Soul fiend

Chapter 7 - Caz

I don't know what it is about this girl but she makes me act out. I feel my inner Ade is appearing the more time I spend with her.

'You stay here, we will get what we need and come back for you.' Xander says to Uri. I notice her frown. I bet she's doubting whether we will come back for her.

I walk towards her. 'We WILL come back to get you.' She smiles seemingly reassured.

'I mean its not like we've got a choice love.' Ade says. What an idiot. She goes back to frowning. I would be upset too if someone said that people are spending time with me because their being forced. I don't know what to say to make her feel better so I follow the guys out of the kitchen.

'Ade you idiot. Do you remember us having a discussion about what should be kept inside our heads and what can be said out loud? Well saying about us not having a choice should have been kept to yourself!' Xander berates him.

'Let's just hurry up and grab what we need before she decides to go off on her own.' I interject before an argument ensues. She is a definite flight risk. I go back to the room I was given. I pack my go bag full of clothes and everything else we might need before grabbing my bow and arrow. We might have magic but we tend to bring what we need with us so that we don't exhaust our magic store unnecessarily.

As I head back to the kitchen my hand absentmindedly goes to my wrist where my Animus Meus rests in a knotted silver bracelet. Situated in the knotted silver is a pearl coloured stone; my soul

The reason I didn't show it to Uri is showing someone your Animus Meus is an intimate action you're baring your soul and only certain people earn that privilege. I will admit for some unexplainable reason I am very tempted to show her, but I have to be smarter than that.

Walking around the corner I notice Uri is nowhere in sight. I called it. Flight risk.

'URI!!' I shout slightly panicking. I walk out through a kitchen door that leads out to the Palace gardens. There she is laying on the floor arms out stretched and an enchanting smile on her face. The flowers lining the path she is on, seems to reach towards her, wanting to be in her presence. She looks at home among nature.

'Uri..?' I say quieter this time. 'what are you doing?'

She pats the ground beside her. 'Join me?' She asks genuinely. I hesitate and she notices 'Please?'
The way she is looking at me right now makes it very hard to say no, so naturally I find myself next her.

'I know I should have stayed put, but you guys took too long. I've had a little look around the gardens. This place is breath taking.'

She turns to face me. A strand of her raven hair falls across her beautiful face, but she barely notices. This moment is going to be burnt into my mind forever. The temptation to tuck her hair behind her ear is overwhelming. I look into her glistening green eyes. Is this what heaven is? I really wish I didn't have to ruin this moment.

'We should go back in before the boys think you've ran away.'

'Don't go thinking I've ruled it out. I'm just biding my time.'

'Probably would have been wise not telling me.' I say with a smile.

'I sure you won't tell anyone.' She says with a smile.

We both get off the ground. 'You should see the garden at night, its ethereal. I hope one day I can show you.' I say surprising myself.

'I hope so too.' She says glancing side ways at me. 'What happens to me once I get Animus Meus?'

'Well, you will go back to your father and we will go back to our family's. The king is giving us a generous bounty for finding you. With it we can take care of our families.'

Sadness seems to shine in her eyes. As much as I like her I can't promise anything I remind myself. I go to say something, anything, to alleviate the sadness but before I can, she speaks.

'It's okay, I get it.'

'I..I.'

'Where have you guys been?' Xander interrupts.

'Uri wanted to look at the garden while she waited.' I say as an image of her laying there flashes in my brain.

'Come on. We should get going, we've got a long road ahead of us. We don't need to make the king angrier than he already is.' He says glancing at Hades.

'Yeah Hades, I don't understand why you thought it was a good idea to argue with the king of all people. Fuck dude. He could have killed us all.'

'You're one to talk Ade. I can't count how many situations you got us in that could have gotten us killed.' Hade's retorts before opening a portal.

We all go to step forward into the portal but halt when Uri speaks. 'Not to be annoying or anything but anyone wanna tell me what that is before I step into the scary swirly circle? Also don't I need a bag?'

'Sorry love. Its a portal, we use it to travel long distances in short amounts of time. It Will take us part of the way. Don't worry about needing anything we've got you covered.'

'Well, okay then.' She says before stepping through without a word. The fuck. We look at each other in confusion. How is she so okay with all this? I don't know how we expected her to react but this wasn't it, but were not complaining.

I jump in next. I'm surrounded by nothingness, its as unnerving as always, before I start to panic I get spat out next to Uri.

Seconds later Ade, Xander and Hades come through one after the other. I look around at the familiar scenery. A forest surrounds us with the greenest of trees reaching longingly towards the sky. Little multi-coloured mushrooms littered along the path were about to head down.

'Stay on the path, no matter what.' I warn. As if this wasn't going to be hard enough, now I've got to make sure I tell her all the information we grew up knowing. She has no idea what's about to happen or what most likely hit her in the face .