The Hunter Beside Me

4: Explain

Bash

I stood in the doorway studying the toe of my boot, attempting to hide behind Lilla's petite frame. It didn't work, but I wasn't ready to meet my friend's eyes. With no monsters to focus on, nervous energy caused the muscles in my neck to tense, and I dug my fingertips in before taking a deep breath. It was time to tell them everything, and a part of me worried Lilla was right.

What if they couldn't handle it? What if Emily was so worried about everyone she insisted on helping? As she sat on the couch picking her nails and staring at the corner where she'd been huddled behind Nolan last night, her fear was clear.

Would it be better to have Lilla spell Emily to protect her? I'd like to have her by my side, but maybe I could convince her to help in another way. Something far from physical fighting.

Keeping my eyes on anything but my friends, I noticed the living room was spotless. They'd done an excellent job cleaning, and I wasn't sorry I missed it. I'd cleaned up enough powdered mimic to last a lifetime.

Owen stood by the window, monitoring the street. He nodded at Lilla when she entered the room and smiled at me as I trailed in behind her. "Good, you're already healed."

Lilla huffed as she shuffled past me to the kitchen and grumbled, "You're welcome."

Emily jumped up from the couch with a smile when she saw me. Just looking at her calmed my mind. Rushing over, she stared at my side and asked, "So, you're all better now?"

I lifted my shirt so she could see the thin red lines that were all that remained of the injuries. No one would guess a mimic's claws had slashed through me yesterday.

She gasped. "Wow! It's practically healed." Tracing her finger delicately over one of the lines, she grinned when I shivered in response.

Lilla walked in carrying a mug of coffee, and Emily turned to hug her. "Thank you, Lilla."

Raising her mug to avoid spilling, Lilla gave Emily an awkward pat with her other hand. Her eyebrows drew together. "It was nothing, dear."

Emily pulled back to beam at her, and Lilla gave her a slight smile before glancing away and moving to claim the unoccupied recliner. Lilla's cheeks were a faint pink, and I realized she wasn't used to people being grateful.

A pang of something in my chest made me grimace. Was it guilt? No, it couldn't be. This was Lilla's fault. So what if she'd healed me a few times? I wouldn't have been hurt to begin with if it wasn't for her. None of this would have happened if it wasn't for her.

On the other hand, she was trying her best to make things right. She didn't plan for this to happen. Everyone makes mistakes; the repercussions just don't generally last for hundreds of years.

"Dude! Glad to see you awake," Nolan said, pulling me from my rambling thoughts. He smiled at me from the recliner he must have slept in. A blanket covered him from his feet to his neck. Only his head and the hand holding the remote poked out.

He turned the television off as Emily took my arm and towed me to the couch to sit. She sat pressed into my side, with our entwined hands in her lap, and I didn't want to move or talk or explain; I just wanted to stay there for as long as possible.

It lasted about five seconds.

Owen cleared his throat and turned to lean on the wall. Looking at me, he said, "I didn't tell Nolan anything. I figured I'd let you talk to them together."

My mouth went dry, and my heart sped up. Emily squeezed my hand and gave me a bolstering smile. "It's alright. Just start at the beginning. How did you find out about those monsters?" she asked.