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Chapter 38 - Comforting

After getting kidnapped, girl finds herself in world where the supernatural exist and to find that she's not human, but a sorceress
I don't have a title for my story yet
Be harsh on the comments y'all cos i'm thinking of getting this published
x

Chapter 38 - Comforting

Chapter 38 - Comforting
“What are we going to do?” Arik asked Drake and Carter once Kerri had gone into the bathroom.

Drake shrugged. “We’ll fight.”

“Even Carter?”

Carter raised an eyebrow. “What, am I not good enough for you?”

“No, I’m just saying. You haven’t had your exams yet, and you may need—”

“The fight would be good practise for my exams," Carter interrupted him cheerfully.

Arik looked at him doubtfully. “I don’t want you to get hurt because you’re not fully trained…”

“I am fully trained; I just don’t have the certificate to prove it yet.”

Arik sighed. “If you insist.”

“Can I bring Mel as well?”

Arik and Drake turned to look at him, and Arik asked the question that they both wanted to know the answer to.

“Who the hell is Mel?”

Carter shrugged. “My girlfriend.”

Arik raised an eyebrow. “Carter, your relationships end even more quickly than mine. I don’t think those girls can qualify as your girlfriends. They’re more like, what’s the word for it? Oh yeah, one-night-stands.”

Carter rolled his eyes at the comment, but then he was immediately serious again. “No, Mel…she’s different.”

Arik and Drake exchanged a look. “Are you two True Loves?” Drake asked.

Carter shrugged. “We don’t know for sure.”

“How can you not know for sure when…” Drake’s eyes widened. “You guys have done it, right?”

Carter blushed. “Hey, Arik hasn’t done it either.”

Drake rolled his eyes. “What is wrong with you two? If I found my True Love, we’d be—”

“Screwing each other like bunnies,” Arik interrupted dryly. “Yes, we know.”

Drake shrugged and held out his hands. “It’s the natural thing to do. It’s human nature.”

Arik rolled his eyes but otherwise ignored Drake’s comment. “Right, Carter, you can bring Mel. But I swear, if she tells one word to anyone about this…”

“She won’t tell.”

“Good. We’re going to need all the help we can get. We’ll call in Joshua as well.”

Kerri came out of the toilet, having washed her face and brushed her teeth. “Okay, do we have a plan yet?” she asked after Arik gave her a kiss.

“Yes,” Drake replied. “We fight.”

Kerri’s eyes widened. “We fight?”

“No,” Drake said. “We fight.”

“Then what the hell am I supposed to do?”

“Sit safely in a place where Woodland won’t be able to find you.”

Kerri was about to tell him where he could stick that idea but Arik spoke first.

“Don’t we need someone staying with her? You know, just in case.”

Drake nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

Arik looked at Kerri. “I’ll do it.”

Kerri looked right back at him. “No.”

“What?”

“Look, as much as I’d love to have you protect me and stay with me, this is partly your fight. It’s kind of obvious how much you want to take T—Woodland down. So I’m not letting you stay with me. Just don’t die on me.”

He gave her a quick smile. “Thanks, and I’ll try.”

Seriously, don’t die.

I’ll try.

Don’t just try.

I’ll try very hard. Extremely hard.
He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him.

She wrapped his arms around him. Promise?

He chuckled. Promise.

“Whatever mental conversation you two are having, stop,” Drake said. “We need to work on the details of the plan.”

“Wait,” Carter said. “Don’t we need to call in Mel and Joshua?”

Arik nodded. “Good idea.”

Joshua.

Yes, sir.

Come to my room now.

Yes, sir.


Kerri looked questioningly at Arik. “Do you and Joshua have a telepathic bond?”

“Yes.”

“But he’s human.”

“But I’m not. Besides, I saved his life.”

Oh, and one more thing, Kerri’s voice appeared in his head.

Yes?

Be nice to Joshua. Please. Treat him as if he were one of you. Don’t discriminate against him just because he’s human.

I don’t discriminate—


She looked at him, and he sighed.

Fine, I’ll try.

Thank you.


A pixie-like female who was about five feet tall with purple-streaked black hair that was cut into a sleek bob showed up in the room suddenly.

Kerri raised an eyebrow. Who on earth?

Carter held out a hand as he introduced her. “Everybody, this is Mel. Mel, this is Drake, Arik and Kerri. Mel’s…my girlfriend.”

Mel smiled up at Carter, and then smiled at them. “Hi guys.”

“Hey Mel,” they chorused. Drake gave her a hug while Arik shook her hand.

Kerri stepped forward to shake the girl’s hand. “Wow, Carter’s girlfriend, huh? I’ve heard so much about you.”

Arik snorted. You hadn’t heard of her until five seconds ago.

Shut up.


“Hi, Kerri. I’ve heard so much about you as well. You’re the sorceress, right?”

“Well…I’m a sorceress.”

She waved away her words. “You’re the sorceress, Kerri.”

“Right. Thanks, I think. Um, I hope you don’t mind me asking…but…what exactly are you? I mean, you don’t look like a dragon or a vampire.”

“I’m a fairy,” she said. Only now did Kerri notice the wings Mel had on her back.

“Uh, right.”

Mel grinned. “I know it’s kind of hard to believe that fairies exist.”

Kerri grinned back. “Sorry, I’m just not that used to…well, everything yet.”

“It’s okay.” Mel bounded back so that she was standing next to Carter and reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek. “So, honey, why did you want me here? You finally want to introduce me to your friends?”

Carter smiled down at her. “Well, we kind of have an emergency.”

“I kind of figured that out since it’s four in the morning. What’s wrong?”

“Let’s wait for Joshua,” Arik said. “I don’t want to have to say everything twice.”

Just then, the door opened and Joshua walked in.

“Did you want me, sir?”

“Yes, Joshua. Come and sit.”

Joshua obliged.

“Okay,” Arik said. “We have a problem.” He took a deep breath. “Woodland is back.”

Mel gasped and Joshua, who was sitting next to Kerri, paled visibly. Kerri squeezed his arm sympathetically.

“He wants to take Kerri away with him to the C.E.,” Arik continued. “And we’re guessing that he’s coming tomorrow night, because tomorrow night’s the full moon.”

Mel shook her head. “That’s bad. That’s very bad.”

“We know, and that’s why we were kind of hoping that you’d help us.”

Mel nodded. “Of course. I’m assuming this is confidential.”

“Very confidential. We’re not telling the boss because…well, this is kind of personal.”

Mel nodded again. “Oh, I know all about it, Arik. Everybody does.”

Arik could feel the heat creep up his cheeks, but he ignored it.

“So, what’s the plan?” Joshua asked suddenly and abruptly.

“Well, basically, we fight,” Drake said. “The problem is how.”

“Of course,” Carter cut in. “We also need to know when and where.”

“Well, we kind of know it’s going to be at around midnight, don’t we?” Kerri piped up. “It’s just a matter of where, really.”

Hello, Channing, Woodland’s voice appeared in his head again, and Arik stiffened. Said your goodbyes yet?

No, and I’m not going to have to.

Oh, I’m pretty sure you will. I’m not coming alone.


Arik stiffened even more. Why are you telling me this?

I want it to be a fair fight. At this rate, you have at least three percent chance of winning.
He laughed. Send my love to Kerri for me.

I won’t have your love even if you gift-wrapped it along with a million dollars
, Kerri’s voice appeared suddenly his head, her tone vicious.

Ah, Ree.

Leave Arik alone.

Don’t worry, Ree. I will…after I have you back by my side.

Over my dead body. I was never on your effing side.

I’d much prefer it if you were alive, Ree.

Don’t call me that.
She rang off and turned to kiss Arik on the cheek. We’re going to be fine. Don’t believe a single word that asshat says.

Arik smiled unconvincingly. I don’t.

“What just happened?” Mel asked them.

“We just had another call from Woodland,” Arik said through gritted teeth.

“What did he say?” Joshua asked.

“Oh, just that he’s going to take me and that Arik should say goodbye to me before it’s too late,” Kerri said, and Arik’s arm tightened around her.

“Don’t worry, Kerri,” Mel reached over to reassure her. “We’re not going to let that jerk take you.”

“Thanks.”

Mel yawned. “I have an idea. Why don’t we go back to bed, and meet up in breakfast at say, around nine? I can’t think straight in the morning.”

Carter and Drake mirrored her yawn. “I’m beat, man,” Carter said.

“We are worried about you, K,” Drake said through another yawn. “It’s just that—”

“Go back to bed, guys,” Kerri said. “Arik and I need some sleep as well. We all do.”

Drake, Carter and even Mel gave her a hug before leaving, and Joshua nodded his goodbyes.

***

“Tell me about Sitara, Arik,” murmured Kerri, who was lying on his chest, lazily tracing random patterns on it with her fingers.

Arik bit his lip, and was surprised to feel that the pain that usually lanced through him whenever Sitara was mentioned had disappeared. “What do you want to know?”

“Everything.”

Arik sat up. “I’ll tell you everything about Sitara if you tell me how you know Woodland.”

“What?” Kerri turned to look at him, surprised.

Arik raised an eyebrow. “Kerri, he called you Ree. Obviously, you two know each other quite well.”

She worked her jaw a few times. “Woodland…was…is Ty.”

Arik frowned. “Ty?” Ty. Short for Tyler. Tyler Woodland. Of course. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” he asked flatly.

“Because…because I promised I wouldn’t tell you, because it’d hurt you. I only did it because I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“It’s hurting me more now.”

“Arik.” She climbed over so that she was kneeling over him, and she reached over to cup his chin so that he would look at her. “I know you’re upset. But please believe me when I tell you that I only did it because I wanted to protect you.”

“Protect me? Protect me? I don’t need protecting, Kerri.”

“That’s what you want everyone to think,” Kerri said, looking into his eyes. “When deep down, you know that you may just be one of the weakest ones because of your emotional ties.”

Arik glared at her. Then after a while he sighed. You’re right. I’m sorry.

She crawled up so that she could hug him. I’m sorry for not telling you earlier.

He wrapped his arms around her. Do you want to know about Sitara?

Yes please.

Well…I was her trainer.


She looked up at him. This is sounding awfully familiar. What does she look like?

She had long, straight, black hair and brown eyes. She was very pretty. Like an exotic beauty. Of course, he added hastily, her beauty was nothing compared to yours.

She snorted. Nice save.

I’m pretty much an expert in the area.

Don’t push it. What else?

I don’t know…we were getting pretty good together, I guess.

And then?

About a week before she left, she started going out in the middle of the night when she thought I was asleep. She’d always come back in the morning before I woke up. I tried following her a couple of times once, but I’d always lose her. And then one night, before she left, she kissed me on the forehead. She never came back.


Kerri rested her head on his chest and hugged him. I’m sorry.

He kissed the top of her head. It’s okay. I’ve got you now, right? So I’m good.

She reached up and kissed him gently. Go to sleep, Arik.

His arms tightened around her. No.

You need sleep.

What if he comes to take you while I’m sleeping?

That wouldn’t happen. It’s only Friday, remember? We’ve got time.


He was unconvinced. He could never be sure around Woodland. Even when they were friends. But—

Arik, go to sleep. Please. If you don’t sleep, then you won’t have the chance to um…charge your battery, or whatever. You need sleep to help with your magic, remember?

He looked at her grudgingly. Fine. But when I wake up and you’re not there…

You’ll come to get me and then you’re welcome to whip my @$$ any time.


An eyebrow went up and he smirked at the word “whip”. Really?

You have a filthy mind.

Only when I’m around you.


She rolled her eyes but smiled, kissing a line down his jaw. Sleep.

Fine.

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