Bloodstream

12 Everything

Sage

The silence was deafening. The night was cold. The only thing we could hear were the cars moving through the rugged terrain. We had been in this damn car for hours and it was almost midnight.

Cohen was a day's journey from Kallihan. But Xander knew a way around the forest, a shortcut which would apparently get us there earlier. His car was leading the way and Axel and I were following behind. Ezra and Ethan chose to stay back since Axel volunteered to come with me. I was going to try and talk him out of it but then I realised it was no use, he had already made up his mind.

Neither of us had spoken to eachother properly since what happened on the balcony. I didn't really want to be the first to speak up but this silence was killing me.

"You know you didn't have to come right?" I turned towards him.

"Yes" he replied coldly, not taking his eyes off the road. I kept my eyes on him and he didn't even flinch. His insane cheekbones were illuminated by the tail lights from the car ahead of us . He let me have my moment till he turned around to glance at me and then back at the road.

"What are you thinking of?" he kept his eyes on the road ahead.

"Nothing" i shook my head turning away from him to look ahead.

"Sage" his commanding voice made me turn towards him again only this time his eyes were already on me, focused.

"I'm worried about..."

"You don't have to be worried about anything" he looked back at the road."I'm here aren't I " I didn't really expect him to say that , but it was somehow a little reassuring to know he was here. But it still didn't calm me down.

"Yes" i breathed out "but Xander said the hex might still be in my blood".  I couldn't camouflage the concern in my voice even if I tried. The thought of that pain running through my body that night alone made me want to curl up into a ball. I felt so damn weak it made me sick.

He turned towards me , the same concern reflecting in his eyes.
"I'm here" he said in a low tone "nothing will happen to you" he glanced at the road for a second and then back to me.

"I don't understand why couldn't he just take your blood and let the witch do whatever she had to do" he ran his hand through his hair.

"It doesn't work like that. It was very dark magic. She needs to channel the person that came in contact with it " i tried explaining but apparently I didn't do a very good job at it. 

"Then why couldn't she come to the castle and meet you?" He looked ahead again.

"Witches don't feel very safe in Vampire territory Axel" i slouched down on the seat "besides some of them like being out about in nature."

"Maybe..." he nodded and furrowed his brows and I looked in the direction he was focused at.

I saw Xander's car stop. He got off his car and turned around and began walking towards our car which had also stopped by now.

"We gotta rest"  Xander leaned down on the window.

"Why?" Axel's annoyed tone made him look at him.

"Because we aren't all vampires remember? We get tired and it's already midnight." His annoyance was visible too.

" We'll leave at dawn" he looked at me and stood up straight and began walking away.

I turned to Axel and he was shooting deadly glares at Xander. I shook my head and got out of the car and began to walk towards the motel. I heard the car door closing behind me and footsteps getting closer so I slowed down enough for him to catch up.