Herobrine's Legacy (The Wielder Chronicles Book Three)

Chapter 16 || Some Plans Are Better Than Others

Chapter 16 || Some Plans Are Better Than Others

-

-

-

- Kai's POV -

-

"She's got to have a weakness. She just has to. It's law."

"It's not law, Kai. Even if she does have some stupid Achilles heel we're never going to know what it is."

"That's just plain pessimism. Achilles had a heel! And they found it!"

"Someone shot him, Kai. With an arrow. Do you want us to shoot at an Ender-thing with an arrow? Oh, well I'm sure you know how well that'll end."

"Yeah, but -- hey. You're missing the point. Everybody has a weakness. We'll find hers."

Iris sighed and leaned her head back. "It won't be that simple."

Things had been warped between us ever since I lost control of myself two days ago. She still had thin bandages around the wound on her shoulder. Sometimes I caught her looking at me through the corner of her eye, calculative and cautious. I would glance away fast because it hurt. It really hurt to see her look at me like that -- as if I could do something horrible at any moment. I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't let myself.

But I'm the positive one of the two of us. So instead letting the atmosphere shrivel into a pile of acrid ash I sighed lightly and sat further forward on the seat, closer to her. "Sure it will," I assured. "Killing one Ender-thing won't be too hard."

Killing. The word made me feel sick.

"KAI!" screamed a voice from the hallway. Tali appeared at the doorway to the living room. "You've got people here to see you!"

I got up, leaving Iris behind to check the door. I shook myself off and opened it and Xavier was standing there -- with Eve, Zoe, Flora and Ember behind him. Ember seemed out of place, dressed in dark clothes and facing away. There was a strange frown in his down-turned expression that made me a little nervous.

"Hey man!" Xav laughed as he let himself in and threw an arm around my shoulder. "What's up? ICE!" he yelled into the house. "HOW YOU FEELING?"

"GOOD UNTIL YOU GOT HERE," Iris called out in reply.

"Nothing ever changes," he mused, ruffling my hair. I shoved him off gently. Ever since my breakdown he'd become three times as affectionate.

Eve strolled in alongside Zoe and Flora, with Ember lagging behind. Flora smiled brightly and Eve hardly spared me a glance. There was still a large, red scratch cut into her cheek. Even Zoe wasn't as bubbly as usual. Ember was as quiet as . . . something really quiet, but that was the norm. They all settled down in chairs and seats and perky chatter echoed. Mum came through the back garden door, several leaves stuck in her hair. She startled a little at the sudden crowd of teenagers in the house but then smiled in greeting. "Hi everyone," she said. There was a chorus of replies. She turned to me and asked, "Kai, where's Dad?"

I shrugged. "Tali probably knows."

Mum nodded and disappeared behind the wall. She'd been incredibly gentle about my whole . . . situation. I didn't like talking about it. I wish I could bury it into the back on my mind but I think my memory graveyard is already too full for that now. "Hey," I started, switching my attention back to the group, to Ember. "Where's Phoenix?"

"At home with Kylie," Ember replied, arms crossed. I looked at him and noticed an unsettling, distant look in his eyes, something alien to see, but before I could ask about it, Xav threw an apple at my face from across the room. It smacked me and snapped my attention right towards him.