I Choose You

Twenty-Seven

Gwendolyn

I don't think my head has ever hurt so bad in my whole life.  Everything is fuzzy, everything that's happened in the past hours are too much for my burning head to take.  I sit up from a bed that creaks every time I move.

I remember what happened.  I'm with the Scarlet Guard.  I burst up and look for a place to run.  But soft hands grab my wrists.

"Sit down, or calm down at least," The voice is familiar, but I can't point out who said it.  I turn my head to see a girl with blond hair and fair skin, with a slightly bloated stomach.  Diana Farley, the one who dragged me here.  I meet her eyes.

"Don't touch me," I yank my wrists away from her grasp.  Emotions, I need to keep them in check. 

"I'll respect that," She says, taking a step back, I don't mind that, she's protecting herself and her child. 

"Why am I here?" I question. 

"Because we need newbloods," She says blankly.

"I know that, ever since you lost Mare and Princey Blowtorch dude you are low on leverage," I snap, even Farley twitches.  Diana, call her Diana, she's your enemy.

"You aren't wrong, but Mare is still in on our cause, I know that for a fact," She states.  "She has been betrayed too many times to betray us."

"Don't get all sappy with me, I know her story," I snap again, showing her that her words don't affect me.  Deep down I want to cry and scream like a petulant child that didn't get their way.

"Everyone does," She plays along. 

"Why me?" I ask, letting loose, maybe she will see my pain. 

"You are a shiver, you have ice, we don't have anyone that powerful, I've seen you use your abilities once, you create things, not control," She acknowledges my power, going on from my fit last night.

"But I can't control it," I blurt.

"That's what we are here for, we can help you, we've helped many newbloods throughout this," She sounds like a silver with stone skin, unemotional, but comforting all the same.

She looks like she's about to speak again, but the door opens more to see a man, the man who jumped me here.  I recognize him, but I can't classify his name. 

"How's it going in here?" His voice is soft like honey on chapped lips.

"Fine," She meets eyes with the figure, he struts over to Farley- Diana, and stands next to her, and hugs her softly. 

I put the pieces together.  The baby, overprotective dude.  Ew. 

"So the rumors are true?" I cross my arms.  "Diana Farley, with child," I say while resting my posture on one hip.

"Yes, it is," She also rests on one hip, the man lets go of her, serves him right.

"With help of the famous Shade Barrow," The boy says his name.  A Barrow.  If I tilt my head far enough I can see the resemblance. 

"Do you know when to shut it?" Diana changes her tone to something more playful, obviously, these two lovebirds need to get a room, it's disgusting.

"Apparently not, I'm going to get the others," Shade says while he leads himself out.

"Others?" I ask.  "Don't tell me Blowtorch is here too."

"Blowtorch? Who's that? Cal?" Diana is taken back.  I scoff. 

"I'm good at nicknames," I say with an egotistical chuckle.

"Mine's Farley, if you didn't know," She plays along.