Suddenly, a blur of white moves up behind Gabrielle and his head snaps in the direction of the object. I stumble over my feet as I struggle to see what it is, but it’s too blurry, too dark. Wait a minute… Monarch.
He steps out from behind Gabrielle at the same time his eyes lock on Aiden and I as we bend down to dive through the hole in the wall. As he disappears out of my sight, a slightly satisfied grin rises on his face.
“Kayla, come on!” Aiden’s voice jerks me back to reality as he tugs my arm, hauling me the rest of the way through the hole.
We scramble all the way through and dive headfirst into a dark room, landing on our knees. Aiden quickly pulls me to my feet. I blink several times as my eyes gradually adjust to the inadequate light.
“How do we get out of here?” I ask Aiden, glancing at the four walls, floor and ceiling. The only noticeable way out is the hole we just dove through.
“Just a second.” Aiden scans the darkness, tensing when the vampires cry out from just outside of the walls; hungry and ready to feed or infect. Just like that hybrid beast did with Sylas. God, I feel icky… guilty maybe…
Aiden walks over to the corner of the room with his hand out in front of him until his fingers brush a piece of plastic. He lifts it up and on the other side of it is a vacant road.
“What the hell?” I mutter, hurrying over to him.
He sticks his head out after taking a cautious glance outside. Then he steps out, holding up the piece of plastic, motioning for me to follow.
I hesitate, glancing over my shoulder, torn on what do to. “Where are we going?”
“To the only place we have left to go,” he says and I look back at him. “Back to the cave where I left everyone.”
I dither a few seconds longer, struggling with my morals, and then irrevocably step out into the street. The sky is dark; covered with grey clouds and smoke. Debris litters the ground and fires burn in the distance, reminding me that there are still problems and dangers to face.
Aiden and I begin to run towards the park where we used to play when we were kids. The ground is a sheet of ash and the remaining trees are charred. Vampire cries echo all around us, but I can’t seem to spot a damn one. It’s like we’re running for hours and, although I don’t grow tired, I start to get impatient.
Aiden is the complete opposite; he seems content as he easily runs while taking even strides. He’s also more confident and less afraid of the world. It makes me question if he’s glad he chose not to stay human, even after all his negativity directed towards the choice. Maybe now that he’s tasted what it’s like, he’s glad he did it and regrets that he didn’t do it sooner. Or maybe it merely changed him enough that he lost who he was before he became a Day Taker.
After running for what seems like an eternity, we finally slow down when it feels like we’re a safe distance away from the hideout and cells., just outside of the city limits where abandoned buildings stretch toward the smoky sky. As I turn and look at the building, which looks like a little dot now in the distance, my eyes scan the terrain and I relax when I don’t see any movement. We’re not being followed. Good. But why?
I look away back to Aiden. He still hasn’t answered my question either, like what the hell happened that he deiced to become one of us.
“What?” he asks, his eyes locked on the terrain where fires crackle and smoke rises to the sky. “Why are you staring at me?”
“Because you never answered my question,” I say, crossing my arms. “Why did you change?”
He’s silent for forever, either avoiding my question or considering it; it’s hard to tell because his new demeanor is hard to read. Finally, he sighs. “Do you really not know the answer to that already?” He slants his head to the side and our gazes meet. His expression is intense. His eyes are burning with passion. It kind of throws me off a little, enough that I step back. “It was for you, Juniper.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. You hated that I chose to become a Day Taker myself. You said that I wasn’t me anymore—wasn’t even human,” I remind him. “Why would you want to throw all your beliefs away because of me?”
“Because of Maci.” Maci is the little girl who was throw out of The Colony with me during The Gathering and she just happens to be able to see the future, although she never gives specific details just hints, which can get frustrating.
He hesitates then moves to the side, getting close to me, and then he reaches for my hand, lacing our fingers together. Despite my initial reaction to jerk back, I just stand there, confused.
“When Tristan told us that you were captured, Maci said you were going to die, and so would the world. I told you earlier that I’d always be there for you. And I meant it. Whatever it takes, I’ll be there for you; even if it means turning into my own worst enemy.”
I can tell that he wants to kiss me, and before I can do anything about it, he pulls me into him. As he leans in, I battle with my confliction. Part of me wants to kiss him, for reasons I can’t even process at the moment; however, the other part of me knows it’s wrong. I’m about to lean away, listening to my final thought, when the other side of me pushes through.
I want to kiss him. I want him more than anything else in the world. I want him more than Sylas. We belong together.
I blink, wondering where the thought came from.
Aiden reaches down and fixes a finger under my chin. He gently tilts my head up towards his with his fingertips, his eyes shutting as his lips inch towards mine. He's breathing raggedly, his chest colliding with mine. If I had a heartbeat, I’d bet it’d be racing.
My eyes remain open as I cup the back of Aiden’s neck, about to kiss him, but then I picture Sylas. His eyes, his cocky attitude that makes him annoying, yet at the same time, I can’t seem to stay away from him. Deep down, I know I want to be kissing him. What am I doing? What am I thinking? Why am I ready to kiss Aiden?
No, I want to kiss Aiden.
No Sylas.
Aiden.
Shit. I’m so confused.
It clicks what’s going on. Shaking my head, I remove my hand from Aiden’s neck and push him away. He jumps back, startled, and then stumbles ungracefully over his feet a little, clutching onto my hand for support. His eyelids lift open and confusion masks his expression. “What’s wrong Juniper?”
“Why did you just do that?” I ask, slipping my hand from his hold.