Vanessa

The dawn is just breaking over the horizon and paints the sky with pinks, orange, and everything in between. I take a deep breath and, once more, try to center my thoughts. After what seems like hours have passed, I flop over onto my back.

Vee, that doesn't look like concentration." I leak an eye and lean up to spot Kore sitting on her folded legs, not too far away.

“Well, maybe not to you. This could be my process, you know.”

“Hmm, somehow I doubt that.” She shakes her head before nimbly standing up. I huffed out a breath before leaning my back all the way back to see Nate curled up in the corner.

His hand glides across the pages he holds, moving the pencil in ways that never seem to leave the page. His eyes rise up and meet mine, he rests his head on the wall and gives me a smirk.

“See somethin’ you like Witchy?”

“No,” I scoff, “but you must since you’re drawing me over there.”

“What can say nothin’ else seems to be holdin’ my attention.” He shoots a hard look at Kore but going back to his drawing. I huff a breath before sitting back up and putting my legs in a lotus position, at least that’s what Kore called it.

“Please try again, Vee. Close your eyes, and try to reach inside yourself.” I roll my eyes before doing as she says. I rock my head back and forth as though riding a smooth wave.

My eyes spring open, and all I see around is crystal blue water. My gaze wanders, and in the distance, I can barely make out Nate standing thigh-deep in the water. I try to walk forward to reach him but am stopped in my tracks.

I attempt to move my gaze to the obstacle, but it’s fixed on Nate. My balance is thrown off as the waves become more massive. My heart drops as Nate disappears under the water, and from his spot, a murkiness appears.

It spreads out as though its poison discoloring everything it touches. I bump back into a chest that wraps their arms around me. They feel like Nate, yet when I look, I see two pale arms.

“Vanessa.”

I struggle but have no effect on my captor. Soon rope is wrapped around me and is tied around my arms, jerking them behind me.

“Vanessa.”

I fall to my knees, and fire flickers into view. Not fire of my own creation, but instead fire meant to bring about my doom. I struggle to the edge, and just through the wooden bars, I can see the shore. Not much is there though I can make out the piles of blood on the beach. It’s black - no, it’s red, oh Spirits please let it be red.

“Vanessa!”

Hands grip my throat tight enough to make breathing difficult but soft enough that I’m not being choked. “See you, dumb bitch betrayal was always going to be your downfall.

“Witchy.” I jerk at the sound of Nates and renew my struggles until I look up and see his onyx eyes. I say against him and become aware of the tears and snot I can feel dripping down my face.

I wish I can say I’m embarrassed, but Nate’s seen me in worse states. Nate lets me go, and I clutch to the front of his shirt until he pries my fingers off. I stop fighting after he grabs hold of my hand.

His eyes search around before pulling me toward the wall. He leans against the wall and gathers me to his chest once more. I feel as he starts to slide against the wall but trust him not to drop me on my ass.

I lay my head over his heart and listen to its calm, slow beats. Both of his legs rise up and I Iean my back against one. It’s not comfortable, but I wouldn’t get up for anything.

His hand is running through my hair, softly and being careful not to rip out any knots. His presence and motions lullaby by me into the black abyss. Thank the High Spirits, no more dreams.

The low muttering of distant voices is what I first become aware of as I rejoin the world of the living. It’s not until someone shouts that I can make out any of the jumbled words.

“Well, perhaps if you had not been distracting her, then we would have gotten somewhere,” someone with a high pitched voice screeches.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. If I had known that lettin’ her be scared half to death was part of this trainin’ I would have let her be,” a man spits out. It takes me a few seconds to recognize him as Nate. Shit, he’s pissed. I’ve heard him sound so angry if I didn’t know any better, I would have thought venom was dripping from his mouth. I wiggle around before a hand starts to comb through my hair. I snuggle closer once Nate’s unique scent wavers by my nose.

“Come on, Witchy, I know you’re awake.” I groan a little and turn my head away to ignore the world for a little bit longer. “Uh-huh come Sleeping Beauty rise and shine.”

“Hmm, I knew you thought I was beautiful.” I hear a light rumbling echoing through his chest before his chuckles. I turn and open up one eye and take in his face. His eyes are light, but the small grin his tight. I reach up to pat his, but my hand only makes it to his neck, and I finger the black threaded cords that had become a choker for Nate. Someone clears their throat, and I let my head fall to the other side to see the others in the room.

Kore is standing the closest to us with Hugo hovering by the entrance. Kore is red in the face, and I can see her exposed chest heaving up and down at a fast-pace. Her almond eyes are narrowed into splits, and Hugo is wearing a weary expression with his eyes flickering between Kore and Nate.

“So I take it you guys were arguing once more.”

“Oh, Witchy arguin’ is such a negative word. We were…”

“Discussing,” Kore interjects.

“Yes, exactly, we were havin’ a colorful discussion. Nothin’ to worry your pretty little head ’bout.”

“Hmm, I’m sure. You’d think after all these weeks, you guys would get along.” I shake my head before standing up and then stretching my limbs. “How long was I out?”

“It’s noon now.” I jerk my head up and look at Kore. “That’s the whole morning wasted away.”

“Why didn’t anybody wake me up?”

“That is a question you’ll have to ask your guard dog.” Kore glares at Nate as she lightly replies to me. Nate growls at her and springs to his feet and marches to meet her in the middle of the room. I race to Nate and pull on his arm though it does nothing to budge him.

“Nate, come on, please don’t start this now.”

“So I’m a dog now witch,” he spits out “and here I was just thinkin’ I’m some monster.”

“I never said that. I have no problem with Bobbies, but you erk my nerve.” The air starts to whip around Kore, but if anything, that just riles Nate up further.

“Oh I’m so scared the big, bad witch is gonna put me in my place, whatever should I do?” Black veins travel down the arm of Nate’s that I am holding. In a last-ditch effort to stop the tension from spilling over, I stomp in front of Nate and yank his head done.

It takes him a second before he allows his head to tilt downward. Still, he moves his eyes around and refuses to meet my gaze. I inch closer until he has no choice but to look into my eyes.

“See was that so hard?” He grunts in reply, but as his eyes have lost their orange-fiery tint, I’ll take this as a win. I twist around, and Kore is frozen, but her eyes are wide and gawking at us. “Umm, is everything okay?” She blinks a few times before throwing me a quick small smile.

“No, everything is fine.”

“Then what the hell was that shouting match between you two about?”

“I - um well simply put your companion reminds me of people I do not like ponder much on.”

“Oh?”

“Yes he is very similar to shapeshifters, specifically the wolf ones.”

“Really? Like what?”

“That growly nonsense he does, and he has the habit of crowding you-”

“That’s about not trusting others not being on top of me; trust me, we’ve had that conversation multiple times.”

“Yes I would imagine still is a werewolf quirk Nd I do not understand why he does them. No other Bobbie has ever displayed such a trait before.”

“But Nate said they can be pack-like.”

“Yes similar to packs, but there are some differences.”

“So let me get this straight you hate Nate because he reminds you of werewolves and not for the fact that he’s a Bobby?” I do nothing to disguise the disbelief, coloring my tone.

“Well when you put it that way, it seems foolish, and besides, I do not hate him,” I quirk my eyebrow at her “I simply strongly...dislike the way he acts.”

“Hmm, whatever you say. Still, I think it will do some good to leave the camp for a while, get Nate fed, and travel for a bit.” She flinches at the mention of feeding Nate but otherwise doesn’t interrupt me.

“If this is what you want?”

“It is besides, I think you two need a break from each other.”

“Hmm perhaps,” she responds thoughtfully. Nate rolls his eyes but doesn’t say much else. I grab his hand and intertwine our fingers before moving past Hugo.

The man was nice enough, but there was always the suspicion that he could read my thoughts at any second that sent chills down my spine. He always sends Nate wary looks, and I once asked Kore about Hugo’s reaction, but all she told me was that Nate’s mind is hard for him to read, and he shouldn’t be. The only time that happened was in were packs. I felt there was more to the story but left well enough alone.

“So are we not goin’ talk ’bout it?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“C’mon Witchy. You had a vision so bad that you woulda screamed yourself to sleep if we hadn’t calmed you down.” He lets go of my hand only to wrap his arm around my shoulder. “I won’t force you to open up, but I’m here, no matter what a’ight?” I swallow the lump in my throat as I lean my head against her shoulder

“It’s all so confusing.”

“Hmm?”

“My dream, vision whatever the hell you want to call the thing. The whole time I’m trying to reach and feel off-balance somehow.”

“Off-balanced?”

“Yeah like I’m in a constant movement, nothing makes sense.”

“Well unless… but that’s not possible…”

“What are you talking about?”

“A boat. The motion was a constant rocking, right?” I nod my head, and he picks up pace, basically bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I just don’t know how that’s possible. All transports goin’ out were closed off.”

“By us?”

“Pff. Please, as if, nah, it was started by South America through a lot of countries followed suit. I just found it ironic we were always lookin’ down on them, but they the ones who one this time.”

“What you mean?”

“Ehh nothin’ important or at least somethin’ we can talk about later.”

“Okay. But ignoring the maybe boat issue, there’s the fact of you being there.”

“Oh I was there? Can’t keep me out of your dreams, Witchy.” He presses his mouth close to my ear, his voice is hoarse, and sends tingles racing down my spine. I act nonchalant and shove at him. We get to the room that Kore had set up for us a couple days back, and Nate starts diligently folding and rolling our clothes up and placing them in our duffle.

I pick the guns and knives off Nate’s bed and tuck them in between the clothes. I try to take the duffle, but Nate just laughs as he easily weighs our bag over his shoulder, which I know weighs a good twenty pounds. I roll my eyes and yank the door open, walking out without looking to see if Nate follows behind. His footsteps are loud as he does a light jog to catch up, grabs my elbow, and yanks me back. I open my mouth to yell at him but stop once I see the color drained from his face.

“Nate,” I whisper, “what’s the matter?” His eyes widen further before turning his head towards the tree lines. Screams rip through the air as figures come dashing past us, but the words of a girl that stops in front of us catch my attention.

“Intruders, Bobbies have broken inside of Dolon,” she mumbles as though in shock. There’s blood drops splatters all across her face. I look down and see in her grasp a detached hand. Nate calls out, and as I bring my gaze back to the trees, a swarm of Bobbies breakthrough racing to find their runaway meals.