Chapter 20-The Return
When I woke up there was a soft yellow light trickling down over me and surging through my body making me feel warm and fuzzy again. A gentle snore erupts beside me and I realize that I am nestled next to someone in a patch of soft undergrowth. There are insects and birds making noise all around me, but I have no idea where I am. As I prop myself up onto my elbows, a dull throbbing pain springs forth near my belly button. I try to remember what happened before I woke up here and I can’t. What’s my name? Where am I from? I don’t know and the thought makes me want to cry.
I reach down and gingerly remove the greenish purple tinted leaf pressed against my feverish skin. It reminds me of red cabbage, except more flowery and with lots of color. A bubblegum pink scar the size of my index finger lies beneath and I cringe at the sight. A memory tugs at the back of my mind and I focus on it with all my might. An image flashes before me of a gray haired old woman with a terrifying glare. Circe. As the name pops into my head, so does the muddled memories from before. Circe stabbing me, my friends being knocked unconscious and the brief words whispered to me before I passed out.
I look over at the person beside me and gasp. Cole. His dark hair unruly from what I assume was a restless sleep. I watch his chest rise and fall with the rhythm of the Jungle, the words he said to me back there playing over and over again in my head as if on a never-ending movie reel. “I’ll protect you, my love.” My heart skips a beat when the butterflies begin to rage through me. As if sensing my alertness Cole opens his eyes and pushes himself up next to me. I don’t know whether to run, kill him where he sits or relax; after all, he did save my life. The way he looks at me makes him seem so vulnerable, I want him to scoop me up and hold me close, but then I remember everything he’s done and keep my distance.
“Where are Draven and Zilla?”
He points toward an outcropping of bushes near where we are. “Are we playing Where’s Waldo now? How did you know that was my favorite game?” I ask allowing myself a little giggle.
He smiles and I turn to scan the area. It takes me a full two minutes to find them. They are curled up next to each other, a large leaf covering most of their bodies. I try to stand up, but the pain is still too raw so Cole offers me a hand and I oblige. I make my way over to them and shake Zilla gently so as not to startle her too much. After everything that’s happened I can only imagine how nervous and twitchy she’ll be now. But she just opens her eyes, feisty as ever and throws herself into my arms. I can’t help but smile, knowing that my friends are safe now. We have won a battle, but not the war, and most of it was thanks to Cole.
Draven was the next to wake up and as he enveloped me in his arms I felt Cole stiffen beside me. As if sensing him for the first time, Draven grabs me by the waist and pushes me behind him. “You shouldn’t be here,” Draven said, anger seeping through every word.
“Well if I wasn’t, then Callie would be dead right now,” Cole replied icily.
The tension in the air was palpable as Draven reaches for the athame I know is tucked underneath his shirt. “Cole’s right,” I said resting my hand on his shoulder. “If it wasn’t for him I never would have made it out alive, nor would Circe be dead. She was too powerful.”
They continued to stare at each other eventually coming to an impasse, but I knew deep down they both want to strike out at the other. I was grateful when a rustling noise caught our attention. We all hunched together and circled around the area finding nothing. We had chalked it up to a wild animal when we heard the snapping of a branch close to the place where I had woken up. Our little group huddled closer as we listened intently for another noise or signal so we could attack. Just when we were giving up for a second time, Viale steps out from behind a tree and starts forward, the look in his eyes telling me he’s more than a little hungry.
I break away from the group willingly, knowing that there is no way to get out of this mess I committed to, when Cole jumps in front of me and snarls menacingly at Viale. Oh great, another macho man competition. Viale smiled wickedly and glared at Cole, as if beckoning him to take his best shot. Cole, acknowledging his cue, leaps forward tackling Viale and smacking him to the ground. Viale rears back and retaliates by slashing Cole across the face with his long mangled claws. Blood streamed down his cheek as Cole’s features began to morph into the creature I hoped I’d never have to see again so he could attack.
“Stop,” I yelled as loud as my voice could go. Cole reluctantly rolled off of him and looked straight at me, his eyes purple strained. “Viale,” I said trying to control my emotions, “just give me a minute and I’ll be right over.”
I grabbed Cole’s arm and dragged him off to the side away from prying ears. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Protecting you,” he said condescendingly, as if this was something I should have already known.
“From what? I already made a blood promise with Viale and I can’t break it.”
“That’s what you don’t understand,” he said frustrated, “you can break it. I can break it for you.”
I paused to consider his offer. “No,” I said firmly.
“Why not? Don’t you want to be free of Viale?”
“Of course I do, but not with you.”
He tried to mask his hurt, but it was still clearly written all over his face. “That’s a mistake Callie and you know it. I only want the best for you. I love you, why can’t you just see that?”
“I do see that,” I said sympathetically, “but I also see someone that I can’t trust because not only did you try to hurt me, but you killed my cat, among other things.” He took my hands in his and I didn’t struggle, no use getting him even more upset. When I looked into his eyes I just wanted to wrap my arms around him and kiss him passionately. There was probably some part of me that was always going to feel like that and the last thing I wanted to do was add fuel to that fire. By allowing him to break Viale’s bond and creating one with me, it would.
“Please,” he said pulling me in close to him.
I resisted slightly and said, “I can’t. You just don’t understand.”
“I won’t let Viale continue hurting you like this,” he said sounding resigned. I tried to pry my hands from his, but he was much stronger than me.
“You don’t get to decide that for me.”
He looked sad as he said, “I have to.” Then he pulled my wrist up to his lips and bit down. Surprisingly enough it didn’t hurt, in fact it was pleasurable and I found myself moaning in response. My nerve endings were buzzing with life and my head began swaying to the joyous music pulsing around me. I heard someone’s high pitched scream as it broke through my muddled thoughts. When I realized what was happening I squirmed underneath Cole. I glanced to my right just in time to see Viale’s eyes widen as he took off back into the jungle. There was one thing I was sure of, that this wouldn’t be the last I’ve seen of him. Then Draven and Zilla came barreling towards us and in unison knocked Cole backwards onto the ground. He lay very still, refusing to fight as Draven landed a good punch across his left cheek. Zilla wrapped me up in her arms and started to pull me away.
“Stop,” I said as Draven reeled back to land another blow. Everyone turned to look at me. “You know the rules,” I said looking at Draven. “If you kill him and not me then I am bound to someone else in his family. While I would rather not be bound to Cole, it’s a better alternative than someone I don’t know at all.” He knew I was right, but I could tell he wanted to end Cole right here. “Please,” I said taking a step forward and resting my hand on his cheek. He nodded and got up grabbing my hand. When he started to walk away and realized I wasn’t following, he stopped confused. “I just need a minute,” I said hoping he’d understand.
He shook his head. “No way, not after what he’s done to you.”
“What more could he possibly do to me? Besides, you can stand right there and you’ll
be close enough in case anything should happen.”
“Although it won’t,” Cole added.
“Fine,” he said turning his back on us.
Cole got up and gingerly touched his cheek where a blue-purple welt was forming beneath the skin. “He’s got a good arm, that one,” he said watching Draven walk away. I suppressed a laugh since this situation was a serious one and I didn’t want him thinking he had gained any ground. The reality of what Cole had done set in and a stray tear ran down my cheek.
“Don’t cry,” he said reaching up to brush it off.
“How can I not?” I asked through sniffles. “You’ve broken my heart for a second time.” He looked stricken as he tried to reach out to me. “Don’t,” I said pushing him away.
“Callie, please,” he said begging me to look at him, “I didn’t mean to hurt you again. I only wanted the best for you and me. Being your bond partner was the only solution I could think of to protect you.”
“That sounds pretty selfish if you ask me.” He cocked his eyebrow incredulously. “Are you serious? All I’ve done since I fell in love with you was put myself at risk to keep you safe, how could that possibly be considered selfish?”
“I don’t want to argue about this anymore,” I said feeling slightly woozy. “I need to get home and get some rest.” I could feel the tears welling up, but I pushed them aside and continued on. “I don’t want to see you anymore. I know you have to feed so I’ll only allow you those few times and you have to text me beforehand to let me know you’re coming, but nothing more than that.”
He looked like he wanted to protest, but didn’t try to fight it. “I guess I should go then,” he said calmly.
“Yes, I think you should,” I said trying to keep my composure. I had the sudden urge to recant what I said and let him smother me with kisses like on our first date. A wave of longing hit me full in the chest as I remembered the picnic on the beach, the way our two bodies seemed to fit so perfectly together. I brushed that from my mind and turned around to walk back to Zilla and Draven. Before he left I heard him say, “No matter what, I will always know where you are and follow. To the end of the earth and beyond, I will be there.”
I broke down and started crying in front of them. Why did he have to go and say something like that? It took every ounce of the strength I had in me not to run after him. Draven wore a pained expression as Zilla enveloped me in her arms. After a few minutes of sobbing on her shoulder, I let her guide me to a place where I could rest for awhile.
I heard Zilla and Draven talking as I sat there wallowing in my own self-pity, but I couldn’t register any of the words. I knew it was equally selfish of me considering Draven was here and I didn’t know where that road would lead, but I couldn’t help myself. I fell asleep to the humming of the Jungle.
When I woke up the sun was slinking out of the sky, casting an eerie glow on the plants surrounding me. I sat up slowly, the ache in my heart heavy, but the cut Circe inflicted withered down to less than a dull throb. Draven caught my eye and smiled, but somehow it didn’t quite reach his eyes. I realize now that Zilla is curled up next to me snoring louder than I could have possibly imagined. I giggle and it wakes her up. “Sorry,” I said taking her hand “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s okay, it’s probably about time we get up and get moving anyway.”
“Right,” I said confirming her thoughts. This all still just seems like a dream and the more I think about it, the more it bothers me that I haven’t gotten a glimpse of Circe’s body. I don’t think I can leave without seeing it with my own eyes. “I want to see Circe’s corpse first. I need to make sure she’s dead.” They both look at me appalled by my request, but this really shouldn’t come as a surprise to them. “Save your breath,” I said giving them a sturdy look, “you won’t convince me otherwise. I won’t be able to feel even remotely safe unless I know there is one less person after me.” A look passes between the two of them that makes me twinge with discomfort, but then I quickly brush it off knowing that nothing could ever go on between them. Zilla has Locke and Draven, well, he can’t be touched by anyone but me, let’s just leave it at that.
It seems like forever before they both nod in agreement and come to stand beside me. Zilla is on the left and Draven is on the right. I take both of their hands and we head in the direction of the still standing house of wood. All is quiet as we push open the doors, through the hall and down the flight of stairs into the basement. The same brown floors with its ever present streaks of red rise up to greet us. In the middle of the room are the two chairs, both are singed from the flames that erupted off of me when the polong’s attacked. A ring of ashes graces the concrete floor in front of my chair and I know that it’s all the remains of the polong’s that lived here with her. Tables are tipped over, glass shards are spread out and puddles of liquid decorate the floor along with an occasional foreign object.
I search for the hunched form of Circe and head that direction. The closer I get the stronger her decaying odor is. We step so close I could reach out and tap her with my foot. Her back is to us and I know to be completely satisfied I need to see her face, so I bend over, grab her by the shoulder and pull. I immediately jump back afraid she’s going to reach out and grab me, but her head thumps to the side and I sigh in relief. Her skin is pale white and wilted, her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and her graying hair is strewn about on the floor. That’s confirmation enough for me.
“Let’s go,” I said turning to leave, “I want to go home.”
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