The Night Children

Chapter 24

"I was driving home when I saw Isaac drive past with you in the passenger seat," he whispered back, his eyes flickering to the shadows behind us. "I thought he would try something, so I followed you."
"You followed me?" I echoed in disbelief. "What are you, my bodyguard?"

He let out an impatient noise. "Well it was lucky I did because the last thing I saw was you disappearing into the snow to come running back half an hour later." He looked around me, gnawing at his lip. "Where is he? Did he hurt you?"

I stared at him, allowing myself some time to think straight. Did I trust Aaron with the truth? He wouldn't hurt me. With those wide, green eyes and careful hands, he wouldn't strike me with a lie. Yes, he had done things I hadn't entirely agreed with, but he was here now. He was here because he was worried for my life.

I searched those eyes. The snow brought out his golden flecks, allowing them to shimmer as they danced and wove amongst his green irises. His lips were bluing from the cold, cracking from the ice in the air.

"Its him," I breathed, watching as Aaron searched my eyes. "Isaac is the Brookefield Murderer." There was a moment of utter disbelief cross his gaze. His jaw slackened, and his hands lightly shook at his side.

"Are you sure?" he finally said.

I swallowed, remembering Isaacs confession only a mere few minutes before. I sucked in a breath. "Yes, I'm sure."

"Renee." A voice called from a far. Both Aaron and I turned at the same time. I narrowed my eyes to identify the blonde haired boy several metres back. His cheeks were reddening, but his eyes remained as dark as the gathering night.

Immediately, Aarons hands came around me, roughly pushing me behind him. I let out an indignant noise, despite the fear that singed through me at the sight of Isaac, and stepped back around Aaron.

"Stay where you are," Aaron growled to Isaac, his voice nothing but a distant rumble against the gathering wind.

Isaac didn't even flick him a glare, his gaze instead remained on mine. Ignoring Aaron's warning, he continued to break the distance between us.

"Renee, let me explain to you. You don't understand the full story," Isaac called.

I shivered, partially from adrenaline and fury. I was metres away from the boy who had killed children. He had killed my friends, my class mates and children who were too naive to defend themselves. His hands had once been pooled with blood. I wondered if he scrubbed himself raw in the shower at night like I did, scouring blood that had long ago dried into his skin.

I couldn't believe I had let myself fall into the trap. He knew all the cheats. He knew where my knight would land, which move I would complete before I'd even called the shots. He was playing the game for the two of us.

I had looked into his eyes and seen the boy he was. I had given him my trust.

I felt sick.

"I said stay where you are Isaac," Aaron repeated, his pupils narrowing into slits. Isaac, as if sensing the threat in Aaron's voice, stopped.

His gaze skimmed over Aaron and I, pausing to particularly focus on the spot where Aaron held my wrist protectively. His eyes flashed before he rose them to meet mine.

"You can trust me Renee," Isaac said, his voice travelling to slam into me from the wind.

"Is that what you said to those twenty other children before you ended their life?" Aaron hissed, his fingers on my skin tightening.

Isaac blinked and frowned at Aaron. "What are you even doing here?"

Aaron didn't even pause before replying. "Protecting what's mine."