Feared

Forty-Eight: Returning

"Split up," she heard Ethan order. "Remember your groups. Trust nobody".

"See you on the other side, Owens," Ian breathed and in a blur of wind he was gone from her side.

Charlotte dragged her blade from her belt. It was heavy in her hands. Slightly off-balance, but it was intended for dicing chicken fillet not slicing open a man's throat so she would just have to make do.

"Desmarais?" Ethan called. "This way".

Charlotte tried not to think about the weakness Matt would prove on their team. He was an easy target.

"You managed to get your hands on one of Ervin's hunting rifles?" Ethan sounded impressed. Charlotte glanced back at Matt and Ethan. A gleaming black hunting rifle rested in his hands.

"Wallace insisted," he exhaled, and Charlotte knew if it was bright she would have seen his blush. "I used to hunt... at Daphne's. It's a different model, but it can't be so difficult". He mumbled the words like an excuse. Maybe he was more keenly aware than the rest of them of his weaknesses, but nobody had ever suggested he stayed behind.

"Is that a phone?" Ethan asked.

Charlotte turned her back on them, unsettling aware of the blonde haired boy watching them from the hill, the moonlight catching in his hair. What was he even doing? It wasn't as if he really cared about any of them. She couldn't let herself be caught off guard by James tonight. He didn't exist anymore. He was gone, she tried to persuade herself.

"Yeah... I..." Matt exhaled. "I know I shouldn't have, but I messaged my brother. Just to... let him know I was okay and... apologise for disappearing and... well if things go wrong tonight... I just had to let him know".

"It's okay," Ethan breathed. "They deserve to know you're okay. You deserve to be able to tell them, given how much you've sacrificed for us".

"You should stop talking," Charlotte warned as they reached the cover of more trees.

"Nicholls' driveway was flat... it snaked along the valley floor," Matt whispered. "There were a lot of trees".

"This way," Ethan pointed. Charlotte nodded. They continued in silence, the only sound branches snapping beneath their feet. Ethan led the way, a blade similar to Charlotte's in his hand. They crossed the gravel avenue after another five minutes walking. Everything remained silent, undisturbed. Ethan led them in a wide arc, checking his watch. They stopped in the shadow of the treeline. The house was a black silhouette against the night sky. Charlotte gazed at the darkened house, the lifeless windows. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Why was there nobody here? She clenched her fists. Her alteration lashed out.

"Is it... is it abandoned? Were we wrong?" Matt murmured.

Charlotte gritted her teeth and stepped out from the trees, past the others. She glared up at the house with a pure, hot hatred. Her alteration fought to be free, to channel her anger, but she held on to tightly, unable to trust it not to attack her friends. Her head pounded. It wasn't fair. How could they have been so wrong?

Charlotte stepped closer to the house, gazing up at the windows as if she expected the lights to all miraculously turn on and The Mimic to yell boo to a raucous applause from his supporters. But the world remained still, quiet.

"How is this fair?" she growled, her voice too loud in the silence. She spun around to Ethan and Matt, expecting mirrored expressions of outrage and disappointment.

Instead she froze. They were no longer alone. A woman had a blade pressed against Matt's throat, his rifle already slung over her shoulder. Ethan lay on the ground apparently unconscious. A skinny man with a sharp nose and thin mouth was leering over him, a hand tight on the back of his collar, his beady eyes fixed on Charlotte.

And then in the darkness behind them she saw a shadow move. She stumbled backwards as he stepped into the moonlight. Charlotte furrowed her brow. Her breathing had turned to hiccoughing gasps. She took another step back, trying to swallow. He lifted his hand towards her. Her knees buckled. She crashed to the gravel, the stones cutting into her knees. A flick of his wrist and her arms twisted behind her back. She tried to muffle her pain. She gritted her teeth, as her chin tilted up towards him.

Silver moonlight caught in his pale hair, in his green eyes.

"James?" she whispered.

He walked towards her. Her ears were ringing. She couldn't draw enough breath. He leaned towards her. She was somehow aware of Matt struggling nearby, but a loud thump and a pained groan broke his will.

James leaned towards her, his face just above hers. He lifted a hand and pushed her hair away from her face.

"No... no... no..." she whimpered, trying to shake her head, to free herself from him, but her neck froze in place. Tears filled her eyes and it felt as if her chest was being ripped open. Whatever pain she had felt before, this was like fire eating her from the inside. A million thoughts fought to break free at once, to make sense of what she was seeing. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her deeply. She couldn't move from him. Lifting his head, he gazed down at her in triumph. She swallowed as he grinned at her, that old head boy smile she hated so much.

"Surprise!" he whispered, pressing his lips against hers again.

Surprise! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and you're liking all the twists and turns! Please vote, share and comment as always! I love to get an insight into what you're feeling after reading the newest chapters! Next update will be available soon! Sorcha x