Mikasa POV
Since the night she had talked to Kou, the girl had apparently vanished from the ground of the earth because no matter where Mikasa was, no matter what she did – the girl was never there.
Frowning she scrubbed the floor, her hands already red from the liquids she had to work with to get the floor to shine just like those damn nobles wanted it to. She cursed quietly when the brush got out of her hands and she fell forward and met the hard ground with her elbows.
Frustration and fear had clouded Mikasa's mind for a long time now.
And it showed in the way she flinched at every sound, every little noise and all the small shadows in the corners of the hallway.
"You know, the brush won't kill you if you hold it a bit lighter in your hands..."
Mikasa jerked her head around with wide eyes, her body ready to defend itself no matter who wanted to attack her only for her eyes to meet those of the same shy girl she had tried to find the last days.
Suppressing a growl she tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear, a blush surely visible on her face from getting scared so easily.
"Where have you been?", she asked, gathering all her things from the ground to move on to the next dirty spot on the floor needing her attention and careful touches.
The girl didn't answer.
Mikasa sighed and closed her eyes, forcing herself to be patient with the one person who could destroy her brother's plans with the quietest of all whispers to the ear of a nosy stranger.
"You have been avoiding me."
It wasn't phrased as a question.
It wasn't meant to be one.
Kou chuckled, the nervous edge so loud in her soft voice that Mikasa couldn't help but look up at the other servant, who was playing with her fingers while doing her best to look anywhere but at Mikasa.
She returned her attention to the brush in her hand, the movements by now engraved in her blood.
"Why are you here?"
And why am I still asking questions? I should be grateful that she knows how to shut that damn mouth of hers. Eren...
"Have you told him about me?"
She frowned, not moving her gaze from her work. Her hands were raw and hurting as it was. No need to worsen their condition by not being careful enough with the scrubbing.
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"Your brother.", Kou said and Mikasa listened to the rustling of her dress when the girl knelt down next to her, grabbing a brush on her own to help her. "Did you tell him about me already?"
"You are alive, aren't you?"
That got Kou to shut up for a few seconds.
"Would he really do it?"
"What?"
"Kill me.", Kou whispered, her motions coming to a halt for the few seconds it took her to get the word out of her mouth. "Would he do it if you told him about me?"
Mikasa didn't answer.
Because although she loved and trusted her brother to be a loving and selfless person who wasn't interested in hurting innocent people – she wasn't sure how the cornered dog would react when faced with the decision to bite the danger in front of it...or to let it go while risking it's own life.
And she was scared to find out which one was true with her brother.
- - -
They had been working together in silence for a while now.
Neither Kou nor Mikasa were willing to open up any type of conversation.
So Mikasa couldn't regret the sigh of relief when another servant came to tell her that Pixis wanted to see her.
She was almost sprinting down the hallway to get some distance between her and the ticking timebomb this little beauty was.
Pixis had already opened the door for her when she arrived at her destination, her eyes wandering around the room – amazed by the beautiful animals living and resting inside.
"Raes is back.", the old man said with his rusty voice. He was busy with preparing some kind of meal for the birds, his eyes not leaving the mixture for even a second. "I thought this would be interesting for you and your friends to know. Especially since he carried a message back here."
Mikasa was by the man's side in an instant, her eyes wide in worry and expectation.
This message...they had been waiting for it.
It was one of the first things they had wanted to sort out. To get things straight between their ally.
She snorted at the thought, remembering what happened back then in the woods. Who would have thought...
"Where is the message now?"
"Still with Raes."
Pixis gestured over to the stunning midnightdancer, it's smart eyes following Mikasa wherever she turned as if he knew exactly what she wanted to do next.
Like he was reading her every thought.
She shuddered and inhaled softly, reminding herself that this was still only a bird. No creature from one of those stories Eren had told her when they were still kids.
A step forward and she was standing in front of the animal with it's dangerous beak and those magnificent feathers. Her eyes fell on his sharp claws and she repressed the urge to swallow.
Around the ankle of the animal there was a piece of paper.
Dirty.
Old.
And so important for them.
She inhaled. She exhaled.
She reached forward.
Raes watched her attentively.
He made no indication that he was about to hurt her this time as he did when she had touched Eren the day they had met the midnightdancer.
For a second Mikasa thought to see him nod his okay.
A second later she was holding the piece of paper in her hand.
And with it...the turning point of events in the spectacle that was the fight between a father and a son.
(I'm deeply sorry that I didn't update any sooner and that this chapter isn't as long as I would have liked as well. Thanks for being patient with me!
Who is this ally? What is written in the message Raes brought with him? And would Eren really hurt Kou if he thought she was a danger to his plans?)
YOU ARE READING
Coming for your heart
Fanfiction|| Book 1 || Eren Yaeger had to flee from his home when he was only six years old. With his mother and his adopted sister he tries to forget anything related to the King and the secrets they left behind. Many years later war comes for Eldia and Er...
