The stakes are higher than ever.
It's been months since the four managed to temporarily defeat and escape Laurel, Amber, Kali and the others but the four's problems are far from over. Forced to live with their guilt and still plagued by nightmares o...
اوووه! هذه الصورة لا تتبع إرشادات المحتوى الخاصة بنا. لمتابعة النشر، يرجى إزالتها أو تحميل صورة أخرى.
A Few Weeks Later - Present Time
Ashla- Ash's POV:
"You ok?" My words appear to reach Leila through whatever she'd been doing since she looks up at me then but it's with a confused expression that I can't understand. "Lei?" I try again to reach her but she just keeps regarding me with that same expression on her face that has me wondering what she'd been thinking about. "Leila?" Trying a new tactic I use her full name - something I hadn't done in years - but that still doesn't seem to make her lose the puzzled expression on her face. "Beloved?"
Trying one last time she leans into my arms and sighs, resting her head on my collarbone with a confused look that has her glancing slightly away from me with that same expression in her eyes. But the longer I see her like that the more I know it's not directed at me. Given how she's looking I'm not sure she even heard what I was saying to her before since she seems to be locked in a silent conversation with Rosa and Eris, the three looking at each other with the same inscrutable expression that doesn't make any sense to me but have me feeling unnerved for some reason. As if by watching them we're encouraging something dangerous since they seem to be linked to one another by a tie that even I can't feel. Something odd given the lack of both secrets and silence between our side of the game.
Sharing a look with both my brother and Phoenix I see all three of us are equally confused. Wonder what they're talking about over there, I comment to Hunter who shares a puzzled frown with me before trying, valiantly, to engage with Rosa who doesn't even seem to hear him. Can you tell anything from either Rosa or Eris? I ask the other two but neither responds for a few seconds before Phoenix shakes his head and Hunter looks back at me with an even more puzzled frown than before. Brother? Anything from Rosa? I - I'd try Leila but she doesn't seem to be hearing me. Or understand what I'm saying.
You and I both. He replies with a laconic tone but I now know he's not being short with me on purpose, merely directing half his attention to Rosa who remained impervious to the conversations occurring without her. Keeping my eyes on Leila she seems to shake or nod her head now and again but I can't tell what to since her telepathic links all seem to be channelled into whatever she was discussing so animatedly with the other two supernaturals who seemed to be unable to focus on that and what those of us who were trying to reach them were saying at the same time. Wonder what they're saying since I can't seem to see inside Rosa's head as normal. It's as if whatever she's doing with the other two shuts me out even if she didn't intend for it to.
When Hunter says that an irrational feeling of paranoia sweeps over me and I feel as though his words had dropped me into icy water. You too? I ask with a heaviness to my tone that I know he hears when he frowns at me, but I can't find it in me to answer him without confirming my theory the only way I know how. Turning to Phoenix I ask him the same question as before. Can you see inside Eris's? I'm not stupid, I know being magically linked to another witch is one of their rarer forms of soulmate links so he should be able to do with her what Hunter and I can with Rosa and Leila. Can you see any of her thoughts? Emotions?
