After Solitude

Chapter 49

Zoey's POV

They all stare at me, patiently waiting for an explanation as to why I'm so out of it.

Truth is, I can't turn it off. I can't stop thinking about it when that's what I want to do so desperately.

"Go ahead, love. Tell us what's got you staring out into space." Nik urges.

I let my lungs fill with the smell of old books, "after Poppy was - you know," I find it hard to say, "something happened to me. It all matches up with the research I've been doing about Vurthron's."

Nik chuckles, "I told you those are extinct, love."

I look down at my hands, "well, you're wrong. Black particles seeped out of my skin. Desmond looked horrified; I could tell by the look in his eyes that he thought I'd kill him. I felt pure rage, I've never been that angry." I admit to them.

The room goes still.

"What the hell is that?" Wyatt asks, confused on how serious this is.

Jett smacks the side of his head, "how the hell do you not know? Here," Jett looks over to the table I was studying Vurthron's at for the past few days and shoves one of the books in his hand, "read that."

"What exactly happened out there with Desmond?" Nik asks, brushing off my admittance of being something vial.

As I explain the whole story, Wyatt's eyes wander from his book to me. I can't help but wonder what he is thinking. Please, don't hate me.

Both Nik and Jett listen intently to my voice as I speak, they wouldn't miss a word or even a change in my tone of voice.

"He's fucking hunting you?" Nik says hauntingly calm.

He's going to blow a gasket.

It even looks like Jett is about to smash his teeth from the pressure he's putting on them.

"I'm going to call Brina." Nik grunts as he stands then he walks out of the door, leaving me with Wyatt and Jett.

"I think I should go check on Poppy." I announce, standing up.

"Sit." Jett orders with a gruff tone.

My body obeys his command although my brain is trained on seeing if Poppy is okay. My brain and body aren't connected at this point.

"Why was that not the first thing out of your mouth?" He asks.

My shoulders drop from my ears, "Poppy is in more danger than I am at the moment."

Wyatt gasps, "no way. Did any of the black stuff touch the hunter?"

Thinking back, nothing touched him. I actually went out of my way to try to make that weird mist go away.

"No."

Wyatt sighs, "it would've been a lot cooler if it did." He borderline pouts.

Question marks float around in my head and by the way Jett's lips purse, he's seeing just as many question marks as I am.

Jett rolls his hands in circles, signaling for Wyatt to spit it out.

"Jeez, no imagination," he chuckles, "the dark mist happens in extreme cases when a Vurthron is completely irate and basically falling off the deep end. It can kill in seconds rather than the usual years it takes." Wyatt explains.

I should've let it swallow him whole. My intrusive thought makes me shiver. I'd never say or do something like that. Desmond deserves many things but not necessarily death.