Typhon's Revenge

Chapter Ten

Fire

I didn't know how much time had passed since I ended up here on the floor, but the knock on the door made me jump in surprise. I looked at the door and even though it was only a couple of feet away, I couldn't muster the strength to move. 

Another knock followed after a short while and I managed to groan and speak slightly. My voice cracked as I said, "it's open."

Slowly, the door to my room opened and in the darkness, I couldn't see who was standing on the other side until he turned on the lights and looked at me in confusion. "Aileen? What are you doing down there?" He asked warily.

A sarcastic remark popped into my mind and I opened my mouth to say it, but at the last second, I changed my mind. There was no reason to make things harder than they already were. "I can't move. Something happened and... I don't know. I just feel exhausted."

Andrew's wariness turned to worry as he stepped closer to me and froze when I stiffened. "Do you want me to help you? Maybe I can go find Mason to check you," he offered softly and I shook my head.

"No, don't bother him. I already talked to him and he said I was fine. But I will accept your help to get me to my bed," I said slowly and Andrew nodded his head.

He placed his arms on my back and under my knees while I held onto his neck and he pulled us up. Tingles coursed through me as I felt him very close to me. It had been a long time since we had touched, my body seemed to relax as our skin came in contact and I tried to keep my mind off how much I had missed that sensation. 

Neither of us said anything as he carried me to my bed and sat me down on the soft mattress. I sighed in relief as my body came in contact with something softer and warmer than the hard ground. 

As soon as I was sitting down straight, Andrew pulled his hands back to his sides and stood awkwardly in front of me. 

"Thanks. If it weren't for you, I would have slept on the floor," I said with a slight chuckle. 

Andrew smiled and nodded his head, "glad I could help."

A silence fell over us and he made his way closer to the door. A part of me thought he was leaving and my heart fell, I was never going to admit it, at least not then, but it hurt to see him walking away from me. 

What took me by surprise was that he stopped by the door and turned the light switch on. Instantly, my room filled with light, and I had to close my eyes to keep it from burning my sight. Slowly, I squinted and when I opened my eyes again, Andrew was still standing in front of me, leaning against the wall. Somehow, I thought he was feeling more nervous now with the lights on.

"Why did you knock on my door, Andrew?" I asked a little bit harsher than I meant for it to sound. 

Andrew's cheeks flared up and his eyes averted my gaze as he pondered on what to say next. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You looked scared when you saw your body glowing and I needed to know if you were okay."

Raising an eyebrow, I studied him. For some reason, his excuse didn't sound genuine, not completely. He did look worried for me, but there was something else in his eyes. He wasn't as good of a liar as he thought he was. 

"I'm better now. But what's the real reason?" I asked and he seemed surprised by my ability to see through his facade. 

He bit his lip nervously and played with his hands slightly before turning to face me again. "I wanted to talk. I wanted to... um... explain," he started and I felt something tug at my heart. I shifted my weight and nodded my head slowly.

"Andrew, I don't think there's anything to explain. Just... don't. Please. I don't see the point of talking," I murmured and my words seemed to hit him like a ton of bricks. 

He let out a sarcastic laugh and shook his head as he stepped closer to me. I stiffened as he stood only a couple of inches away from me and his deep blue eyes looked into mine deeply. "You don't see the point? Is that supposed to mean... what?" 

I looked away and shook my head as I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times. "I... I just don't feel like talking about it. Not right now. I'm very tired," I said softly, almost inaudibly and Andrew nodded his head stiffly.

He paced a couple of times in front of me before pointing to the empty spot next to me. "Can I sit down?" 

Hesitantly, I nodded my head and he took the spot next to me. He didn't say anything immediately, but I could tell he was about to, so I didn't interrupt. 

"You don't have to say anything. I don't expect you to nor do I want to force you to say anything. But I do need to get this off of my chest. Are you okay with that?" He asked and without thinking twice, I nodded my head. 

"Okay then. I guess I should start from the beginning. From the very beginning, since we went our separate ways." I didn't say anything as he paused and looked up at the ceiling as if to replay the memories in his mind. I couldn't believe we had been apart for months, it felt as if no time had passed, and at the same time, it felt as if we were both very different people than how we were then. 

"We went our separate ways and there was nothing extraordinary about my journey. I walked, I slept on top of tress and I tried to eat as quickly as possible so that monsters wouldn't track me. I wasn't on full alert, I was slightly distracted thinking about you and about if you were okay. 

It was a while before I reached the top of a very tall hill. It took me a couple of days, but that's when I started to feel as though if someone were following me. It wasn't long before the monster caught up to me and I had to fight it. I won't get into many details but your mother was there to save me. She took me in her home and healed me for a while before I had to continue on my journey and she hers. Believe me that it was a shocker to see that she looked so much like you. The first time I saw her, I thought I must have been dreaming, that I was dreaming of you coming to rescue me," he chuckled and shook his head sheepishly. 

"Anyway, when we went our separate ways, I got to this school. A school I hadn't expected to find because I thought all of us were orphans. When I got there, I realized I barely got there in time, Kalani was being attacked by a monster but I managed to fight it off and help her to her dorm while explaining everything to her. She seemed very... confident of herself, and I realized she already knew everything and it turned out her birthday was just around the corner. I offered to stay and help her through her change, but she rejected it and I was taken to a guest room on the other side of the building. But I knew something was wrong when strong winds were shattering windows at the school. 

I hurried to Kalani's room and saw her struggling to go through her transformation. So I did the only thing I could think of, I took her hand and... something happened."

His lost look and his lingering pause didn't make me feel any better, and suddenly, I no longer wanted to hear any of this. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me," I whispered but he shook his head and reached for my hand gently. As our skin touched, I could feel sparks coursing through my body, but I didn't pull away. I couldn't force myself to. 

"No, I do. Something strange happened. I saw a vision in my mind and I saw her differently. I felt differently, something similar to how I feel when I'm around you. But the feeling was gone as soon as it came. It was strange but I never thought anything of it."

I quickly raised my hands in the air and shook my head. Why was he telling me this? This wasn't something I had expected to hear nor did I want to hear about how he had developed feelings for some other girl. 

My chest tightened, and I barely managed to blurt out, "stop. Just stop, Andrew. I don't want to hear that."

Andrew took my hand between his and squeezed it comfortably as his eyes bore into mine. "Yes, you do. Just listen to the rest of the story, in the end, you will understand."

I clenched my jaw tightly together and nodded my head. And I let him tell me the rest of his version. How he had escaped the school. How he and Kalani had traveled alongside a river and how he had felt my pain when I had been stabbed by the cyclops. How Kalani had managed to make it seem as if I had died, or at least the darkness inside of her. How he had felt devastated as he felt guilty for not being there for me. How they had managed to find the cave and make a fire inside before Kalani asked him about me and he told her stories about me, about us. Because he was hurting. He was grieving and only Kalani was there for him to lean onto. 

"But something happened while I was telling Kalani all this. I can't explain it exactly, but it was as if the more I grieved and the more vulnerable I became, the easier it was for the darkness inside her mind to cloud my thoughts. I know that isn't an excuse and I know it may be something hard to believe, but it's true. I would have never kissed her if it hadn't been for that moment. It wasn't as if I were moving on after your death, believe me, that wouldn't happen, least of all, so quickly. 

As soon as I saw you standing there at the entrance of the cave, I realized what I had done and guilt consumed me because I could see the heartbreak written all over your face. I really feel awful for making you feel like that, I feel ashamed and... I don't know if there's anything I can do to regain your trust again. I want to redeem myself, Aileen. Because I love you. Truly and without a doubt, I do. It pains me to see us like this because the last thing I want is for us to put ourselves at arm's length when we have been through so much. When we know that we love each other. I know it in my heart that you feel it too, Aileen. So please, tell me what to do to get you to forgive me," he pleaded and I had to look away as tears started to fall from my eyes.

I couldn't speak. I couldn't even think. All of my thoughts were jumbled up in my mind and I felt the need to get some fresh air. To run away from all this. But my body couldn't even move. 

Andrew only stared at me and I was glad he didn't rush me. His pained eyes looked at me as tears fell from my face. I knew he wanted to comfort me, but he didn't know how or if he could. 

After what seemed like forever, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes while clenching my hands. When I opened my eyes again, I knew I needed to be alone. At least for a while. 

So I looked at Andrew and held back the tears as I said, "can you give me a little time to think? I need to process everything and... I just need some space."

Andrew's hope-filled eyes went blank as a saddened expression consumed him. He slowly nodded his head and gently placed a kiss on the back of my hand. "I'll give you all the time you need. I mean it, Aileen. Just like I meant it when I said that I love you."

Clenching my jaw tightly, I nodded my head and he got to his feet and headed towards the door in a silent walk. 

At the last moment, he turned back and looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "Good night, Aileen."

"Night," I managed to respond weakly. And he shut the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts. 

I pulled my knees close to my chest and finally let my sobs fill the room. It hurt. It all hurt too much as it replayed in my mind. I just couldn't think. I could barely breathe. Everything felt wrong. I no longer knew what to believe.

So as I curled up into a ball that night, I cried myself to sleep and dreamt about what Andrew had said. Word for word, I saw his story play in my mind until I lost consciousness and I was finally able to go to sleep.