Intertwine

91 - I Can't Even Die In Peace

HEY GUYS! Remember when one of you asked if they could all just be happy and safe? Hahahaha do I have bad news for you....

ALINA

"Put her down Anton." I said, my gun at the ready in front of me.

Wheel stopped dead in his tracks in front of us. Slowly he took the terrified Aditi off his shoulders and put her on the floor.

What did we do now? I hadn't expected it to be that easy. I looked at Steve beside me, who's shield was out in front of him in a position which signalled to me going on the offensive.

Wheel still had his back to us. I nodded to Steve to get Roara. He walked forwards, eyes still on Wheel and held out a hand to Aditi. She didn't take it. Instead she looked as though she was shaking her head. Then I realised her eyes were closed. She was listening. Oh god... she couldn't see.

"Steve, take her hand for God's sake." I said through gritted teeth. "She can't see you."

Steve took her hands and gently pulled her upright, leading her to where I was standing and placing her behind us so that we were protecting her.

"Alina?" She asked hesitantly, her head turned in my direction.

"It's me, we're going to get you out of here honey, don't you worry." God she must be so scared. She was only three years younger than me, and sometimes that didn't feel like a lot, but at other times it felt like worlds apart. She'd stayed strong for a long time, but now she was more vulnerable than she'd ever been.

"Alina." She whispered. "Alina I can't see."

"I know." I replied softly. "It's okay, we'll get you out, I promise." She was shaking. Her hood had fallen from her head and her french plait had become messy with strands of hair coming out all over the place. Her mouth and nose were still covered by a fabric part of her suit.

"Can you try opening your eyes?" Steve asked, giving her a quick look.

She shook her head. "I don't want to." She murmured. "Everything looks weird."

"That's okay." I adjusted my grip on my gun. Wheel was still standing where he had been before, his dark locks combed back perfectly, not even a single strand out of place.

"Wheel, why don't you turn around, we can have a conversation." Steve said.

"He doesn't like talking very much." I informed Steve. "We had a little chat earlier about it, when he uh, stabbed me in the chest with a spear."

"He did that?" Steve asked.

I nodded. "Though to be fair to him I did steal the spear from him in the first pla-" I stopped talking when I saw Wheel beginning to shift.

Slowly he turned around.

This was the man who killed Fiona. But the anger I could see from his face before was gone. And I had to remind myself, this was the man who had killed Fiona. His face was just crumpled, completely full of grief.

"She killed her." The man said in that low chilling voice. He raised a trembling finger. "She killed my wife."

Beside me Aditi's face was contorted in pain and with a jolt I realised it was his pain, not hers. Snot was running from her nose, tears were forcing their way out of her eyes. Their faces looked like a mirror image of each other.

"Your wife," Aditi said, her voice cracking with each word, "tried to kill my uncle. Tried to kill me." She placed a hand on her chest. "It was self defense."

"THEN WHY," he roared, spittle flying out of his mouth, "DID SHE HAVE BLOOD COMING OUT OF HER EYES? WHY WAS HER BODY LIKE THAT!"

"I'm sorry." Aditi sobbed. Steve put his arms around her, supporting her weight in case she collapsed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."