The shadowed form nods a greeting, and my small smile grows, widening until it feels like it'll split my face.
"You're actually here!" I exclaim.
Although I try, but not really, to contain my excitement, it bursts from me and soon my bare feet are carrying me across the soil and to my shadow friend.
End raises both of his hands in protest, but by then it's too late and my momentum sends me flying right at him.....and then through him.
Luckily, my arms, which were outstretched for a hug, are able to catch me so I don't fall face first into the ground.
Embarrassed, I quickly scramble upwards into a standing position, brushing off my dress and whirling to face End, who's rubbing the back of his shadow neck.
"I'm sorry." I say sheepishly, wishing with all my heart that I could go back and stop myself from making a fool out of myself. Unfortunately, wishes don't work that way.
"I was just so excited because you've been gone and I haven't seen you since that day when my dad left Dalton. It's like you've completely disappeared off the face of the Earth! No goodbye or anything. Even Lager hasn't seen you!" I trail off when I realize I'm ranting.
Sighing, I run a hand through my tousled hair, looking anywhere but at End.
"Well, you haven't missed a lot, it's bee surprisingly calm around Highclere. It almost makes me feel edgy, if you know what I mean? I spent half my time on this island nearly dying, being chased by monsters, secrets being revealed nearly every time I turn around, and there's still more mysteries yet to be solved! I guess I should be thankful for the breather, but it's hard to just forget about it all. It's especially hard to forget about....".
Zero.
I flinch, cursing myself for saying his name and preparing to feel the wave of pain inside my head, but it doesn't come. Instead there's just a slight tingling in my chest, reminding me that even though I'm in no danger of dying, the bond is still there.
Can he hear my thoughts still? Does he know when I'm thinking of him?
I shake my head, ready to move past the subject and train of thought.
"Has anyone ever told you you're an amazing listener, End? It's like I have my own personal therapist, and only the Core knows how much I've needed one."
A tiny smile blooms on my face as I realized I've developed the habit of talking like the people of Dalton. They use words like the Core and Dalton to replace words that humans use like God or swear words.
I let out a heavy sigh again, turning my head to look at End with a soft gaze, who is still standing int he same spot as still as a rock.
"Well you haven't missed much, but I've certainly missed you."
I take a step closer, when something strange starts to happen and makes me pause.
End's whole body flickers, his shadow form fading for a few seconds and re-appearing the next moment.
"End?" I ask in confusion, watching him appear again with clenched fists. His whole body shakes, darkness seeming to radiate off of him.
"End! What's going on?" I exclaim, taking another step closer as he shudders again.
Then, he goes still.
His eyes, which I didn't realize were shut, suddenly open, and I gasp.
Where they used to be grey and dark like his whole body, they now shine a dark orange, glowing dangerously in the night.
I stare into his eyes for a moment, before he snaps them shut, bowing his head as he starts to tremble again.
I reach out again to touch him, my concern and confusion growing. The moment my hands brush his shoulder, his very solid shoulder, he whirls away, making me stumble back in surprise.
In a flash he's turned and disappeared, melting away into the shadows and leaving me standing there, alone.
I blink once.
What the hecking heck just happened?
"Ashley!" A voice hollers, making my head snap up and my focus sharpen.
Max stumbles towards me, his electric blue eyes the only clearly visible thing in the dark, the color way different from the dark orange hue I was just staring into.
"Max?" I question, watching with raised brows as he comes to a stop a few feet away, teetering on his feet. "What happened to you?"
"Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about." He laughs, before hiccuping.
"Why do you sound drunk? I thought there weren't any drinks at the party."
"Oh there wasn't any." He laughs again, like he's in on some kind of joke. "But this little trickster has more than a few tricks up his sleeve."
Max chooses that exact moment to let out a monstrous burp that sends nearby birds flying out of the trees.
"Oh Max." I sigh, shaking my head and taking a few steps closer. "Let's get you back to Highclere."
"No!" He pouts, stomping his foot. "I don't wanna go back to Highclere!" He attempts to stomp again, but instead missteps and stumbles forward, crashing into me.
I nearly fall on my butt for the second time that night, but manage to right both of us at the last moment, my hands gripping Max under the armpits and heaving him up.
"Thank the Core you're not buff." I mumble under my breath, but Max must have heard me because he huffs in indignation.
I sling one of his arms around my shoulders, letting him lean against me and feeling my frown grow. When his chest touches me, I realize I don't feel fabric, but the warmth of his skin.
"Since when did you lose your shirt?" I question, my voice coming out high and exasperated.
He shrugs, his bottom lip jutting out as he seems to ponder. "Er...I don't know. Someone told me to take it off, so I did."
I let out another sigh, before taking a step froward,s tarting to drag Max with me.
"C'mon. I'm going to need you to help me a little. Just focus on putting your feet forward."
He doesn't answer, but does begin to start shuffling his feet forward. I move slowly with him, my gaze set on the lights of the festival ahead. At the speed we're going, we won't get there for another ten minutes.
"You know what would be fun...?" Max's voice suddenly whispers in my ear, startling me and making me gag at the bad-smelling fumes coming from his mouth.
"What?" I ask flatly, cursing myself after the word comes out of my mouth for even responding.
"Shifting into a blue cougar and scaring the life out of some people!" He responds, and the mental image of a drunk cougar running around freely and terrorizing people suddenly enters my mind.
"No, that would not be fun. That would be bad, very bad." I say curtly, wanting to get rid of the idea inside of his head as soon as possible.
"Wait a second....what were you doing so far out in the orchard?" Max questions, squinting up at me.
The question takes me by surprise, my thoughts immediately bringing up dark orange eyes into my head.
End....
"That's none of your business." I say in a closed off-tone.
There's nothing but silence as we continue trudging towards the lights which grow brighter the closer we get. For a moment I wonder if Max has grown sober, but then he lets out another loud belch and speaks again.
"Ah, I see what happened." He says, and I stumble, nearly bringing the both of us down, but at the last moment I regain my balance and continue forward.
"What, exactly, do you think happened?" I ask in a demanding tone, wondering if maybe he spied End and I during the final moment where his eyes changed color.
"You and Lager must have been getting it on in the shadow of the trees."
I choke, coughing haphazardly as Max continues speaking.
"It was quite obvious from the start you two had a thing for each other, even a blind person could tell that. Then, conveniently you both disappear from the festival at the same exact time. Even you have to admit that's suspicious. Don't worry though, I'm a good secret keeper. Your little tryst in the trees can stay a secret for as long as you like. I'll be completely hush hush."
He puts a finger up to his lips and sloppily winks at me. By then I've stopped choking on air and have resorted to gaping at him like a fish.
"Obvious we had a thing? Secret keeper? Tryst?" I repeat, my voice unusually high.
"Oh, look! It's Becky!" He exclaims brightly, stumbling forward and out of my grasp as I stand there in shock. I hadn't noticed how close we had gotten to the festival, now about 30 yards from the border of it.
Max is stumbling towards a girlish figure that's walking towards us in the dark, long legs pulling the figure quickly across the ground......wait a second, Becky doesn't have long legs.
"Max, that's not Becky!" I call, but he doesn't stop, staggering right up to the figure and trying to throw his arms around her.
Before he collapses on top of her, the figure moves quick as a flash, hand moving to waist and grabbing an object. With a flick of the figure's wrist, something dark coils around Max's legs, binding them together.
The person raises her arm that's holding onto one of the ends of the dark coil and heaves, yanking Max off his feet. She turns and throws her arm down, sending Max flying through the air and crashing face-down into the soil.
I snap out of my shocked gaze, running over to him and kneeling down.
"Max? Are you okay?" I ask, worriedly.
He weakly raises one hand in a thumbs up-the other used to support him, before he starts to throw up. I immediately jump back and up onto my feet, not wanting to step bare-foot in his disgusting vomit.
"Who are you?" I demand in a question, turning back to the figure, who attaches the dark coil back to their waist.
They slowly raise a hand in the air, and I tense, wondering if any second now the coil will be wrapped around my ankles and I'll be tossed aside like a sack of Potatoes, but all they do is snap their fingers.
A light appears, overhead, just floating in the air, illuminating the area around us, and I'm finally able to make out the person.
"Ugh." I groan, squeezing my eyes shut. "I should have guessed it was you. What else can go wrong tonight?"
"Thanks for the warm greeting." Sylvia responds dryly, jutting her hip out where her hand rests.
"What do you want?" I snap, feeling my features twist into a sneer.
"Nothing from you." She sneers right back. "I'm looking for the Darkling High Commander. Nobody has seen him since he danced with Kay, then left with you." She puts heavy distaste on the last word.
"Lager? Of course you're looking for him." I murmur, rolling my eyes and watching her eyes narrow as she growls.
"I'm not looking for him because I need him!"
"Oh yeah, I absolutely believe you." I respond sarcastically, taking a few steps forward and crossing my arms. "If not so you can torture him with your presence, then why are you looking for Lager?"
Sylvia's expression suddenly looses it's sneer, her face expression turning serious with a tiny hint of sadness, even though I thought it was impossible for Sylvia's face to even hold a percent of remorse in it.
"It's Kay." Sylvia speaks finally, making my eyes widen in surprise. "She's collapsed."
I shouldn't have jinxed myself.
There was so much more that could go wrong tonight.
And I was about to find that out.
Dear readers, An update! I'm so sorry it's a week late! I hope you enjoy reading it! It's also unedited, because I wanted to be able to post it tonight and if I had chosen to edit, you probably wouldn't have gotten to read it until Wednesday, so sorry for any mistakes. How did y'all like drunk Max? Also, what are some theories about End and his strange colored eyes? Vote, comment, and fill up a paper with the word 'word'. (My friend once did that.....she was bored XD). Hopefully new update out next weekend. Lots of love,
Dangeroustoken