The Shadows ✔️ [TSS#3][BXB]

XXXIV

I brought my hand up to rub my chest as I threw the sweeping brush on the ground, arms and forehead lined with sweat and ash along with my face and hair. I really needed a shower.

I testily tried moving my fingers at the dull pain in my wrist, wincing as I do but remembered why I was doing this.

There was an irritated sigh from behind me and I turn around just as Nate is making his way over to me with a frustrated look. My eyes and posture become guarded as I glare at him before moving to pick up the brush.

"Pick that up." Nate warns me and I lift my head to raise a brow at him. He points at me with narrowed eyes.

"-And you'll regret it."

I scoff.

"Oh right because picking up a brush is so bad."

Nate grinds his teeth at my sarcasm.

"No, putting added strain on your already healing wrist is bad." He informs me and I roll my eyes at him before moving to pick up the brush.

"Keylin." He says dangerously. "I mean it. Don't try me."

What was his problem?

Why couldn't he just fuck off already? What was the big deal anyways? Why does he even care? It's not like it's his wrist that's broken in the first place.

I narrow my eyes at him however and straighten my back, if it weren't for the snigger from behind me where two Dry Landers were watching and judging.

"Nate's going to destroy his ass for disrespecting him in front of everyone." One whispers and the other agrees before scoffing.

"You think the kid would know better, I guess Raen had made a bad choice with this one-"

My blood boils at that as the anger inside starts to bubble to the surface and I pick up the brush with anger, turning around to the two Dry Landers with a seething look.

"Which one of you said that?" I question making their eyes go wide as they look at each other. When the one closest to me begins to smirk, he doesn't get to open his mouth when I'm smacking the brush over his head and sending him sprawling to the ground in a groaning mess.

I lift the brush to bring it down on him but his friend tackles me making me fall backwards onto the ground awkwardly with pain.

The Dry Lander gets in a clear punch to my nose before someone is grabbing him from behind and pulling him off of me while Nate is pulling me to my feet. I clutch my nose as I glare over Nate's shoulder at the Dry Lander.

"You're fucking crazy!" He screams at me and I furrow my brows at that, noticing how I was breathing heavy as I clutch my nose, coming down from my anger and only now noticing Nate was clutching my good arm as he shields himself in front of me, I look down at it with furrowed brows before looking up at Nate who stands rigidly in front of me staring at the two Dry Landers. The one I hit with a brush having long gotten up and was clutching the side of his bleeding head.

"I stand by what I said." The first Dry Lander states as he spits out blood at my feet making me freeze and stare at his narrowed eyes.

"You killed Raen."

When he says those words, not only does the memories of Raen and I hanging over the cliff come rushing back but also murk Raen and watching him fall to his death because I wasn't strong enough to hold on.

Tears spring to my eyes as my anger diminished and the Dry Lander narrows his eyes at my reaction.

"I don't care about what they say happened, Raen is strong. He would never do something like that, especially not for someone like you-"