_______
F R Ü H L I N G S H E F Ü H L E
(n.) a feeling of excitement for nice weather during the spring, just as the sun is coming out, the trees are green and the flowers blossom.
________
IT WAS raining the night Natasja's parents died. The screams and the sobbing easily overpowered the sound of rain outside, and Natasja hadn't noticed it until she had been lying outside, the raindrops hitting her face as she closed her eyes. As the rain washed away the warm blood that clung to her skin like sweat, she felt peaceful. It was as if the heavens opened to wash her from her sins; the very ones she committed in her own home.
It was also raining today. As the pitter-patter of the droplets sounded outside their car, Natasja closed her eyes to listen as she fidgeted with her jacket.
"Pay attention, Natasja," Kael's jaw clenched after she said those words. "You are my eyes. Always be on alert."
Natasja opened her eyes to roll them. It's been two hours since they arrived in LA and Kael was already bossy.
"I am not your anything." Natasja muttered as she refocused her attention on the school they were parked across. Today was their first contact with Paris, the princess of Monaco everyone believed to be dead. She was in hiding without knowing it, but sometimes it was better to play dead than to live a haunted life.
"There she is." Natasja said, sitting up in her seat, her hand closing around the steering wheel as she craned her neck to get a better look.
"What is she doing?"
"Talking to a blonde," Natasja noticed the pretty girl laugh at something the other said. "She's tall and quite skinny. She seems to be close to her."
"Her best friend, Bleu Ivy." Kael confirmed. "Anything else?"
"They are walking," Natasja watched as the blonde girl grabbed the princess' hand and pulled her along with her as she almost skipped on the sidewalk, holding the umbrella for her.
"Follow them."
Natasja let them walk ahead of them before slowly driving forward, stopping at a certain distance so as not to cause suspicion before driving again when they had reached beyond her vision. On the other side of the block, Aspen and John were parked in case of emergencies.
The two young girls held hands as they walked, happily chatting. When they neared the rather ordinary-looking house, the blonde kissed her best friend's cheek and bid her goodbye.
"She's saying goodbye to her," Natasja reported. "And Paris is walking inside the house."
"Make sure she gets in safely."
"She-"
Natasja froze. There was a man. He stood just a few feet off, and he would have looked like a normal citizen had he not stopped and stared at the princess for two seconds too long before proceeding to walk down the sidewalk. The look of recognition on his face in that bare one second was enough for Natasja to be immediately suspicious of him.
She remembered what Kael had told her before coming here.
"If you see imminent danger, kill. If there is even the slightest suspicion of threat to the princess, report to me and we will handle it. My way."
Kael's way either ended up in excruciating pain or death. Natasja didn't want to risk this. What if he really was an innocent man?
But then she saw the jacket he was wearing. It bore the mark of a notorious gang on its sleeve.
Natasja knew she should report what she was seeing to Kael, but she couldn't quite stomach seeing another murder again. Especially now that it's raining. It would connect to the night her parents died, and she really didn't want to have another attack.
"She's in." She answered truthfully.
"Threats?"
"None." Natasja drove away. She was almost scared Kael was going to see through her lie, but noticed the blind woman merely sitting still.
A little too still.
"Are you ok?" She couldn't help but ask the blind woman.
"Tell Aspen and John to rendezvous back at the Academy." Kael dismissed her question.
Natasja nodded, picking up her phone to do just that. As she did, she noticed the rain going from a light drizzle to a downpour. It was in the late afternoon, and in just an hour or so it would be dark. And with how hard the rain was pouring, they wouldn't make it back to the Academy tonight. They needed to stay somewhere.
"It's raining too hard, Kael," Natasja struggled to see through the heavy rain as she slowly drove. "We'll have to spend the night."
Kael clenched her jaw. "Alright."
There was apprehension in her tone, her voice almost tight. Something wasn't right.
"Aspen, meet us at the Harrington Hotel."
"No, not yet," Kael said firmly. "Take me to the nearest bar."
"What for?"
"I need a drink."
"You're planning to drink?" Natasja was astonished someone like Kael would even touch alcohol. And at such a timing as well.
"And you're going to continue lying? Yes."
Natasja shut her mouth. Opened them. "What do you mean?"
"Umbrella." Kael's words were shortened, clipped, when the car stopped in front of a bar. "Now. Please."
"Right," Natasja scrambled out, opening the umbrella and walking quickly to Kael's side of the car. As much as she felt like rebelling to protect her pride, the tone in the older girl's voice was unmistakably upset. As the rain poured down, the umbrella felt heavy in her hand as she opened the car door.
The blind woman took a deep, shuddering breath before quickly getting out to stand under the umbrella as she shut the car door behind her.
She pressed up against her companion, staying off the edge of the umbrella as much as possible. The action caused Natasja's face to be directly in line with her jaw, and Kael's perfume wafted into her nostrils. It smelled like cool blossoms. Cherry blossoms.
They were standing so close to each other Natasja could feel her breath on her eyebrows. Her heart quickened, and she feared her shaky hand wouldn't be able to hold the darn umbrella.
"Move!" Kael growled and Natasja was shaken from her moment of crushing. Kael took her elbow and forcefully pushed her to start walking, her long legs striding and Natasja struggling to keep up. The redhead guided them to the entrance of the small building and felt her heart sink at the "closed" sign hung on the wooden door.
"It's closed."
"Like hell it is." Kael pounded on the door.
"Kael, stop!"
"Open the door!" Kael shouted against the rain, her breath coming in short gasps. "Goddamn it, open this door!"
It budged open a crack and a man poked his head out, annoyed. "Can't you read the bloody sign? We're closed!"
Kael's reply was to punch him in the face and the man stumbled back, howling as he grabbed his bleeding nose. Natasja couldn't hold back a gasp at the sudden violence.
Unaware of the shock she had caused, Kael pushed in, shutting the door behind Natasja and herself as if running from a zombie attack.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" The man yelled. "We're closed! I've got a gun!"
"Monsieur," Natasja implored in a calming voice. Kael was doing this for a purpose and for some crazy reason, she had to trust that. "I'll pay triple your fee. As well as the damages done. I deeply apologize about my friend here. She just really needs something."
The way she said it in her soft honey voice and gentle eyes made the man let his guard down. He eyed them suspiciously for a moment, as if assessing how dangerous they were compared to his gun, and appeared to have made his decision. He sighed, walking behind the bar. "Just this once. No funny business. What do you want?"
"The strongest you've got." Kael's gruff voice was breathless as her hands spread out to feel for a bar stool and she took a seat.
The man sighed and took out a glass.
"Kael," Natasja tentatively spoke to her as she took a seat beside her. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine." Kael muttered, but Natasja could see sweat form at the top of her lips. She looked a little pale.
Before Natasja could say any more, her phone rang.
"Armand."
"Nat where are you? John's not speaking and I don't speak sign language! This huge tree fell in front of the Harrington entrance, and there's no way we can get in."
"Use the back door then."
"John won't leave the car," Aspen's voice sounded stressed. "He's acting like a child. I told him to type in my phone and all he typed was, 'bad rain'."
"That's it?"
"No, Nat, he typed in the entire first book of Harry Potter." Aspen said flatly.
Natasja rolled her eyes at the sarcasm. "Ok just stay in the car until the rain dies down. Don't force him to come out if he doesn't want to. I have a feeling the Maddox siblings have a weakness after all."
She hung up and looked at the woman sitting beside her, downing shot after shot.
What are you afraid of, Kael Maddox?
______
"The floor's moving," Kael slurred. It had been hours, and the dark night outside was nothing compared to the bartender's mood.
"Alright, you've had enough. Now get out. We're opening in a few minutes and I need to prep." He growled.
"You," Kael pointed a finger to the man's nose. "Are a good person."
"I'm so sorry for this," Natasja apologized as she gave her credit card. "Triple the charge. Just as I promised."
"Take care of her, will you?" The man took her card and scanned it. "The amount of alcohol she has in her system right now is enough to damage her brain. I'm suprised she's able to hold herself up."
"I will," Natasja promised, moving a piece of hair from Kael's face, to which the latter pouted and rebelliously pushed it back. She was definitely drunk.
"Come on, Kael," Natasja moved to get her off the stool, swinging her arm around her shoulders while holding her waist. Kael's head lolled to the side.
Natasja grunted against her weight, not expecting someone who looked light be so heavy. Kael was pure muscle and curves.
The bartender took pity and moved around to help her, grabbing her other side.
When they made their way outside, the rain had slowed down to droplets. It was heavier than a drizzle but lighter than the downpour previously.
"Do butterflies feel human beings in their stomachs when they're around their crushes?" Kael frowned in contemplation.
Natasja laughed softly, even as she panted underneath her weight.
It took a lot of effort and bribing to get Kae back inside the car, and when they were successful, Natasja's head was matted in sweat.
"Thank you," she shook the bartender's hand. "I couldn't have done it without you."
"That girl," the bearded man nodded towards the mumbling german woman. "She's in a lot of pain."
"How do you know?"
"People drink to forget. I know pain when I see it."
Then without another word, he walked back inside.
Natasja sighed, and got in the driver's seat. Pain, huh?
Just then, warm hands enveloped her face and she froze.
"Hmmmm." Kael hummed as her long fingers traced Natasja's nose, eyebrows, and ears. The other hand moved to her neck, lightly scratching the long length of the redhead's throat. "I can read your face." She giggled and suddenly opened the car door, stumbling out.
"Ugh, Kael!" Natasja dismissed the hard drumming of her heart as she got out, ready to scold the drunkard.
However, when she got out, she stopped in her tracks at the sight.
Kael was on the ground, hugging herself and mumbling. The rain began to fall a bit harder again, drenching the german woman.
"Kael, get up you'll get sick." Natasja moved quickly to help her up.
"Nein, nein, nein," Kael was muttering, her whole body shivering. "Please."
Getting her to get up was difficult, and Natasja hersef was starting to get wet from the rain. She was getting impatient.
"Kael, I said get up!" She tried to put her arms underneath the woman's armpit, but as she lifted her, the heavy weight was too much and the redhead grunted as she fell on top of Kael in a heap.
"Oh god," Natasja's eyes widened. Kael's dark thin shirt was soaked, and Natasja gasped as she felt nipples poke at her own chest. "Why aren't you wearing a bra?"
Kael's grey orbs drunkenly stared into space, her lips parted. She grabbed Natasja's face gently in her cold hands, the rain dripping from the french woman's impeccable face to Kael's skin.
"Why aren't you scared of me?" She whispered.
I'm terrified.
"Do I have a reason to be?"
"You have every reason to be."
"Name one."
"I could hurt you," she frowned, like it was the most horrible thing a person could ever commit. "And everyone is afraid of hurt."
Her thumb rubbed Natasja's cheek. Her breath fanned across her face, the mint from her gum tingling. She lifted her neck to reach Natasja, her fingers moving to encircle the base of her neck.
Natasja was frozen, eyes wide open as she realized Kael's intentions.
Her parted lips looked so soft to Natasja, and all it would take for her to feel them against her own were for her to lean forward just a few millimeters.
"I'm scared of the rain," Kael whispered. "But you make me forget for a while. Isn't that strange?"
Then she went unconscious.
Natasja sighed, disappointment settling in her chest. Damn you, drunk Kael. She dug out her phone from her jacket and called Aspen.
"A little help here, please."
"Nat!" Aspen's voice was firm, commanding. Natasja could hear tires squealing in the background. "Go straight to the mansion! Get Kael someplace safe. It's her they're aft-" the phone cut off suddenly.
"Aspen?" Natasja cried. "Aspen!"
Fueled by adreneline, she single-handedly moved Kael back inside the car, and drove out like a mad woman. She had no idea what was going on, but she needed to get to where Aspen and John were. She couldn't just leave them.
"Lammchen," Kael groaned.
"Oh, fantastic, now she's awake again." Natasja growled as she manoeuvred down the traffic like a madwoman.
"You're hot when you're angry," Kael giggled. "Sex me."
"Not now, Kael!" Natasja reached over to put the seatbelt on for Kael, her arm accidentally brush a nipple underneath the thin shirt. "Oh my god, I'm sorry."
"You want to sex me," Kael said in a singsong voice. "You want to make me yoursssss."
"Shut up," Natasja finally got to the Harrington, but the dark and silence gave no indicative sign that there was any previous struggle. Aspen's car was knowhere to be seen. She had to know where they were chased. "Shit, where are they?"
"Wer?" A german slur.
"John. And Aspen. I think they're under attack." Natasja bit her lip worriedly as she slowed down her driving.
"John has a stupid GPS in his molar teeth." Kael mumbled, clumsily trying to open her zipper pocket for her phone. "My brothers are protective as fuck when it comes to Johnny boy and me." Then she frowned, correcting herself. "And I."
Natasja reached for the phone, keeping one hand on the wheel.
"Hey!"
"Shut up and be drunk quietly, Maddox."
She looked at the phone, following the coordinates.
Natasja cocked her head as she looked at the address. It look eerily familiar.
As she followed it, she saw Aspen's car parked beside sidewalk. This neighborhood looked so familiar she could have sworn she-
When she realized where she was, her throat constricted. The dark, burned rubble of a house once a warm home. The knocked-down fences. The treehouse.
"This is where it all went to hell."