ੈ✩‧₊˚
𝔼𝕞𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕚𝕝𝕒 𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕖𝕣
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I'm awake. I tried to tell him, but I couldn't let it out. Kai? Kai, where are you?
I don't know... I heard his voice reply to me. I want to open my eyes. Where am I?
I'm awake. I can hear you. I tried to scream it, but I know I just said it in my mind. I couldn't move. Can you hear me?
I don't even know who I'm talking to. I squeezed my eyes shut more, trying to focus. I could hear voices. A lot. More than his. I usually only heard him.
Am I even still in pain? I couldn't feel anything. When the knife was stabbed in my side, I felt like I was on fire, having to hold it in place the whole time because a simple move made my insides literally twist, I was going to keep it that way. I wasn't going to let go until I found Davis.
But then he appeared. I tried to tell him to leave, but he wouldn't listen. I didn't even have time to process what had happened. Give me a second, habibti. That's all he said. And it was literally not more than three seconds. One second I was surrounded by a bunch of men, the other they were all on the ground, Kai towering over the one who stabbed me, punching him at a speed rate I couldn't fathom, I couldn't even see his fist from how fast he was going.
I didn't care about any of that. I didn't care that he beat up someone, I didn't care that he threatened to kill him, he even almost went through with it. All I cared about was that I wanted him out of there. I knew they wouldn't let him go after that, they wouldn't let him be without hurting him.
Then his voice made its way to my head, ringing in my ears.
She's unconscious, between life an death. If not already—
No! I snapped, I'm. Awake. I can hear you. Can you hear me?
He thinks I'm dead. He thinks I'm gone. I'm not gone. I'm not dead, I'm breathing. Something happened. Something that made my head spin, made it heavy. I forced myself to open my eyes then. I'm not dead. I wanted to scream, I wanted to tell him. If he thinks I'm dead, he'd probably get himself hurt again.
My gaze landed on two men standing in front of me, sensing Davis's presence right by my side. I let a glance slip down, seeing my still soaked bloody clothes, but I couldn't feel the pain I felt earlier. No wound. They healed me.
I need to know where he is. I tried. I tried to be calm, to be rational, to just beg them to let me see him, beg them not to hurt him, but I couldn't stop the surge of rage that shot through me at the sight of the man I stabbed. The one I took the knife out of my body, knowing it would kill me, knowing my blood would pool out with nothing to stop it, I'd be drained in a second, just because he hit him, again and again.
I looked to my right, searching for anything I could use to defend myself, to threaten them by. I skipped over anything not important, gloves, bandages, masks, whatever. Then my eyes landed on a scalpel, small but sharp, the one used in surgeries. It's too small to use against them, they could easily knock it out of my hands. Unless...
I didn't give myself a chance to rethink it, snatching the scalpel off of the side table and rolling off of bed, moving behind Davis before he could even look up to see what happened and slid my arm around his neck, slamming him to me, pointing the edge of the sharp object right at the crook of his neck.
"Emma—"
"Shut. Up," I gritted out in a low voice, tightening my hold on him, the two men's attention shifted to us as I whispered, "move, and you'll find yourself in awfully terrible pain, got it?"
I know he has healing powers, I know an injury would heal on instant, but not if I aimed to kill. He's already exhausted, he looks pail and drained that I easily had a tight grip on him without needing to put up a fight, his powers won't work on its fullest. And even if it did, it won't save him if his heart stopped.
"What are you doing?" One of the men slowly asked, "put him down."
"Where is Kai?" I cut to the chase, "did you hurt him? I told you if you hurt him, I'll kill you—"
"You can't do that—"
"Oh yeah?" I tensed my muscles more, seeing how my knuckles turned white around the scalpel as I slashed his skin, the front of his neck, hearing him hiss and try to back away but couldn't, it'll heal, but at least they know I'm not bluffing now, "you certainly don't know that I'm anything but a liar then."
I saw their eyes slightly widen when I slashed Davis's neck, eyeing each other for a second before the one I stabbed earlier spoke, "calm down, you won't gain anything by harming him. Kishimoto is fine—"
"I'll believe it when I see it," I shot back, my breathing hardening, "where did you take him?"
"He's simply in another room," the other one answered, "he'll stay—"
"Stay? Why isn't he coming back? We told you we want to be together. Put him with me and we won't give you a hard time—"
"I'm sorry, but we can't do that anymore," one of them took a step forward, and I pressed the sharp object to Davis's skin harder, making him halt his movements, slightly raise his hands, "you saw how it ended when we gave you the option to always have an eye on each other. Trust me, you'll be the one facing the consequences, not us."
"It ended that way because you stabbed me—"
"Because your father threatened us with someone who's ours."
Amelia. I tried to ignore that for now, but I couldn't. I keep getting reminded of it. Amelia. Amelia. Amelia. I trusted her. I thought we were friends. She called me her best friend. I've never had that with anyone before, well anyone who's not Kai. But she was different thank Kai. She was my first friend that I gained. The first person I trusted outside of my family.
My only girl friend was my cousin, sounds pathetic, but I accepted it. I lived my whole life with no real friends until she came by. I never even thought she could be against me, never thought she could be a liar. I hate liars. She knows where my house is, she spent time with me in my boyfriend's house, in his living room, eating and drinking from his food. She knows we were at the base, she knows everything.
"He heard me scream," I said, ignoring my thoughts for now, "it has nothing to do with where we are staying."
"Yeah, but I don't think he'd let you go out of the room without a fight anymore," a familiar voice that I've really grown to despise said strolling into the room, the guy that took me to call my parents in the first place and refused to give me his name, "and to be honest, I'd like to avoid the headache."
"So you're not going to take me to him?" I asked quietly, unlike the fire I could feel igniting up my chest, my thoughts screaming at me. I didn't know I could get this angry that quick, but here I was. I want to rip their heads off.
"No, as I told him just right now, you will not see him until the day you get to leave," he replied, his gaze flickering towards Davis for a moment before falling on me again.
"Hm," I hummed underneath my breath, nodding slowly. I want to scream at them, to get in their heads and show them all the voices shouting in my own right now, to not leave them alone until their ears bled from how loud they were. Instead, I just shrugged, "okay."
I quickly cocked my arm back, not even waiting to aim properly for a strike before I stabbed the damn thing into the crook of Davis's neck, just between his shoulder and neck, it'll heal... if I gave it a chance before I hit him with another lunge. I saw how the two men tensed up but didn't move, their eyes going to the other one for some reason.
I watched his chest expand with a deep breath, his expression dropping when Davis choked. I grabbed the back of his hair, pulling him back with the scalpel still intact, "take. Me. To. Him."
"Emma, don't do this—" Davis managed to let out before I removed the scalpel, knocking him down with my knee to the back of his, grabbing hold of his hair again once he was down, aiming the blade to the same place the wound was healing in right now.
"I will bleed him dry if you don't take me to Kai right now," my voice grew harsher, higher, practically shouting at them. I want to see him. I want to see him right now. I want him in front of me.
Kai? I tried to ask, to hear his voice in my head again, but I guess my mind was too busy being crowded with angry thoughts. So angry. I hated feeling like this. I hated this fuming rage that filled me, sliced me so that I couldn't think of anything else. Because all I could think about right now was two things; Kai, and how I'm going to lose it if I don't see him uninjured in front of my eyes right now.
Then the one on the left took a step towards me. Do they not believe me? Do they think I'm joking? I harshly pulled the scalpel out, hearing Davis grunt before I thrusted it into the nook of his neck again. The room erupted with his screams. I could hear the strain in every note, the vocal cords stretching to their limits as the pain radiates outward, a visceral reminder that even if he can heal himself, the human body is still fragile, still has a depth for its suffering. A limit I'm willing to push till the very end.
"You—"
"Emma—" one of them cut me off, speaking over Davis's screams, making me groan in response, irritation shooting through me instead.
"Shut. Up," I grunted out, pulling on Davis's hair more as he tried to swallow his shouts. What are you doing, Emma? I'm hurting them like I promised I will. I said I would do this for him, I wouldn't care, I'd think about it later. Protect him. That's all I want. Plus, they hurt me too, one for one.
"As I was going to say before you interrupted me," I sighed, hoping it would let some of the anger out, but it didn't. I felt like I was on flame, hot burning fury taking control of me, "I will let your healer go if you bring me my boyfriend. That's all I'm asking. Get him here. Take me to him, whatever."
"Emmaline leave him alone before you do something rash," the one who I think was the boss of this thing started to say in a comforting tone, taking a small step towards me with his hands raised. Comforting but still cautious.
"Rash?" A laugh escapes my lips. They don't believe me. They think I'm bluffing, "rash? You want to see rash?" I turned my attention Davis in my hands; the blood had already started drying, healing. Not before I have Kai, "How about we show them rash, huh?"
He looked at me with pleading eyes, soft and innocent. I almost felt bad, I almost started to think about convincing myself to stop, he's just a kid like Kai and I. He is one of them. They took Kai from you, they possibly hurt him.
I diverted my attention to the man again, looking him in the eyes, my face devoid of any emotion. Then, suddenly, I violently move Davis's head to the right, keeping the scalpel in place with my other hand. I held my breath hearing every tissue tearing, every heavy breath he took to try not to scream, the silent gasp which escaped the boss.
"I will say this once more and only once. Get me kai, or I will cut his freaking throat," I threatened, cocking my head to the side. I just want to see him. I want them to listen to me. Why aren't they just doing what I say? Why do I have to prove to them that I'm capable of hurting someone for them to just listen?
Emmaline, please, Kai's voice rang in my head, making my heart drop, don't fight them. Don't fight them to come for me.
"Kai?" I asked, but it came out without me meaning to, blinking rapidly at how my heart rate now went up a notch, it was already hammering against my chest, I feel like it's going to burst out now, "Kai!"
I think I was screaming, I was screaming and hoping he'd listen at the same time. I didn't mean for myself to hear him right now, this never happened before. Before I willed his voice—
Was he here? I whipped my head back looking for him behind me but no one's there.
"Emma? What are you talking about?" One of the men asked, my head banging at the voices colliding.
Emmaline—
Kai? Where is his sound coming from? Where is he?
"Emma—"
"Where is he?" I huffed out, still looking around, feeling the air around me vanish, my lungs squeezing in before I yelled, "where is he?"
I felt the world blur around me, my body feeling dizzy from how much adrenaline shooting through my veins. I want to hear his voice again, I want to see him.
Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did they hurt you—
Emmaline?
"Emmaline," Kai's voice morphed into another, another voice I despised. No. No, I want him back. I don't want him associated with them. I felt tears stream down my face, why am I crying? I don't want to cry, I want— I want to rip them all apart. I couldn't stop the thought from happening, and I couldn't bring myself to hate the sound of it.
A flash of Kai's figure being held on gun point with me so injured I could barely move, I could barely get the words out to threaten them. I told them I'd protect him, I told him I wouldn't let them touch him. But they did. They did and I just stood there. I watched them hit him, his leg that was already hurting, over and over again. I heard his shouts of pain. It happened in front of my eyes, and I was just... there.
That's why something in my mind snapped then. I remember hearing myself think, if you remove that knife, you'll die instantly. I also remember me shutting this thought down, ignoring it as other thoughts clouded over it. Kill them. Kill whoever was the reason for his suffering. Then I stabbed him, I didn't even have time to watch the result of what I did because by then I was on the ground passing out.
"Emaline, Emmaline, that's enough," one of the men cried, snapping me back to reality. The scalpel wasn't in Davis's body anymore. Somehow it was out, I was clutching it and putting it against his neck. The pressure caused a single stream of blood to seep out of it.
"I think she took too many," I faintly heard, too many what? My stomach felt funny, but I ignored it, focusing on the fire that was burning inside me, tearing me inside out. The scalpel fell from my hands with a loud, clattering sound on the floor. My grip on Davis's hair loosened despite my efforts to keep it there.
"Hey!" I yelled when I felt them grabbing my arms, holding me back as one of them helped Davis while I kicked and screamed, "let me go! I—"
"Stop—" I cut him off by another scream, trying to wiggle out of his hold with no avail.
"Hey!" The one helping Davis shot up, the one who took me to begin with, grabbing hold of my collar, pulling me up that my feet barely touched the ground, "you keep doing that, and I'll give your boyfriend more than a broken leg."
"Do it and I'll make you wish you were dead," I spat out, gritting my teeth, "and even if I can't do anything to make that happen, my family will. They won't let you get away even if they had to search every corner of this earth—"
My own scream cut me off when he grabbed hold of my hair, pulling my head back, "well, they're not here. And they won't find us, and you," he paused, letting go of my hair and nodding to the one holding me, instantly feeling his hands tightening around me, pinning my arms behind my back, "I know what's going to shut you up."
Suddenly, I was being pushed towards the door, walking through it as the fights I tried to put up did nothing. I felt sick, like my lungs were going to combust, shaking but not from anger, it's like I had too much energy but none at the same time. My head. My head felt like it was about to explode. Too many voices, too much noise, thoughts that won't shut up.
I want to see him. I want to hug him again. I want him to tell me it's okay.
It's okay, sunshine, I'm here. He said in my head, but for some reason it didn't soothe me like it did in the hospital. I knew I was making it up then, telling myself things but designing it in his voice, it helped me, but it didn't now. It felt different. It felt different than hearing his voice before. I could swear that his voice was real earlier. I didn't make these up, he invited himself into my head without me telling him to.
She's unconscious, between life an death. If not already— he thought I was dead then. Him. The real him. The version in my head wouldn't think I'm dead when I know I was alive.
I blinked hearing a door open before I was being thrown in, looking around the tiny space. There was absolutely nothing but a few broken chairs, not even a bed, and a tiny screen on a shelf. I was about to ask what's that but they cut me off the moment I opened my mouth, pushing me down on what I think was the only good chair, then my hands were being tied behind its back as I tried to stand up, pausing when the screen turned on.
"Kai," I sighed, seeing a clear view of him on a bed, tied up. He looked like he was physically in pain, his eyes squeezed shut, making me frown, my heart growing heavy at his sight. There was no blood on his face, not his at least.
"You wanted to see him?" The man asked, turning to me, but I didn't pry my eyes off of the screen, "this is the nearest you could be to him because," he blocked my view of the screen by standing in front of it, forcing my gaze to focus on him, "if you thought about acting out like a crazy lunatic again, you'll just have to sit here and watch him face the consequences of your actions."
That made my breath catch. I tried, tried so hard to let my brain work, to force my powers awake, to untie these wires or throw him across the freaking building, but nothing. I felt nothing as I watched them leave, heard them lock the door while my eyes stayed pinned on the screen. I saw Kai lean his head back, swallowing while closing his eyes as he gently banged his head against the headboard.
I blinked once and my vision turned blurry, watching him with tears streaming down my face as I sobbed silently. All I wanted was to be with him. Even if they tied me up, even if I couldn't touch him, I wanted to at least talk to him—
Talk. How did he talk to me? How did I hear his thoughts? Did he hear mine? I tried to reach out to him, I tried to ask him. I didn't even let myself think of how it happened, but I know it did. I'm not crazy, I'm not hallucinating. I know when I'm imaging things, I know how it feels to make up his voice in my head like I did when he was in a coma. I was aware of it then. It was different than this. This was real.
I'm going to talk to him. I'm going to get in his head again like I did before. I know I did it. I can do it again. I sniffed and closed my eyes, trying to clear my mind of anything until there was nothing but him, which wasn't hard, he was already all that was in there to begin with.
Kai? I held my breath, waiting. Please answer. Please tell me I'm—
Emmaline?
I snapped my eyes open, watching him lean his head up through the screen with a frown. His expression changed. He's real. He can hear me.
I'm real. His eyebrows lowered more, cocking his head to the side before shaking it once and saying something out loud, something I heard in my head. What?
I'm. In. Your. Head. His expression completely dropped now, his lips slightly parting. He can hear me. This is real. I'm not imagining things. When he didn't reply, I decided to lush more, he needed to believe me.
I'm. Real.
Believe me. Please.
What are you talking about?
I don't know. I don't know how this is happening, but it is, I thought back with a sigh, I thought I was still imagining but... but I heard you. I heard you thinking I could be dead. I'm not.
I watched him blink slowly, his chest barely moving like he was holding his breath. He's scared. He doesn't believe me. He thinks he's hallucinating.
Maybe it's another power. Maybe I can talk in people's minds like... I trailed off, something inside of me scared to continue the thought. I never let myself think of her. And when I do, I don't dwell on it, I let it go.
Like your Aunt? I closed my eyes at his question, my heart sinking to my stomach. I don't know why this thought terrified me that much. I only heard stories about her, it's not like I actually met her. From what people learn at school, she doesn't exist. Or they don't know that she does. She was purely mentioned as a weapon. People don't know what this weapon was, they don't know that she's a person. That she's my family.
I think... I'm not scared to think about her, it's just the thought of what happened to her. The thought that she was just a girl. A girl who happened to be powerful without asking for it. I hated it. I hated that she suffered, I hated that she could have lived. I could have had an aunt, Mum could have lived with her sister. I can't imagine losing Jett who was like a sister to me. I can't imagine losing anyone that close to me.
I don't know, maybe—
That's not possible.
Well, it kind of is. People can have two powers, like Naz—
No, he cut me off, his expression turned disturbed on the screen, that's not what I meant. I mean... we don't have powers right now. They put something in the food that disabled it. How do you have this power but not the other?
Something in the food? I don't know... but I know we're really talking right now, I didn't care about anything else right now. It's not important how it's happening, it's not important if it's a power or not, it's not important what they put in the food, are you okay? What happened after I passed out?
Nothing... they just put me in here and said that they won't bring you... are you okay?
I'm fine, I decided not to tell him about the little situation with Davis moments ago, I tried to let them bring me in with you, but it didn't work.
All that matters is that you're okay, he thought, even when he wasn't talking, even when it was only thoughts, faint version of his voice in my head, it was so calm, so gentle. I don't know how he does it. I don't know how in the middle of all of this, he still manages to not freak out on me, Emmaline, please don't put yourself in danger to get to me. I'm fine.
You're not.
I am, he insisted, a small smile drawing on his face that literally made my heart melt a little, they even upgraded me from a room to a two bed suite with a a nice view, I'll give you review on the food later.
I scoffed, but it sobered quickly, we should probably not eat the food anymore, right?
I don't think this will work, they'll force us to take those pills.
Did you take them? My heart raced again, did they force you to do it by hurting you?
No, I'm fine, believe me. Everything is fine. Just... don't say no to the food they give you, I don't think they'll let you off the hook. They forced me to take them— but they didn't hurt me, don't worry.
I don't even remember what we talked about later, I just know we didn't stop talking. Before, we would just stay in silence as long as we're together, but now, he wouldn't stop thinking. He wouldn't stop starting conversations about literally anything, even if they're meaningless. I didn't tell him I could see him, I'd have to explain why and what happened for them to lock me in here, but I guess because he couldn't, that was his only way of knowing I'm still here.
But then, his voice became more faint, distant, then he started to take time to respond to my thoughts, I could see his blinks slow down, his lids close before shooting open to reply to me. He was falling asleep. I think this is the first time since we went to the base almost two months ago that we won't be sleeping next to each other, he wouldn't be in my arms when I wake up. He'd be on a screen, tied up and exhausted.
I watched his eyes close and not open for a while, not open again. I should sleep, I should look away, he's not even with me right now, not mentally or physically. I couldn't. I couldn't look away, I couldn't even close my eyes. I just watched him, he wasn't even moving, it was like a framed photo that I kept staring at as if it would change, but it didn't matter, I guess.
He's okay, that's what you wanted to know, now sleep. I don't want to leave him. I didn't get enough yet. And I honestly didn't want to think about anything else right now. I didn't want to think about how I went crazy when they wouldn't listen to me, how I willingly held someone and threaten to kill him. And as if it wasn't enough, I actually was going to go through with it. I stabbed him. Twice. Then I tore the insides of his shoulder simply because one of them interrupted me. Because they wouldn't believe me.
You'd do it again. My voice accused... and I didn't find myself defending myself. I would do it again. And again. It didn't grant you anything. I'm seeing him right now, that's enough.
I said I'd do anything to protect him, and I wasn't lying. It should feel horrible, what I did. I didn't even think I had it in me, I didn't think I was capable of watching someone in pain like this because of me. I'm supposed to be kind. I'm supposed to be considerate. I don't hurt people. I'm not even rude. I couldn't bring myself to be so.
Being kind and loving won't protect Kai. I think that's why I couldn't bring myself to even regret it. Did he regret what he did for me? Did he regret almost killing these guys? Kai wasn't that sort of person, he's not violent or impulsive. He doesn't just lose it. I'm scared to even ask him. I'm scared to know what he's feeling right now. That I would regret. Hurting him. Even when I kept screaming at him to stop, it would be my fault. He'd be in distress because of me.
So I won't ask. I'll make him forget about it all. He should forget about everything that happened today. Everything but me and him. He shouldn't even know about what I did at all, he shouldn't know I don't feel an ounce of remorse towards it.
≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫
He's still asleep. It's been two hours. I don't remember when I slept, but I stayed up until my eyes burned from looking at the screen in the dark room, until they hurt when I would try to keep my lids from falling. I don't know what time it is now, but I counted two hours since I opened my eyes, seeing him in the same position he slept in.
The sound of the lock snapped me back to reality, but I didn't bother to pry my eyes off of the screen, holding my breath until the door opened. What do they want now? Yesterday, they made me tell my parents that Jett will be leaving today, I think she should be leaving right now, or she might have already left, they don't need me anymore.
"Hi," Davis's voice quietly said before his figure blocked my view of the footage, making me take in a sharp breath.
"Move," I let out, my voice coming out raspy. I'm so exhausted, sleeping on a chair is definitely one of the worst feelings anyone could go through, I miss my bed, "you're blocking my sight."
I blinked, waiting for Davis to move away after he shifted from one leg to another, sensing him turn his head to see what I'm watching before hesitating, "he's... sleeping."
"Congratulations on not being blind," I sighed when I got a clear view of Kai again, "I would give you a round of applause, but as you can see, since you're not blind," I tried to motion to my tied up hands behind me, "my hands are full."
"What I meant was that he'd not hurt, nobody is going to touch him," he shot back, "you don't have to stick your eyes to that screen all the time."
When I didn't reply, I heard him let out a deep sigh before the sound of a chair being pulled echoed through the tiny room, Davis taking a seat next to me, the scent of familiar food filling the air.
"I don't want to eat," I want my powers back. That's what I wanted to say. Stop taking everything that's mine.
"They said if you don't eat this, they're going to make you. I told them I'll get you to eat."
"Why would they force me?" I played dumb. I shouldn't tell him what Kai told me, I'm not supposed to know since we didn't technically see or speak to each other. I didn't want them knowing how I figured out the pills situation.
"I don't know," he shrugged.
"You don't know?" I looked at him then. Brown hair, brown eyes, no blood, nothing out of place. He doesn't even look tired anymore, "why are you doing this?"
"What?"
"Why are you here? Why are you doing this?"
"Well—"
"I'm not talking about the reasons why you hate us like you said before," I interrupted, "I'm talking about why you're willing to kidnap us for it, waste your powers on us. How did you even end up with these people?"
"You don't know me, Emma," he cleared his throat after staring at me for a moment, hesitating, making me narrow my eyes at him, "now please eat because I really don't feel like healing any of you again."
"What are you talking about?"
"They're... listen, they wanted to force you to take this either way, so they're just waiting for a signal to burst in there," he motioned to the screen, my jaw clenching at what I know he's going to say next, "and use him to get you to do it anyway. I don't think you want him to get hurt just because you refused to eat."
"I don't want him to get hurt at all," I tried to lean in as much as my bounds would let me, waiting until his eyes were on mine, I couldn't really see in this dark room, but I saw how he still looked so calm, just like he did at school, but I didn't like this calm. It's different than Kai's. I don't get how can two people have the same eyes, the same expression, same look, and I still manage to despise one with all I am and fall in love with the other, "and you saw what happened the last time he got hurt, Davis."
"I'm trying to help you," he gritted out, "I don't... I don't want them to hurt you."
I couldn't stop my eyebrows from shooting up, couldn't stop the way I leaned back as he let out a frustrated sigh and looked away. I don't want them to hurt you. I don't think I've ever wanted to be in anyone's head before, I've never thought of it. Even Kai, he always told me what he was thinking, well, after I kept on pressing and forced him to talk, even that was before we started dating. But this? I don't get him.
"You don't want them to hurt me," I hummed before scoffing, shaking my head and looking back at the screen, "is that why you left the security room when they stabbed me?"
He was there, he was there the entire time. Until my dad dropped the Amelia and Margrette bomb on them and to get back at him, to show that they're not bluffing, they stabbed me. I remember looking up at Davis, I don't even know what I was waiting for. Maybe for them to tell him to heal me, for him to even give me an apologetic look, but nothing. He just looked away, he looked anywhere but me before he freaking excused himself and left.
"They wouldn't have let me heal you back then anyway, Emma," he fired back, making me roll my eyes without even trying to fight it, "plus, you kind of got back at me by literally almost killing me, so I guess we're even."
"That wasn't for me, that was for him," I sent him a glare, fisting my bound hands.
"Then eat for him too," he breathed out, "there is no reason for him to get hurt because of you."
Because of you, he said. It's not because of me. They're the ones who have us against our wills, they're the ones threatening us, hurting us, not me. And yet, I found myself giving in, slowly nodding and looking down until Davis unbound me, but them someone came in, not in m room, in Kai's. He was freaking sleeping. They're actually going to hurt him in his sleep just for me to eat.
"Don't hurt him, I'll eat," I whispered, rubbing my wrists, feeling them ache from how tight the wires were before snatching the plate from him. I don't think my gaze wavered from the screen as I continued to eat, one spoonful after the other, not even tasting it anymore.
"Here," I jerked the empty plate at him, curling my fingers into a fist to avoid punching him in the face. He stared at me again, not moving or saying anything, my irritation growing farther, I didn't like not understanding what people want from me, "what?"
"I'm sorry," he pressed, his hand going to mine, but I snatched it away, making him pull his hand away too, grip the plate tighter, "I didn't think any of this would happen."
"What did you think? That we'd have a slumber party or something?" I gave him a bored expression, but he just shook his head and stood up, grabbing my wrists so I couldn't pry him off before I felt the wires wrapping around them again.
Emmaline? My heart skipped a beat at his voice, my head snapping up to the screen, watching him eye the men standing with him, Emmaline, are you okay?
I'm okay. I thought back, already forgetting that I'm being tied up again right now when the men turned to leave him alone, I missed you.
I missed you too, sunshine, I watched him let out a breath, leaning his head back, I wish I could see you right now.
I wish I could see you too, I said, even though this is all I've been doing since yesterday. I've been watching him, counting the minutes of how long I kept my eyes on him.
"They're sending Jett back now," Davis suddenly said. I forgot he was even in here. He rounded me again, kneeling next to my chair, "do you want me to tell her anything?"
"I hope you rot in hell," I flatly said without looking back at him, trying to concentrate on continuing my conversation with Kai instead but Davis just scoffed softly.
"Fine," he stood up, "I'm pretty sure she would have preferred nicer words but sure."
I rolled my eyes at his mocking, waiting until he finally decided to move, get out, and lock my door again to focus on Kai again. Kai?
Where did you go?
Nowhere, I'm right here, I said in my head, contemplating for a moment if I should tell him someone was here then decided he had the right to know Jett's going to be fine, they're sending Jett back right now. They were here to tell me—
Here? I watched him straighten as much as he could, who? Did they hurt you? Did—
Nobody hurt me, I cut him off, I'm fine, trust me.
Jett is going to be fine. She's going back. She's going to be back to her parents, to Zade. I figured out that he made it back that day when I called them yesterday, it released a weight on my shoulder I didn't realize was even there. Now Jett is going to be okay too. At least she doesn't have to spend another moment in this place, maybe Zade will celebrate her birthday with her.
I didn't even wish her happy birthday.
I'm sure she'll forgive you, he shot back before I could say more, and if she doesn't, I'll force her to.
How?
I'll put her on timeout with Atlas and lock the door for five minutes, trust me she'll give in.
I let out a low chuckle. We're saying this as if we're already back, as if we're sitting in the training room on the floor together like we used to, joking and messing around like we were in vacation.
I think that's what my mind is doing right now, ignoring the fact that we're still kidnapped, still have a chance of getting hurt again by talking to him and pretending everything is fine, that nothing is out of the ordinary. And I don't think I really stopped it from happening, seeing how I kept the act up. I kept talking, joking, acting like he's in here with me until the door opened again, I don't even know how many hours later.
I think by now Jett should be back, they should have met and taken her. Unless my parents pulled out something which I don't think they did because if so then why aren't they the ones coming through this door right now? Why is it just the guard pulling my chair back because I tired to move to the sharp object that caught my eyes, hoping I could get it without grabbing their attention, hoping I'd set my hands free because they were just in pain?
My head felt so heavy right now, so exhausted. I don't know if it's from being worn out because I didn't stop thinking about and talking to Kai, or because of the pills, or because I was using what could possibly be a power while taking something that should disable it. How am I even doing this?
I really tried to think of how or why this is happening, but I didn't reach anything that would give me an answer. If this is a power, it should be disabled just like my telekinesis. They're both mind powers, so they should have the same strength, they should be affected by the same thing. I'm so lost it's giving me a headache.
I closed my eyes with a sigh, letting my head hang. I want to shut my mind just for a while, I want to not think at all. Too much thinking. I did too much thinking that I forgot to even let feel anything. I want to focus on my emotions a little, even if it's anger. Anything would be better than this. It's like my brain is eating me alive.
It's like the universe heard me for once since we came here, it drove a strong emotion into my brain that sent a shiver down my spine right now, my head snapping up at the whisper. Fear.
My mind shut off completely, my heart jumping in my throat as I straightened up when I felt the breeze of air against my ear, the hairs on the back of my neck standing to their ends. What the hell?
"Hey, little J."
It was a whisper, so faint. So low that I couldn't recognize the voice of who said it. But I didn't need to. I only know one person and one person only who calls me that. So it's either that or I finally went bonkers. I'd really love to believe the first option. I'd love to believe that I'm not hallucinating.
Kenji.
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A/N:
I know nothing much happened in this chapter but it felt needed so I'm sorry if it's not as good as the rest. I don't even know why it took me so long to write it😭
Anyway I actually like it a little so yeah
Also, completely random and out of pocket, but I made James 29 instead of 27 because some of yall were mad that the math is not mathing. It really won't matter in the story but sure. If you want him older imagine him older but I'm seriously not making this man in his 30s it physically hurts🫶🏻