The castle is absolutely. . .gigantic. Its beautiful, wooden stairs ascending to where I can't even see.
"This is where you live?" Claire gasps.
"Yeah," Avery clasps his hands behind and gives me a cocky look. I turn away and cross my arms.
It was a nightmare getting here, I was squished between Avery and Claire. I have no idea how we all fit, not to mention that no one stopped us.
Claire walks to the railing, looking down and craning her neck to see further.
"So are you going to answer my questions or not?" I turn to Avery, putting on the best stern look I have.
"Uh. . .no." I'm speechless, my mouth is hanging wide open and no words will come out. "I lied. I'm actually going to try to get your memory back before I can explain anything to you. Only because its a lot of work to do, so no," he shrugs casually.
"What?" I force the words out of my throat.
"But sadly, we have to go to a volley ball game right now," he continues as if I hadn't said anything. "Apparently Alexandrea started playing and she wants us to come watch her practice."
"I'm not going anywhere with you until you give me answers," I crossed my arms stubbornly.
"Are you sure about that?"
"Of course I am," I turn away from him again and stop my foot down.
"I gave you the option," he grabs my legs and flips me upside down so my face is at his lower back and my feet hang in the air. I hold on tight around his waist.
"Let me down!" I scream.
"Come on Claire," he lets go so he's holding me with one arm. She shrugs and follows him downstairs.
I bang on his back with my fists over and over, yelling at him to put me down but my voice gets scratchy so I give up.
We go through double doors and reach a gym. There's a basket ball court, a volleyball net, and a mini tennis court.
Avery lets me down and I fix my shirt, glaring at him. My attention gets pushed over to the volleyball court. We walk over and sit against the wall next to the net where we have the perfect view.
"Avery! Elise!" a girl walks over to us and then turns her attention toward Claire. "New girl!"
"Oh, right," Avery mumbles. "This is Alexandrea."
"You're sooo pretty!" Claire walks up to the girl, Alexandrea, and grabs her multicolored hair.
"Thank you," she beams. "I would love to stay and chat but I've got a game to win!" she holds up a fist and puts on a determined look.
"This is a practice game, you know," Avery shakes his head at her.
"I know," she says before prancing over to where she was and putting her hands together, ready for the ball.
Avery sits against the wall and I grab Claire and go about fifteen feet before sitting away from him.
Avery's pov
I listen to Claire drone on as I pretend to watch the game, taking small glances at Elise. She has her back to me. She keeps looking at Claire but turning her head toward the game.
Andrea will want to know if she did good so I try to pay attention. I sigh, "This is so boring," I mumble. I lean my head against the wall and close my eyes.
Elise screams and an alarm goes off in my head. I rush over to her, grabbing her middle and placing her body away from Claire and her head in my lap. The ball bounces off of the floor where Elise was and bounces away.
She gasps and opens her eyes. "Don't scream like that unless you're in danger. You scared me half to death," my breathing is heavy.
"I-Im sorry," she stutters.
I lean down to whisper in her ear. "Calm your heart. You're making mine race too fast."
Elise's pov
I can't. Is what I want to say. I'm not sure if it's being near him that's making my heart go on in loud thumps. His eyes are so beautiful. What was I mad at him again?
"Oh sorry guys!"someone on the team says.
I rush to get out of Avery's lap and take notice that everyone's staring at us, whispering things. I can feel my face turning a shade of red.
I whip around to Avery. "Why did you do that?" I yell. "I was fine on my own, the ball wasn't going to kill me."
"Fine. Sorry for getting your ass out of the way," he gets up and says this in my face.
"Well I didn't need you to get my ass out of the way. I don't need you to save me. I was doing fine," I scream. "I don't need you!"
His jaw tenses and he shoves his hands in his pockets, walking out the door.
Everyone's eyes shift from him walking away to me.
"Why did you do that?" Alexandrea asks. "You shouldn't have done that, you don't understand how much that's going to hurt him."
"I. . .you don't understand," is all I can come up with. I follow the way Avery went out of the gym and look around. I don't see him at all. "Dammit," I mumble, sliding down the wall, my butt hitting the floor.
"Dammit what?"
I jump because I heard that in my ear, even the soft breath up against my skin but he's sitting on the railing across from me. "Uh, nothing."
"Okay," he shrugs and leans back on the railing, making it groan and shutter.
"Stop!" I scream.
"Oh so now you care?" he lifts one eye brow and gives me a cocky grin.
"Don't look at me like that," I mumble. "And what do you mean now?" I stand up.
"Well in there you acted as if you didn't care. . ." he rocks his head from side to side like he's estimating, "At all."
I open my mouth to respond but I don't know what to say. That he's always there and it bothers me? That I don't even know him yet he acts like he's known me for forever? "I don't remember you," Is what I end up saying, though I regret it as soon as it leaves my tongue.
"Ha!" he jumps off of the railing and runs over to hug me.
I peel his arms off me. "That's not what I ment."
"You're finally coming to your senses," he knocks on my head like you would a door and keeps on talking like I hadn't spoken. "Or, you're just overwhelmed by my beauty, " he runs his hand across his stomach.
"Yeah right," I push him. "Or I'm just annoyed with arguing with you," The only reason I came out here was because I thought I hurt your feelings.
The castle abruptly shakes so terribly I fall to the ground and my thought vanishes from my mind. The whole building groans, I cover my ears with the palms of my hands.
"What's going on?" I yell over to him.
Avery struggles to crawl over to me, seems as if he's lost his balance too. "I'm not sure."
Then everything stops and the noise is replaced by footsteps. Like as if people are stomping in unison.
Alexandrea cautiously walks out of the gym and looks at us. "What's going on?"
But Avery doesn't answer, he walks towards the railing and peers down, a horrific expression coming across his face.
I force my legs to move over where he is and look over the side of the railing. My stomach drops. "Who are those people?" hundreds of people marching up the stairs in black uniform, all carrying guns at their side.
Avery curses under his breath and runs and hand through his hair to calm himself. He turns to Alexandrea and murmurs something like "get rid of it all."
She runs to the stairs and flies up.
"We have to get you out of here," he points to me and grabs my elbow, leading me up the way Alexandrea went.
"You don't want me to introduce me to your friend?" the voice sends shivers down my spine and makes Avery whip around. "Shirley this isn't the mortal everyone's talking about," he walks toward us, black hair is sleeked back. He has a tall and lean frame and would be attractive if it wasn't for how creepy he is. He takes my hand and gently kisses it.
Avery growls and pushes me behind him. "Don't touch her."
"I'm intrigued by her beauty, I see you are too, the way you have your arm around her." he says. "I've never seen a mortal so. . .attractive."
The stomping gets louder.
"You're stalling," Avery says.
The man shrugs. "You know what you've done. I'm guessing this is her? Am I right?" his eye brows list in question. "I can see why," his eyes roll over me.
"Stop!" Avery's fists are clenched.
"Well at least one of you will listen to me," he glances at me. "If they ever want to see their parents again."
"Where is my family you sick bastard!" I lunge at him but Avery grabs my waist and hulls me back.
"Oh, temper temper," he shakes his head.
"You haven't even begun to see a temper," I mumble.
I notice the stomping has gotten louder. So loud I can hear the footsteps in my chest like a heart beat. I look over the edge. They're almost here.
"Nervous?" he looks at my face. "Don't be, as long as you are cooperative you won't get hurt."
My eyes narrow. "Cooperative?"
"Yes of course," his smile makes me want to walk up and smack it off.
The tops of heads start to come up the stairs. I shut my eyes and wait. I hadn't noticed before how close I am to Avery. When the feet stop I open my eyes. We're surrounded by men and women in black and guns. Guns pointed at us.
"I want them away from each other," the man says.
Two people go for us and Avery punched one and kicks the other, making them both fall back into the crowd. At the same time a hand grabs me. I'm ready, I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to elbow him and kick him as hard as I can in the groin.
But a cold metal object presses against my spine. A gun. I freeze.
Avery freezes, looking at me.
Someone's speaking, but it's muffled, like I have cotton balls in my ears. The gun lifts and slams into my spine.
Avery tries to run to my side but a man pulls him back, his arm around his neck in a head lock. But Avery takes his arm and twists it at and angle until I hear it break. The man cries out and they both let go of each other. Avery runs to me and scoops me up into his arms.
"Cooperation," the man says. "That's all I wanted."
Avery tightens his jaw, sets me down, presses his lips to my temple, and lunges at the man. Before he can touch him though, a soldier about the height of me runs up and smacks him on the head with the butt of the gun. Avery goes down before he can even reach him.
A gasp comes out of my mouth as I watch his body fall to the ground and not get up. As I move to reach for him, another soldier grabs my arm and tugs me back, pointing the gun barrel against my temple. The one he kissed.
Why does my stomach feel totally sick? The room is spinning. Maybe its just me. My knees hit the ground hard, someone is screaming not to let me fall but just before my face hits the floor my world goes black.
***
Okay so sorry I haven't updated. I had exams to do for school. Almost over though!
But anywhore, I am loving the feedback from you guys! Even the little things are really making a difference. I didn't think anyone would even want to read my book but you guys are so motivating. So thanks. Ill update again soon. I LOVE YOU! <3