"It has to do with why you're dying." Zero says, and his word cause the breath in my lungs to halt.
"What would have Lager said?" I whisper, almost scared to hear the answer.
"Ashley, Lager would have said-"
"That Zero wet his pants the first time we met." A luring smooth voice cuts him off, and I jerk my head to the side to see Lager standing where Becky and I were a moment before, leaning against the rail, his golden eyes fixated on us like a predator with his prey.
I'm startled by his sudden appearance, my eyes widening.
"I thought I told the both of you to stay in the throne room!" I scold, scowling with my hands on my hips, although in the back of my mind, Zero's words linger. What was he about to say?
I haven't had a headache since that first one, but is that a good sign, or just a symbol of impending doom?
Lager pushes off the rail, striding towards us in an easy, relaxed state, but his eyes show a narrowed anger. He stops a few feet away, his cape blowing in the slight breeze, the setting sun forming a halo around him.
"No one," he says softly."Tells me what to do."
I swallow, my throat suddenly dry, but then Lager cracks a smile, his eyes lighting up. This expression causes me to deflate in relief, before I scowl again.
"Haha. Now if you would excuse us, I really need to talk to Zero.........ALONE." I emphasize. Zero's eyes light up in joy, which makes me internally sigh.
A muscle in Lager's jaw ticks, before he throws on another smile, except this one is more like a grimace.
"I'm sorry to hear that, but I can't allow it."
"And why not?" I demand, wondering what Lager is trying to keep from me. This is very confusing. Zero came to tell me something that Lager was going to, but then Lager decided to not tell me and is now keeping it from me. Talk about complicated.
"Because." Lager says, his eyes shifting to the side. If he wasn't so emotionless I would call him nervous. "We are going on a tour."
I blink.
"A....tour?" I question, even more confused.
Lager nods once.
"Aren't you too busy for that? Being High Commander and all?"
Lager rolls his eyes, turning and walking back to the railing.
"My schedule was cleared for tonight." He calls over his shoulder.
I stare with wide eyes as shadows start to form around his back, shaping until they almost look like bat wings. I gasp as they materialize, and two, huge black wings cover his back. He shakes his arms out, rolling his shoulders as his wings flutter.
"What....What are you doing?" I ask, loud enough for him to hear me.
He stops stretching and looks up, smirking. "Leaving. It doesn't seem like you're up for a tour right now."
I'm about to agree, but Zero startles me when his voice speaks in my head for the first time in a long time.
Go with him.
I look at Zero with wide eyes, and suddenly my head pulses, like the beginning of a headache. Oh no, please don't get any worse.
But you need to tell me why I'm dying. I protest.
Zero looks almost pained, his breathing ragged as if he is having an internal war.
It would....it would be better if you went with him. Pain flashes through my head again, and I severe the bond, nodding quickly. I didn't realize that I was agreeing to tour with Lager until it was too late, because I just wanted the headache to stop.
I take a dizzying step towards Lager, who seems almost surprised that I'm choosing him. I take another step, my headache seeming to fade with each step I take away from Zero.
That's weird, I think to myself, but before I can put any more thought into it, Lager is there, striding towards me. I take in the wings behind him and the railing, before throwing my hands out in front of me.
"Now way, buddy." I say, as Lager pauses in confusion. "I know how this thing works. You're going to scoop me up into your arms and fly us off and I'm going to scream and shriek before realizing how beautiful the sky looks and finally it'll end with a heated gaze as we soar through the sky."
"What in the name of Dalton are you talking about?" Lager says, seeming flabbergasted, while Zero lets out a warning growl.
"You are not going to fly me around on this "tour" we are going on." I say, my cheeks turning a little red as I realized I may have gone into slightly too much detail. I'll blame it on the endless romance books I indulged in when bored and working as a secretary.
"While that is an option, I'm afraid it's not what I had planned to do." Lager smirks, the gold in his eyes sparkling in the fading Sun.
"Then what did you plan to do?" I asked, ignoring the pang of annoyance I felt because I wasn't right.
"This." He says, lunging forward and grabbing my hand.
Zero snarls, lunging forward with ferocity in his eyes, but Lager towels me into his chest, wrapping both arms around my torso as we melt into shadow.
All I can see is darkness.
I don't know where I am, it's pitch black.
The atmosphere is tight, almost airless, and it feels like I've lost access to all my senses, except for touch, because I can still very much feel Lager's warm body pressed to mine, his arms holding me tightly. He is so dead once we are out of whatever this is.
A few more seconds of total black, and a dizzy sensation, one I get from the feeling as if we are flying, and then the darkness seems to bleed away to reveal color.
The arms unwrap from around me and I stumble forward, very distorted and feeling like my stomach is in my feet.
I whirl around, but regret it when that just makes me even more dizzy. A dark figure stands in front of me, and the shape of it looks very familiar.
End?
But then my eyes decide that moment to focus and I realize it wasn't End but Lager. Darn, I was kinda hoping to see End.
"What was that?!?" I yell, glaring at Lager, who's watching me with a neutral expression.
"Shadow traveling. It's only a method I can use in case you were wondering."
I sputter, wondering if I should pursue the subject and yell at him some more, but then I notice the setting we are in.
The sun has officially disappeared, , leaving only the stars and moon to give us a soft, gentle light. Tree branches shelter us above and tree trunks are lined in neat rows.
"Highclere's orchard." Lager speaks close behind me, making me jump.
"Well even I could've guessed that." I say, turning around in a full circle to take in the rows upon rows of trees.
"Come." He says, turning on his heel and making his cape whoosh behind him. I debate whether I should tell him I'm not a dog, but decide against it because one, I'm being way too snappy right now, and two, he's the Darklig High Commander. There's no way I want to be on his bad list.
I follow behind him as he takes slow easy strides, having to take two steps to equal one of his. We walk in between two rows of tees, the leaves green and looking like they just went through a full harvest.
I open my mouth to ask about what exactly we are doing in an orchard, but am beat to it.
"How did you get here?" Lager asks lowly, still walking and staring straight ahead. I stare at his muscled back, confused.
I open my mouth again to ask him what he means, because I thought He already knew we were dragged to Highclere against our will, but am interrupted again.
"I mean Dalton. Why are you in Dalton?" He asks, turning his head slightly to the side to look at me.
"Is one of your High Commander powers mind reading?" I ask instead of answering.
"No." He says, his nose wrinkling slightly. "But I can just imagine how annoying that would be, to hear everyone's thoughts all the time." I find myself agreeing with him. He doesn't push the subject thankfully. I refuse to tell him about the scientists, because if he decides to go after them, then he goes after my dad too, and I can't let that happen.
We walk in silence, a slight breeze blowing on the crisp night air. It's so hot and humid here, yet Lager is always wearing that cape. It makes me curious.
"Ashley?" Lager says softly, and I snap to attention. "I need to ask you something."
Based on his tone this "something" is serious. I quicken my pace so I'm walking side by side with him, and glacé to my left. Seeing th side of his face hidden in shadow.
"Yes?" I say, anticipation swelling inside me.
He stops walking, turning to face me, those eyes of gold finding me in the dark. I stop too. Tilting my chin up so I can meet his eyes,my breath catches at how intense he looks.
"Ashley..." He breathes, his chest rising and falling more rapidly than usual.
It's our own little staring contest, and I have no idea who will win.
He opens his mouth and then freezes, his mouth half way or as his eyes widen. Quickly, he turns away, before continuing his walk except a little faster than before. I blink, before chasing after him.
"Hey!" I call, speed walking to keep up and groaning internally at his brutal pace. "What did you need to ask me?"
"Nothing." He mutters darkly. "Just forget about it."
I pause for a moment, shocked at his sudden mood change, before my cheeks grow hot. I would like to believe they are red in anger, but some small part of me thinks it might just be because of the moment we seemed to share back there.
Right then Zero's face flashed through my mind and I wince when my head pulses.
I put a hand to my forehead, hoping a headache isn't coming on again.
I jog to catch up again, except this time staying two feet behind and we continue to walk in silence.
The atmosphere is soon bordering on uncomfortable and the orchard seems to stretch on forever.
I clear my throat once, but Lager doesn't react.
I clear it again, and he very minimally turns his head the barest inch to the side.
"You said this was a tour right?" I say, looking down at my shoes as I walk. "Any other significant places Highclere can offer?"
There's a short pause as he thinks.
"There's a private observatory, and of course the Melting Pot."
"What's the Melting Pot?" I ask, thinking of the term I know from society but knowing it's probabaly not the same here.
"It's like a cafeteria but for all citizens in Highclere." He says. We continue walking, and I wonder if he's gonna make us do that Shadow traveling thing again. I really hope not. Hmm....shadows. Why is that reminding me of something?
I gasp, realizing what I was thinking about.
"End!" I exclaim, and Lager whirls around to look at me, his eyes wide as I nearly bump into his chest.
"I completely forgot to tell you!" I continue, getting excited. "Do you happen to know this guy made of shadow who doesn't speak but follows you around and disappears randomly?"
Lager looks down at me like I'm crazy, and honestly I probabaly am after phrasing it that way.
"I named him End." I rant. "I met him just a day or two ago and he's been friendly and I would really appreciate seeing him again. I think he's a citizen here in Highclere-"
"Don't know him." Lager cuts me off AGAIN, spinning around and continuing to walk although this time he seems really tense. My shoulders droop.
"Oh." I say sadly.
There's a short silence.
"This....End, seems like he's a friend of yours." Lager says carefully, his statement hiding a question inside.
"Yeah, I guess." I say, looking up at the branches above us. "He was there when I first woke up after getting drunk, and during that short time he was pretty nice."
"Do you....want to see him again?" Lager asks, his voice somewhat quieter.
"Yes." I decide. "It would be nice to. I didn't really get the chance to say bye before he disspaered last time, and don't know if I'll see him again."
"You sound as if you're leaving." He says nonchantly.
I fidget nervously, knowing I shouldn't bring it up with him Incase he shoots it down like he did the last time I talked about leaving.
I open my mouth to change the subject, when there's a sudden rustle to my right. I turn around and Lager is sintantly in front of me, standing guard with his hands up and ready.
A figure comes stumbling out from behind a tree, panting and dirty. The dirt and the dark make it hard to see clearly, but something about this person makes him seem familiar.
Lager snarls, hands gathering darkness in his palms.
"Don't." I say, grabbing a fistful of his cape. "Who are you?" I ask, watching the person straighten and stare at me with familiar and shocked eyes.
"Ashley!" He exclaims.
My mouth fails open, and my eyes widen.
"Peter." I breathe.
Dear readers, thanks so much for being the most patient people alive! I'm so sorry for the late chapter, and trust me my manager has been off the charts angry. (It was supposed to be posted Tuesday.....whoops). The only reason this chap is posted today is because of your guys awesome comments and her threats to have her mom, who I hold in my highest respects, read this. Also, the picture with this chap is more amazing art of Lager and Ashley with also Zero, Becky, and Max. It's drawn by SullenPlattypus, so credits to her! I seriously love all you guys do for me. Vote, COMMENT, and watch La la land the musical.
Lots of love,
Dangeroustoken.