Of Immortals and Men | COMPLETE

Chapter 14 The Queen's Capture; Dance of the Wild Melody part 2

         ‘Isabel is the only person who can set David straight.’ In addition to that, he knew that there was another pressing matter at hand.

         Exsavior had not made contact with Isabel after their run-in with Mia and her sister. In any other case, he would have figured her to be dead, but ever since meeting Isabel, Exsavior found himself believing in the witch’s capabilities.

         The intersection that separated the two districts came into view, and he uncaringly crossed the street. He did not even bother to look if the light was set for him to cross, and this caused the whispers about odd behavior to reach his ears. People refrained from crossing under a green light, but Exsavior instinctively augmented his speed when he felt a collision closing in on his body. Not that the car would cause any damage, but unwanted attention was more harmful than a measly traffic accident. It did not take long for the sounds of the honking vehicles to drown out the comments of the onlookers, and this baffled Exsavior. How drivers’ went about their course indifferently towards the safety of the pedestrians was beyond his comprehension.

      With ease, he made it to the other side of the sidewalk, officially entering Isabel’s neighborhood. Exsavior’s footsteps took him past a girl who sat on a bench whilst holding an enormous cat. A few buildings separated him from Isabel’s apartment and as he moved, Exsavior’s stride came to an abrupt stop when his nostrils sensed a familiar scent. It was definitely Margery’s. She had probably passed by in her car, but there was another unnerving presence that he could not discern. He stopped right before the girl, only to crouch down and balance his body on the soles of his feet.

        The sounds of snickering from the passersby went ignored as his face came closer to the concrete. He could feel the girl that was on his left side stare at him, but he decided to take a whiff with his nose instead of acknowledging anyone. Exsavior’s subconscious told him that he was familiar with the smell, but no matter how hard he focused, there was no pinpointing it.

          In a sigh of frustration, he stood once more and gave up in identifying the odor. Speaking with Isabel was the most pressing matter at the moment, so he turned towards her building. The closer he got, the stronger her smell became, and that’s when he realized it. Isabel’s scent was not fresh, which meant that she had not made it back home. It was easy to make conclusions and Exsavior assumed the worst.

          Isabel’s absence was probably a very strong indicator that Lynn had defeated her—most likely killed her. If that was the case, Exsavior would need to manage without her. It was imperative to do so, but given his current situation, things were easier said than done. Then again, if Isabel was gone, her apartment could be inhabited by him.

          Exsavior stopped in his tracks; he pushed his own selfish thoughts away when he realized that Isabel was probably dead. There was nothing to be done in her neighborhood anymore, so he decided to return to David’s vicinity. Nevertheless, his egotistical analysis of the situation made him scold himself. Here he was, thinking about how he would manage, instead of mourning his comrade’s death. Isabel was the only person that he had who understood him completely. There was no need to hide with her.

          Exsavior wanted to scoff at his own dejected feelings, but he was unable to. His gloomy stare fell to the ground when he returned to the district.

          ‘When did I become so soft?’ Never once did he imagine himself to be riddled with emotions for humans. However, Isabel may have not been a part of his pack, but she was not human either. If possible, she might have been as lonely as he was. Instantly, he ignored all pessimistic thoughts and focused on the possibility of her still being alive.