The Titan Slayer

Chapter 5

Kellan guided Anais into the forest part of the training camp. Emerald-colored trees towered over them, shading them from the blazing midday sunlight. He stayed quiet for a long time, piercing blue eyes watching each tree with leisure interest. Anais followed behind him just as silently, except she was twitching with uneasiness. 

Anais sighed mentally at her irrational queasiness. If there was anything she learned at the Training Corps, it was how socially inept she was. It wasn't that Anais meant it, and it wasn't like Anais was trying to be an awkward and cumbrous person. She just wasn't good at small talk, and she didn't know how having so many untrusted people around her was a good idea. 

However, once she got to know someone, she trusted them entirely. Anais's relationship with Petra had evolved to the point where, although Petra knew nothing about Isabel yet, Anais felt comfortable sprouting random and useless facts to Petra. Don't judge. It was her way of loving someone.

She didn't need to hide when with Petra. 

The last person Anais was this comfortable around was Isabel. Petra's presence was painstakingly like Quinten's, and it was making it difficult for Anais to keep Isabel's story from Petra whenever Petra hinted about it.

Quinten was like a rock, Anais could tell him everything, and he would carry the burden of the world on his shoulders for her. Anais had wanted to be Isabel's Quinten, an unjudging listener.

Kellan stopped abruptly and whirled around to face Anais. Startled, Anais jumped a bit before she lifted her head to look at Kellan. He frowned. "Why do you do that?"

Anais cocked her head. "Do what?" 

"The facial expression," he said. Kellan drew circles at Anais's face with his finger, his discerning eyes flickering in confusion. "It used to be more obvious when you'd switch emotions, but I think you do it unconsciously now."

Anais frowned, and Kellan continued. "Why do you constantly hide your scars behind that tranquil disguise you put on when people are looking? I don't know what happened to you that caused you to come here, but I see the hurt. For a second, it's plain as daylight, then the next, it vanishes behind your mask. Why?"

Anais did a double-take, stumbling backward. How did he see right through her? What is this? She quickly recomposed herself, hiding her surprise and panic. "There it is again!" he hissed, leaning close to Anais. His incredibly blue eyes radiated so intensely that Anais almost had to fight herself not to let her face show her agitation.

Anais breathed deeply, and she could smell Kellan's fresh smell. A tremor progressed down her spine. His cerulean eyes bore into her as if trying to read her soul. "I have my reasons," she whispered carefully, looking away. Anais tried to step away from Kellan, only to trip over a tree root. With a startled yelp, Anais felt her footing lift off the ground as gravity towed her down. Anais squeezed her eyes shut, preparing herself for the forceful impact. 

The next thing she knew, her back thumped against something hard that was most definitely not the ground. 

Anais cracked her eye open to peep at what happened, and she found herself staring into two orbs of highly-concentrated blue sky. Kellan flashed Anais a cocky grin, showing off his perfect teeth, before straightening her to stand. "Be careful, hummingbird. You forget you can't fly."

"Haha," Anais mumbled, reaching up to tighten her ponytail. Then she pivoted to look at Kellan, whose eyes were glinting with amusement. She couldn't help but admit he looked quite handsome. "You still owe me an explanation for the name."

Kellan shrugged indifferently. "You're small, fast, and smart. What more reason did I need?"  

For a second, they just stood there, staring at each other. Intimidating blue eyes that blazed with entertainment to intelligent green eyes that stared back coolly. So why are we here? "Where are we headed?" Anais managed to ask as Kellan drew away and started walking again. They had been headed east for a while now.