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XXXIV
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Life was empty since Bahadir and Emine left.
The colour in the world faded.
The music in the birds quieted.
The awe in the books ended.
It all faded away.
Except for the bright, gorgeous green of Xavier Thorpe's eyes.
Aiyla sat on his bed, leaning into his shoulder. He had an arm around her as he read a book. Aiyla was busy fletching some arrows she had made.
She'd used good quality feathers, and had dyed the wood a lovely deep brown.
The arrows were for Xavier.
He didn't know that yet.
"You know," the aforementioned boy hummed, breaking the silence, "It's such a strange coincidence that you and Wednesday share a birthday and your best friends. Like - how many people were born on Friday 13th and meet?"
Aiyla's jaw clenched. "I don't celebrate my birthday."
Xavier bit his lip, "I know."
Her large brown eyes flitted to his and she narrowed them as she searched his face, "Why?"
"Just curious," Xavier shifted and put his book down, he tucked a curl behind her ear and kissed her forehead, "My sweet gazelle."
Aiyla blushed.
She could feel her heart palpitating so fast that she was sure it could be heard.
She placed the arrow down on the pile and turned to face him, her hand riding up his chest to tangle itself into his hair. There were a million things Aiyla wanted to say in that moment, instead she said: "I love your hair."
Xavier laughed and leaned down, "You don't say."
His eyes were flickering from her eyes to her lips in what seemed to be every millisecond. She could feel the heat of his breath and her blood began to rush. Aiyla closed her eyes and pulled him slightly towards her, in a silent yes.
And the next thing Aiyla Demir knew, Xavier's lips were on hers.
The kiss was soft and sincere at first. A gentle way of showing care and understanding.
But then Xavier's hand was on her waist, and both of Aiyla's were in his hair, and a trail of butterflies exploded in her stomach. Somehow the kiss became hungrier, needier. Until the two were a mess of fluttering lips and gasping breaths.
She was making out with Xavier Thorpe.
Xavier's lips travelled to Aiyla's neck, causing her to writhe as she let out a breathy whine. His touch was electrifying.
Xavier chuckled, his voice rumbling smoothly in her ears. "Someone's despera-"
Aiyla's phone rang loudly.
She swore in Turkish, pulling away from him and groaning.
He laughed and rolled off of her.
Swearing to herself, Aiyla grabbed her phone and picked up the call - it was Enid. "What?"
"Wednesday found a clue, we need to go to Crackstone's Crypt tonight. I think it's about the monster."
"Let me guess, you're trembling in fear standing guard?"
"Yes, now stop fucking your man and help me."
Rolling her eyes, Aiyla ended the call and turned to Xavier sadly, "Something came up."
He humoured her, smiling and pulling her up so that they were now standing, "Go, I have some drawings to finish off anyway."
Aiyla smirked, her hands travelling up his chest, "What kind of drawings?"
Xavier's hands travelled down her body to squeeze her arse, causing her to gasp. "I think you know."
Aiyla bit her lip and surveyed him for a moment, deliberating if she should go or not.
Xavier saw this and grinned, "Go, we can pick this up later."
She chuckled and pulled away, grabbing her phone and jacket and making her way to the window. Teasingly slowly, she bent over the desk as she climbed it, and opened the window, bending over again as she was climbing out of it.
Xavier swore softly, "Stop making me horny."
"Hmm," Aiyla mused, her voice slightly higher pitch than usual, "I'm not doing anything."
Xavier walked towards her and slapped her arse, so hard that her flesh stung. "I couldn't stop myself."
Aiyla looked over her shoulder and blushed, "I was waiting for you to do that." And then she winked and jumped out of the window.
As she began to walk over to the docks, a silly smile on her face, a sudden thought struck Aiyla that made her stop smiling.
Xavier that said that they could pick this up later.
But what was this?
A make out session?
.... Something more?
Aiyla felt a horrible sensation in the pit of her stomach, like someone had turned her insides to ice. A shiver shook through her at the thought of sex.
Because when she blinked, it wasn't Xavier's face behind her eyes.
In the past month, with the drama of Parent's weekend and Bahadir's imprisonment and shooting, many unwanted memories had resurfaced.
Amongst those memories were of that.
The reason Bahadir took the blame of killing their cousin, and why she had killed her in the first place.
It had been 10 years now though?
Well, technically, 11. It would be Friday the 13th in a few minutes. And Aiyla and Wednesday would both be 16.
Shaking the thought from her mind, she continued the way to the crypt, and found Enid shivering and holding a flashlight, alone and outside the crypt.
"Aiyla, thank god!" the werewolf exclaimed. "She's inside, I don't know who's there, and frankly I don't want to find out."
Aiyla rolled her eyes. "Gimme a minute."
She turned on her phone flashlight and stepped inside the crypt, squeezing past the open door.
Wednesday, who was looking around, stiffened, "Enid?"
"It's me, Wendy."
The Addams girl relaxed, "Oh, Lay. I'm guessing Enid called you."
Aiyla walked over to her best friend, "Of course."
The two girls walked forwards, towards the tomb, trying to see if anyone was there.
A cough sounded from the darkness.
Aiyla and Wednesday turned and glared.
"Whoever you are," Wednesday demanded, "Show yourself."
Aiyla pulled her knife from her boot, "Try anything and I'll stab your eyes."
The next moment, a horde of flashlights switched on and a group of people jumped out from behind the tomb, "Surprise!"
"Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you..."
Aiyla couldn't breath, her lungs were closing in on themselves.
Distantly, she was aware of Enid holding a cake, with sparklers and candles on it, which made her want to be sick. Onyx was cawing. And there stood Xavier.
Aiyla's eyes were wide with betrayal.
She didn't know what to do, or to say, she was backing away. Her phone and knife both slipped out of her trembling hands and fell to the stone floor with a clatter.
She wanted to say something, to scream, to yell that she wasn't okay with this, but she'd forgotten how to speak.
Her eyes were fixated on the candles.
Bile was rising in her throat.
Memories flashed in front of her eyes, none of them good. She could feel Wrath screaming beneath the surface.
Control it.
Why? Why couldn't they have just left it alone? Why couldn't they have just forgotten?
-
...."Are you some weak normie? A birthday? Are you out of your mind?"
...... "I'll give you a candle to wish on."......
-
"Make a wish?"
Aiyla was going to pass out.
And then Wednesday grabbed her wrist.
It was an iron like, vice grip that shook her out of her stupor and forced Aiyla to come back to reality. Wednesday's fingers were wrapped around her wrist so tightly, she thought her bone would break.
The Addams girl pulled her away and towards the wall, forcing her to turn away from the party. "Look, it's Latin." She pondered for a moment, "Can you read it?"
"I-" Wednesday could read Latin perfectly fine. Aiyla faltered for a moment before saying, "'Fire will rain.... When I rise'."
"That's not really a wish," Enid grimaced.
"The first part of that phrase was burned into Nevermore's lawn," Wednesday noted. "It can't be a coincidence."
Wednesday ran her hands along the words, and then her head snapped back, unseeing eyes wide.
Aiyla grabbed her friend as she collapsed and began to seize.
"What's happening?" Enid shrieked, "Is she-"
"She's fine," Aiyla managed, positioning Wednesday so that her head was resting on Aiyla's lap. "You should go, she'll be out for a while."
And as they left, Aiyla couldn't meet Xavier's eyes.