A Girl Who Does Bad Things

Chapter Twenty-Five

Dex had been my first mission when I turned fourteen. I had to learn everything about him actually. I wouldn't admit this, but he was the closet thing I had to a friend, even if I didn't want to admit it.
He dropped his finger and whispered cautiously, "Do you remember who I am?"
I glanced back at the door and upon seeing no Gethen storming in, I answered. "No, I'm not part of you and the Vacker's delusion. Do you remember your temporary invisibility elixir you made for the elixir contest at Foxfire a few weeks ago, how do you think it went missing?"
Dex's eyes softened with the memory and surprisingly I felt a sharp pain in my heart. I remember seeing his face crumble after he realized it had gone missing. I hoped he wasn't here for revenge.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
He looked at me like I was dumb, which was strange in the elven world. For a second I thought he was mad, but then his dimples popped out like the sun on a rainy day. "I'm your friend. And the Vackers. Well, sort of"
I remember reading about his family history. It was no wonder he disliked the Vackers, but after meeting them, Dex was lucky. Realization about what he was here to do crashed down on me and I sighed, falling to the bed. "Don't tell you're here to save me Prince Dex"
I lifted a hand to my forehead like a damsel in distress and Dex snorted. But I knew I was right about his intentions. Sitting up, I pat the spot on the bed next to me.
Dex glanced anxiously to the air shaft beside him and I said. "I know they're waiting up there. They can wait a few minutes more"
Dex sighed and sat down reluctantly. I grinned and tugged my knees up to my chest. Half of me wanted him out of here, since he wanted to kidnap me. But the other half fluttered with the idea of a boy in my room. Mildly amused, I decided to play to his game.
"So tell, what fantasy have you wrapped around me?" I asked playfully.
Dex blushed, looked up, and looked down again. "N-No fantasy. You and me, we were friends"
"Obviously" I smiled, edging him on.
Dex was careful to keep his eyes to his knees. "Nothing really. I-We-yeah"
His flustering and stumbling only left me more room to smirk at him. I'm definitely not the Sophie everyone thinks I am, I would crush on Dex.
But that was unimportant. Now that the fun and drama of seeing him squirming had left me, there was no reason to keep him here.
I sighed, again, and looked back to the air shaft. "They're waiting for you, you should go now"
Dex turned back to his usual pinkish pale skin color and he shook his head. "No, I promised to bring you ba-"
There was a sprinkling of dust before one ice eyed boy and one teal eyed boy tumbled down to the floor of my room. I grunted in frustration and fell back to the bed. When would boys stop falling to my room?
Fitz stood up gracefully like a swan and asked, "Dex? What is she doing?"
I pulled my head up to glare at him. "She, can hear you. And she, is busy ignoring you and your also delusional friends"
Fitz tugged at the skin between his eyebrows gently. "Dex, you had one job"
Dex coughed uncomfortably, "She's harder to convince than you think"
Keefe smirked back at me and my glare confirmed his obvious suspicions. He clapped his hands together once and turned his voice into a perky tone. "Okay, great convo guys. Now, let's go"
Keefe made a grab at my arm and I let his hand slip around my wrist before pulling and slamming him back to the ground. Keefe groaned and I placed my boot firmly on his chest.
"Not going to happen" I smile.
Dex shifts his feet and I see him preparing to run. Is he really that obvious? Dex rushes at me with surprising speed. He aims towards my chest, probably hoping to tackle me to the ground. I slid away from him and collide painfully with the wall. Dex stumbles over Keefe's body and collapses beside him to the ground.
I grin triumphantly, "You're both idio-"
Fitz comes from behind and slips his hands over my wrists, pulling my arms behind my back and pressing me into his chest. I struggle at first, but he tugs gently back and the pain grows slowly up my shoulder.
"You forgot about me" Fitz grins.
I leer back, "In more ways than one"
Keefe, still groaning, uses my bed to prop himself up. "When did Foster get so good at come backs?"
I take a step forward to slam him back down but Fitz pulls my arms up harder. I grimace with the stretching pain and step back into his chest. Dex brushes off his pants and wraps his arms around the edge of the air shaft.
"I'm going up to survey the area, stay here"
Fitz nods and grips my wrists tighter. I roll my eyes generously, "Relax Vacker, I'm not leaving"
"Yet" I whisper.
I could always reach out to Gethen if needed, but I wasn't ready to give up my position yet. I failed my mission with Fitz's mind so the least I could do is learn more about the Black Swan before escaping this trio of idiots.
Awkward silence fills the air and is only broken by Keefe's coughs. I didn't even think I pushed him to the ground that hard. Fitz never releases my wrists and keeps a stone face to the air shaft.
Luckily, seconds later, Dex falls right back into the room. I ready a grin but his pale face and wide, open eyes scares me. Fitz notices too and he asks, "Dex, what happened?"
Dex looks back at me before saying, "Gone. They're all gone"