The Immortal Cure

22. Beggining

When Duke had left for the day and I was left with Darius, I was glad. The tension was brewing to unimaginable heights, suffocating me. I stood out in the fresh air, taking it in, making the most of the freedom.
The air in the woods was crisp, unpolluted and clear, I inhaled it deeply into my lungs, perceiving it as a detox for my insides.

"You seem happy today" Darius commented as he sat on a small wooden bench on the patio.
I was standing a few meters in front of the house, my hands in my jeans pockets as I looked up at the large lanky trees that blocked the heat of the sun.

Somehow a beanie had gotten tossed into my suitcase. I wasn't sure I'd seen it before, but it came in great use to keep my ears warm around my loose hair.

"That a bad thing?" I asked, staring up at the blue skies surrounding the leafy tree tops

"It's just strange, you don't seem too bothered about what's to possibly come"

"I am bothered, but that doesn't mean I'm going to rock in a corner and pull my hair out" I shrugged, turning my head to look at his furrowed expression

"How will we know when and if something happens back home?" I asked, closing my eyes as the tops of the trees ruffled with wind, sending in a ray of warm sunshine

"We won't, not until Duke turns up here wanting to take my place in case they track you"

"So we're practically blind" I sighed, the trees returning to block the precious suns warmth

"Practically" He repeated in defeat

"Doesn't that bother you? Duke said you weren't a good fighter" I smiled, turning back to walk towards the patio he was sitting on

"Neither of those things bother me" He smiled back as he propped his feet up on the patio railing

I leaned against a wooden beam holding the patio roof up and folded my arms across my chest

"I assume you had a good night's sleep, I'm surprised though, I thought you were afraid of the dark?" He raised his eyebrows at me, suspecting

I looked down at the ground shuffling my feet while forcing back a smile. I must have looked like a teenage girl who'd just admitted to her best friend that she had a crush.

When I returned my gaze back to his face, he was also smiling, but it slowly disappeared and turned into a straight line.

"Just be careful Rosalie" He warned, staring at me

I looked back down at the floor again, any form of a smile gone

"Duke's a good guy, but he's also dangerous. He's a vampire above all, killing you within a second of concentration loss is always a possibility" He continued as I watched him cautiously

"I know that" I mumbled

"I don't mean to scare you Rosalie, but I think you have the right to know..." He started, trailing off, continuing as he leaned forward his hands clasped together

"Anna's scars..." I automatically knew what he was going to say

"I already know about that, she told me" I cut him off from replaying the scene

"Yes, but he hasn't told you anything about them, has he?" He continued, making me crease my eyebrows. Why did it matter who told me?

"He should have told you about it himself. Before, after, either way, it would have been the right thing to do" He continued

"Maybe he's just waiting for the right time, I mean, there is a lot of other important things to deal with at the moment" I scoffed, looking at my feet, realising I was defending Duke