Aegis (Book Three)

Chapter One

Wooo! Let's go! Book Three 😁😁

Aegis

Chapter One

Hiking my backpack higher onto my shoulders, I keep my head down as I duck through various alleyways trying to reach my destination. It is drizzling out and I just want to get out of the rain as quickly as possible, I can't catch a cold, I don't want to get anyone sick around me. My hood brushes against my buzzed hair as I duck and weave through various side streets. The buildings provide no coverage from the rain, but rather tunnel the biting winds making it harder to walk. 

Tugging my sweatshirt closer, I'm surprised that I am not shivering yet.

Making a left, I pick up my head as I hear voices; I don't want to encounter anyone back here. Cutting back over towards the main road, I see a woman and a man arguing at the end of the alleyway but there was no way for me to turn back at this point. I will just drop my head and walk around them. Doing exactly so I almost past the arguing couple when I hear a squeak and the sound of a jacket rustling catches my attention. Turning back on my heel I see the man's hand moving towards the woman and without even thinking, I duck in the way and take the blow to the jaw.

Pulling my scarf higher on my face, I hide the results of what he just did and stare into the man's clearly not sober eyes and give him my nastiest glare. He curses at me and grabs me by the shoulder, I throw one punch, the only self-defense I know, and knock him out cold. Pulling my hand back I tuck into my pocket as the skin feels taut and tense.

"Why did you do that?" The shell-shocked woman behind me asks.

"I didn't even process what I was doing until I had already eaten the punch," I mumble stepping away from her, towards the opening by the street.

"He's going to hurt me worse once he wakes up," she says with tears in her eyes.

"Are you married?"

"No,"

"Do you live together?"

"Yes,"

"Are both of your names on the lease?" I ask bluntly, and she looks at me confused. I'm still mastering the art of being compassionate on a very finite timeline.

"No, just mine," she says.

"I'm heading towards a women's shelter if you need a place to sleep for the night until you file for a restraining order," I say simply. She's in a good situation to remove him from her life altogether but that would be up to her, not me.

"Restraining order?"

"You can do whatever you please, but I wouldn't stay with anyone willing to hit me," I say as blurry memories pop up. I am sympathetic towards abuse victims, it's such a dark hole to be stuck down.

"I-I I don't know what to do," she stutters out with fear in his eyes as she glances down at the unconscious man.

"Who is more important? You, or him?" I've had to learn how to have these conversations more efficiently, remove as many variables as possible, keep it short and concise, don't give them the room to over complicate it. But sometimes I can still come off a little harsh.

"I love him," she says jutting her chin out.

"Then stay here and take him to the hospital when he wakes up," I say neutrally.

"He's going to be very mad when he wakes up," she says, and I just shake my head.

"Are you scared of him?" I ask her seriously and she drops her gaze and falls silent.