The Blood Order

XVI

Come get me.

To say I wasn't worried was an understatement. The adrenaline that coursed through my veins woke me up as I paced through my room trying to figure out what my dumbass just did. The clock on the broken oven blinks thirty till five am, I have classes tomorrow- today as if I really have time to worry about them. The past three days have been crazy, I barely could keep up when one day ended and other began. Yesterday I skipped classes after the hospital and the need to gain my sleep back after the lovely visit with Dahn and later the even better visit from Jamal.

The messenger paper glows again and I ignore it, focusing on the fact that I am not supposed to see the only person that is helping me ever again.

I only have three days left before Raphael can 'legally' kidnap me, and four days till my father comes to pick me up for the wedding preparation, and three days till I am evicted, and...

My hand comes up and slaps me, I can't think of all the bad right now, I have to focus on school, classes, distract myself from the fact that I have no fucking control over what is going on in my own life. Everything around me seems to be falling out of place, nothing that I thought I had together seemed to correct. Every piece of puzzle seems to be from a different image.

What can I do now?

Myrina warned against me being a spy on the inside, but what else am I supposed to do? Aren't the Tazi the good people? The defenders? I should help them defeat the newfound enemy.

Something seems off about this whole situation. If the Tazimen are so powerful then why was one man, who is apparently following the Orders properly in some shape or form, able to so easily take over this empire? So is this new guy really an enemy.

The rest of the night I lay awake on my bed staring at the ceiling, the unfinished schoolwork covering my desk. My brain stayed silent as I contemplated the truth of the words that have been shared with me over the last three days. How can I trust a woman that I have just met? She did save me from Jamal, but Jamal was just delivering a message from the new King. He hasn't actually kidnapped me yet meaning he hasn't done anything wrong except intimidated the heck out of me.

Taking a deep breath and realizing that I have to get out of the lump I call a bed at some point, my back cracks as I roll onto the floor welcoming the coolness. From the time that blinks at me from across the room I have approximately 10 minutes before I have to leave to get to the bus on time or I am going to be walking in straight snow, which is no interest to me.

I throw on the closet sweater and grab the crumpled jeans on my floor throwing them on my body with my sneakers. The cold air was flowing into the room from the crack of my window so my skin welcomed the faked warmth.

The school felt different this time around, I wasn't expecting the difference to go so close to home. It was almost as if people knew that something was wrong with me, that my life is going to shit one moment at a time. The unfinished homework sits in my backpack as I slide into the desk in my first class trying to seem as normal as possible, but I feel eyes on me from every direction.

"Hey..." A light voice comes from beside me and I turn to look at the demon spawn herself, Valerian.

Keeping my mouth shut as always I watch her waiting for her to speak. Her greeting was slow and calm as if she needed some assistance and help, but I have no idea why she would come to me or even think that I would help her.

I have enough shit on my plate that her petty issues seem almost stupid.

"I told my dad."

Oh.

My eye brows raise showing the most emotion I have had all morning and Valerian looks at it tryinig to decipher my reaction, not like she ever really could.

"He... kicked me out and..., well I just wanted to let you know that I listened to your dumbass for once and even though I lost my home, I wanted to thank you. I finally get to take the woman I love on a date." Thinking through my thoughts, she sees it as a dismissal and gets up to leave but I grab her arm noticing the slight flinch from my actions.

Her father not only kicked her out, he hit her.

I look over her and see all the basic signs of abuse, her makeup being a little too thick, her clothing slightly baggy, and the tiredness in her eyes. She came to me because she felt safe with me and I am one of the few that can understand that.

"Come home with me."

My words bring tears to her eyes as she drops down into the seat next to me leaning over to pull me into a deep hug. My shirt starts to stick to my back from the tear stains, but I hold her close letting my frail arms bring the woman comfort. No one deserves pain.