The Beauty of the Dark (Book 2 of 3)

Chapter 7

Ayyyy I updated! I know it's been a long time but sometimes writing is harrrdd. I'll update as often as possible so please bear with me. Anyways comment, vote,  hope u like the chapter. So any guesses on the little mysteries like who's Scarlet's dad is or what's Owen's backstory or what the Dark Moon Alpha's plan is? Talk to me?

"You've got the keys right?" Azalea addressed Jonathan who hopped out of the car after hiding it behind a large boulder on the outskirts of the park. We still had to cover it with something so people wouldn't get nosey or think it was abandoned. Jonathan frowned as if she insulted him and swirled them around his finger, replying gruffly.

               "Of course I do Witch." Azalea scowled and moved to raise her finger when Apollo stepped on with a strained smile.

               "Hey, we've all got to get along for the next couple weeks or so; fighting isn't going to get us off to a good start." Simultaneously Azalea and Jonathan huffed and pivoted on their heels. Jonathan headed into the woods while Azalea moved towards our hiking packs for one last double check. We picked up a little more food from the store and arrived in the outskirts of the park around three. Scarlet offered Apollo a supportive smile and he ruffled up her hair. Delilah was sifting through the first aid and mumbling things while Gavin seemed to be doing something with some string. Josiah kissed the top of my head and caught my attention. He smiled and jerked his head towards the quickly thickening trees.

               "Shall we go find some foliage?" I chuckled and nodded, plodding over the rough grass. The sun was already to the point where you knew dusk would come quickly tonight, so I knew we should move faster. For awhile Josiah and I scanned the ground side-by-side, walking silently deeper into the woods. His shoulder brushed mine and I glanced at him, noticing the uneaisness with which he regarded me.

                 "What is it?" His eyes returned to the ground but the sun showed me shadows over his face and his voice held a phantom chill.

                  "What if you get hurt again? What if you get kidnapped again Ava?" Secretly I'd veen voicing the same fears, worried about more nightmares to steal sleep from me. But it wasn't like I waa going to just let everyone else do the fighting. I was scared but I wasn't the only one.

                 "What if it's you this time?" My voicr shook a little and Josiah just blinked then shifyed his focus to the ground.

                 "I can handle if it happened yo me, what I can't-"

                 "But how am I supposed to handle it if it's you? Do you think it'd be any easier for me to move on without you?" Josiah bent over then and squatted down to fiddle with a little branch, his curls blocking my view of his face. His voice was flat and cold, the branch rythmatically twirling and spinning between his fingers.

                 "I don't think you realize what exactly you've changed in my life, in me." The branch moved faster and faster and I frowned at his words.

                 "Explain it to me." Suddenly he snapped the branch between his fingers with a pitiful, echoing snap. The rest of the world didn't hear the echo but my mind wouldn't let it die out. Josiah tossed it in front of him and straightened to his full height, the sun the only things brave enough to stare back at him. I saw his impatience with me aa he rubbed his temple and turned to me with stormy eyes.

                   "Ava, I'm not fooling around, this is serious!" I frowned back at him and furrowed my brow.

                   "So am I!" He sighed and hung his head briefly, lowering his voice back to its normal soft tone.