AEGIS ↠ EMBRY CALL [R.U]

31| RETURN

     "I need to make sure Reed is okay."

     "Never mind Reed. Sam and the others can deal with it." He shook his head, but she wasn't sure what that meant exactly, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know what it meant. Billy must have noticed the distraught look on her face. "He'll be fine."

     She opened her mouth. "C-Could you see it?"

     "See what?"

     Callas forced a laugh, of course, she was going insane. "Never mind."

     "What did you see?" Billy moved closer to Callas, around the fire. "Callas, what did you see?"

     "You won't believe me," she whispered quietly. "I'm losing my mind." She sighed, sitting down on the log, putting her head in her hands. "I'm just losing my mind."

     "I doubt that," he told her as he rested his hands on his lap, looking down at her.

     "I've just been seeing things. Things that I can't explain." She looked at him, rubbing her forehead stressfully.

     "That doesn't mean you're losing your mind."

     "Well, I don't see any other explanation."

     "It's going to be alright."

     She scoffed. "How would you know?"

     "You're not the only one who has seen things that they can't explain. Many of us, many of our ancestors have seen things that are not easily explained."

     "I don't want to hear another legend, Billy. I want Reed."

     "I know." He offered her a sad smile.

     Callas didn't say anything after that. Billy left her alone, moving back over to Sue and Old Quil. Emily sighed to herself as she sat down near Callas. "I didn't mean it," Callas mumbled.

     "Mean what?" Emily asked softly.

      "What I said to you. I didn't mean to say that to you." She looked over to Emily, frowning. "I'm just scared."

     "Soon—" Emily stopped talking, turning her head to the trees, quickly standing up.

     "What?" Callas asked quickly as she got up as well, turning around to look.

     Reed wasn't among those that had returned. Tears welled up in her eyes as she only saw Paul and Embry return, panting heavily as they made their way back towards the bonfire. One thing that confused Callas was why they didn't have shirts on like they did when they left, but she wasn't going to be the one to point it out if no one else was going to. Her heart raced, thinking of the worst when Embry walked over slowly, his eyes not meeting hers. Paul couldn't look at her either, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked down, Emily went over to talk to him quietly. She stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself as Embry opened his mouth but closed it when he had nothing to say. He shook his head and pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her tightly, resting his head on hers.

     "Where's Reed?" Her voice trembled.

     "Let me drive you home." He ignored her. His tone was light, almost like air, as he pulled back slightly, resting his forehead on hers.

     "Is he okay? Is he hurt?"

     Embry let out a sigh before he stepped back, holding his hands out for the keys. With a shaky hand, Callas reluctantly pulled the keys out from her pocket, placing the cold metal of the keys in the palm of his hand. Embry walked around her and towards the Jeep. She pulled the material of Reed's jumper closer to her body as she forced herself to turn around slowly, no one spoke a word as her feet dragged across the ground. Her eyes stayed glued to the ground and she slowly opened the passenger side of the Jeep, settling in as she closed the door. Her head rested against the window while Embry started the engine.

     "Can you put your seatbelt on?" Embry asked.

     Callas shook her head. He let out a sigh, nodding to himself as he pulled the Jeep out, away from Jacobs house, slowly driving along the road, being careful not to make any sudden turns as Callas wasn't strapped in. She had no idea what was happening to Reed. Or if he was even alive still. The looks on Paul and Embry's faces when they returned didn't look very good. Neither did the fact that no one else had returned. Callas shivered to herself and she closed her eyes, wanting to think of something else rather than the possibilities of what could have happened to Reed. Embry looked over to her and frowned.

     "Do you want me to put the heating on?"

     She shook her head.

     "Do you want the radio on?"

     She shook her head.

     "Do you—?"

     Before he could ask she shook her head.

     "Callas, please tell me what I can do to make you feel better."

     Embry sounded pained as he looked at her to the road multiple times, his hand was twitching, wanting to just pull her close to him and hold her. But he couldn't do that, not now at least. Her response was another shake of her head. Embry continued to drive in silence before he turned down the small road, making his way to her house. Instead of parking just in front of Silas's old truck, he drove the Jeep around the side of the house, turning the engine off. He stayed seated, looking out the front window, unsure of what he was meant to say. Callas turned her head to look up at the house, staring at Reed's bedroom window.

     "I don't want to be alone," she spoke barely above a whisper.

     "I can stay if you want me to?" He offered.

     She nodded her head opening the passenger side door. Once she was out, she pulled back the chair and let Zeus out, closing the window in the Jeep. Embry walked around the Jeep and to Callas. The house keys were on Reed's set of keys, which meant that they didn't have to wake Silas or Anya up as he unlocked the front door and let Callas and Zeus in before he followed, closing the door quietly behind him. Zeus padded to the kitchen, laying down in his bed behind the table. Embry grabbed hold of Callas's hand before she began to walk up the stairs. She couldn't even will herself to look at Reed's door. When she pushed open her bedroom door she didn't bother turning on the lights, she kicked off her shoes and crawled onto the bed. He closed the door and set the keys on the small bedside table.

     She wanted to cry. She wanted to let all of her emotions out but there was nothing. It was as if she was empty, all because Reed's fate was unknown to her. Embry took off his own shoes and pulled back the covers on her bed, sliding in next to her. Immediately, she turned to face him, laying her head on his chest. His arms wrapped around her, and he whispered, "Things will make sense soon enough." Desperately, she wanted to know what he had meant by that, but she was too tired to ask. As Callas began to fall asleep, Embry pressed a kiss to her forehead, running his hand up and down her back soothingly as he stared at the ceiling.