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He slides off of me and rolls onto the bed. We’re both still breathing heavily, filled with raw emotion. We’re both spent, both unable to say anything. As if there’s anything to say, anything that won’t ruin the moment.
So, I close my eyes, knowing well that when I open them in the morning, he will be gone. I don’t want to think about that right now. I snuggle close to him, breathing in the scent of his body. I place my hand on his chest, feeling the soft rising and lowering, the still fast palpitations of his heart.
I don’t know when it is that I fall asleep. But when I open my eyes, it is exactly how I expected it to be. I am alone in the bed. For some reason, I still get up with a smile.
Chapter Six
Edmund
It’s early in the break of dawn when I find my way back to our hideout. I know that sneaking out in the middle of the night is the coward’s way out, but I’m not sure if I would be able to look at her in the eyes and tell her that’s all we would ever have. I hate myself for disappearing like a thief in the night. I keep reminding myself it’s better for us both.
When I reach our hideout, I notice there is some commotion. I rush over there, when I notice a trail of blood leading me there.
“What happened?” I ask before I can even see anything.
They’re all huddled around someone. As soon as they hear my voice, they move to let me pass. Halim is down on the ground. Leo is next to him. Blood is trickling down Leo’s face. One of his eyes is swollen shut. It’s a blotchy red and purple, and I imagine it will only get more colorful. Halim is pressing his hand to the side of his torso. Only now do I notice that he is bleeding profusely.
I look around. Callum is already running back to us from the woods, carrying witch hazel in his hands. He quickly starts ripping apart the plant into small fragments needed for the wound. It should stop the bleeding quickly.
I can see that Halim is in a lot of pain. He is breathing heavily. Thin trickles of blood are oozing through his fingers.
At that moment, Kano appears by my side, then starts helping Callum.
“We… got attacked,” Leo tells me, lowering his head into his hands, as if it’s too heavy to carry.
“The shifters?” I ask, but it’s an unnecessary question. There was no one else who could have attacked them.
“We stumbled onto them by accident,” Leo continues. He is speaking slowly, as if every single word is difficult to pronounce and he has to use all of his brain power, which is causing him even more pain. “We hoped they didn’t notice us, but they did. I think they weren’t expecting us there. They were shocked to see us. But we were outnumbered,” he adds, believing he needs an excuse. “At some point, we managed to run away. I don’t know why they didn’t follow us.”
I place my hand on his shoulder, lowering myself closer to him. “It could have been worse,” I tell him. He knows it himself, but it’s a good reminder for us all. “We need to be more careful,” I let everyone know. “Much more careful. You see now that the shifters don’t want us here. They don’t want us to find the well, because they know what it means for us. But we’ll find it, no matter what.”
I squeeze Leo’s shoulder one more time, then I walk away, needing a few moments to myself. At first, I believed that the shifters knew we’re here. I’m sure that Bianca didn’t lie to me. Maybe her friend lied to her and told their Elder about us. After all, I’d expect a shifter to have more loyalty towards the wellbeing of the clan than a human would.
I sigh, looking into the distance. The space seems endless. The well could be anywhere. Literally anywhere around us. Hell, we could be walking over it and not even know it. We just have a vague idea of where it could be. It’s a good start, but too much time has passed. Sometimes I wonder if we’re just wasting our time here.
“Are you alright?” I hear Kano’s voice from behind me.
“We almost lost two of our own,” I say, instead of replying to his question. To be honest, I wouldn’t even know what to say. I’ve been better. Much better than this.
In addition to this attack, I just slept with a human. I can’t even say fucked. It wouldn’t be fair. It would be a lie, because I did so much more than just fuck her. I can’t very well spit it out and tell it to Kano. Something is preventing me from doing so. Bianca is a secret. She needs to stay a secret.
“It’s a mistake we won’t let happen again,” Kano assures me. I can hear the confidence in his voice. I wish I had some of that.
“I’m afraid our time is running out,” I whisper. “Now they know we’re here. They’ll come after us.”
“What do you suggest?” Kano asks. “Should we give up?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure,” I shake my head. “I was hoping that we’d have more time. But this proves otherwise. I’m sure they’re planning an attack as we speak. They won’t let us stay here, on their territory.”
“We’re nowhere closer to finding that well,” Kano reminds me.
“I know,” I reply with a heavy sigh. “We have to keep looking.”
“Maybe we could speak with the Elder?” Kano suggests.
I turn to face him, just to see if he’s really serious. I can tell that he is.
