The Sixth Child

Chapter 3

Kailey awoke in her dark bedroom, covered in a cold sweat; her breathing ragged in her throat.

'It was just a dream' she said to herself. 'You're out now. You're safe. Your brothers are all in rooms nearby. Navaoru is alive and safe and sleeping soundly right next door.'

Still, her shaking didn't ease and her breathing didn't slow. 'It was just a nightmare. It wasn't real'

But it was. Sort of.

It was the same dream she'd usually have: Anaru slicing at her flesh for his own sick amusement, careful to never mar his favourite parts. Navaoru lying dead in the corner after she had failed to protect him. Her Brothers outside, powerless. Unable to do anything to help her as she screamed and begged for it to stop.

And, though it was all some sick perversion of the real events, it was true in a way.

She had the scars to prove it.

For a second, she dropped the glamour that she had placed on top of the one Navaoru had created for her. The glamour that hid the truth of what she had experienced. For a second she let that truth stay on her skin, let it ground her. Because somehow, though a lot of the scars were truly horrendous, the scars reminded her that she was out. That she was safe. They were old scars, a few had even healed almost completely due to her returning powers.

She was out. She was safe. Her family, including Navaoru, were also out. They were all safe and alive and they were sleeping nearby.

Even still, she couldn't shake the feeling that the previous day had all been some fantasy that she had created for herself. Surely it was real? She was still in Mr Anderson's house, still wearing the same long green nightshirt that she had changed into just before climbing into bed. It had to be real.

...

'Ruru? Are you awake?'

There was a quiet groan in the room next door followed by a light coating of ice covering her bed sheets.

Kailey sighed in relief. It had all been real.

'Sorry, did I wake you?'

'Don't worry about it. Is everything alright?' He asked, a little worried that Kailey was still up.

'Um.. Yeah just... Can you come to my room please? You don't have to but...'

'Sure yeah. Just gimme a sec and I'll be right there. Is everything Ok?'

'Yup... Just had a bad dream, I'm fine though don't worry.'

For a heartbeat there was complete silence, that was until Luka's door quietly opened and shut a mere moment before there was a soft knock at Kailey's door.

"Ruru you don't have to knock, you can just come in..." Kailey whispered aloud.

He entered, hair still slightly ruffled from sleep and dear lord somehow that made him look about 10 times more attractive...

Kailey sighed, blocking out those useless thoughts. Of course he was attractive for crying out loud, he was an incubus. Pretty much his birth given purpose was to look attractive.

He stood awkwardly by her bed and she realised he'd likely said something whilst she was thinking about how cute he was. Jeez.

"You can sit you know..." She mumbled, hoping that was related to whatever he'd said.

Thankfully he didn't comment, only sitting down on the edge of the bed looking mildly uncomfortable.

"How're you feeling?" He asked, glancing at her from his peripheral vision.