her soft hazel ones.

"Do you think we could run far enough? Without his knowledge? My mind is practically linked to his, Lorna. He would kill me after a good torture and you'd be his again," he told her truthfully.

'You'd be his again'

The words rang in Lorna's head. Those four words hit her like a ton of bricks.

"I was NEVER his" she muttered darkly.

Lorna was grateful that Atara had shown up in the Godforsaken forest. She just wondered why Atara was being so stupid. And that angered her.

"Look, Atara, if you're not ready to help me, then you might as well walk away. I'm sick of this. Let me die then. I do not want to be a pawn to your king or whatever, like you are. If that is where your loyalties lie, then fine. Walk away. If you choose him over our friendship, fine! Just back off. I'm not having any of this!"

She threw her arms up in exasperation. She hadn't meant to come on that string but she felt that her outburst had been necessary. She wanted everything clear to her, whether Atara was on her side or not. She'd much rather die in the jaws of a wild animal than in the fangs or hands of Noah van Moscovitz, her biggest nightmare.

Atara went next to her. He felt guilty. And torn too. Noah was his boss, his king. And Lorna was his best friend. And he knew he wouldn't give that up for anything.

He hoped that Noah didn't know of their whereabouts. Lorna's blood in Noah's system was almost all gone since he'd last ingested it and so he majorly hoped that Lorna couldn't be scryed. Otherwise, they wouldn't be standing here. He had done his best to block out his innermost thoughts that could give away their position to Noah.

He wanted to help his best friend. He knew that he had failed her. In a huge way. He hadn't told her but on that day when he met Lorna in Noah's castle, he was being mind controlled. He had been forced to say those words. He hadn't meant any single one of them. He hadn't meant to walk away either. It had all been a manipulation.

And that was why he had really raised hell when Lorna had been moved to the dungeons. Even threatened to kill his king. And that had almost resulted in his death.

But now he would help Lorna, or die trying. He couldn't bear to see the ever sassy firecracker so folorn. The only person that actually gave a huge shit about him. It was time to redeem himself.

Atara had made his decision.

"There is a way."

Lorna thought she hadn't heard that right. She looked up at her best friend.

"What did you just say?"

"There is one way, Lorna. Only one way."

This was quite tricky to write. Things get clearer in the next chapter though. Did I tell you guys that infinitykariuki is my demigodess? All hail the queen! This is the point where you guys do the bow for her entry 🤣🤣. See you in the next chapter!

💎💎J