My demons: Healing (book 3)

Leaving

The bullet hit the man and he recoiled on impact, keeling over abruptly. The blood splashed from the wound like splatter paint, peppering the floor between him and Alex. It seeped across the fabric of his shirt in a growing bloom of scarlet. His gaze was haunting,  shocked that his life was ending this way. His hand pressed over the hole as he fell, the ground quaking as his body hit the floor.

"What was that for?" Sky whispered once his breathing stopped and he became nothing but a corpse on the cold ground. 

"He served his purpose," Alex responded quietly. 

"He said nothing," Sky retorted, her blue eyes boring into the brunette in front of her that had started cleaning her gun nonchalantly. "I told you, his mind was mine the second we came here. O'Brien is on the run, I figure she knows they are after her."

"I figure that is a good thing," Sky replied, an unwelcome hint of hope lacing her words. 

 "In a way. But her running so much had caused my people a heap of trouble. They lost her."

"We have to go then."

"We do," Alex inclined her head in confirmation. "I can train you at Manuel's place."

"When do we leave?"

"First thing in the morning."

...

The night time sounds of the forest swelled in earnest as the last of the daylight disappeared. Thousands of invisible bugs clicked and chirped a wild orchestra through crisp air. 

Claire had eventually settled on a small outcropping of rock that could provide enough cover and she dragged there some fallen branches of pine trees to lay between. The earth was hard and cold, but the chill was a welcome distraction. The night moved around her, bustling and alive, but she didn't even feel present. 

 Emotions filled her like toxins, burning her away from the inside.

...

The horizon was just beginning to lighten from blackness as Sky walked out of the house, watching a heavy fog blanketing the valley thickly. 

She went for a short run, knowing that Alex will be out for at least another couple of hours. When she returned to their place, she focused her eyes on the waking nature around her. 

She loved the small apartment they had stayed in. It was at the city edge which in turn meant there were other things nearby than just endless rows of flats, stores and other concrete boxes of no particular value to the blonde. 

The sun had risen fully over the jagged ridge of the mountains. It cut through the haze still gathered between the trees in thick beams that illuminated the underbrush in misshapen spotlights. 

She had always favoured water over forests but learned to love the woods while she had been with her. She stood there, entranced by its' beauty, trying her best not to let the thoughts of a certain black haired beauty in.

The blonde was so distracted she didn't notice the looming shadow coming up from behind her. Two arms wrapped around her and pulled her off her feet. Sky tried her best to fight but she was defenceless. 

The small chuckle came from behind her and she relaxed in an instance. 

"Lex!" she exclaimed as the brunette placed her back down, wearing a smug smile on her face. 

"You might want to work on that," she teased and Sky playfully jabbed her in the shoulder. 

"You okay?" she asked cautiously, noting the sadness in Sky's blue eyes. 

"As okay as I can be," Sky sighed in response. 

"It will be okay," Alex hummed, pulling her in for a hug.

"Ready to go?" she asked after they pulled away.

"If I'm not, what happens?" Sky muttered.

"I make you go anyway," Alex shrugged nonchalantly.

"Thought so," Sky quipped. "You are really good at making people do things," she winked.

"Shut up," the brunette said as she shot a hand out to squeeze Sky's side. The blonde violently flinched away, knowing that Alex knew she was extremely ticklish. She held up her index finger towards her as a warning, which earned her a hearty chuckle from the brunette. 

"Okay, brat, let's get going."

"Okay," Sky nodded, moving back inside to gather their stuff. When she was about to leave, she turned around to see Alex leaning on the doorframe, watching her with a smirk. "Should we get Aisha a get better soon card?" she asked and Sky's brows shot up in confusion. 

"She got hurt again?"

"Nah, I just think she could do better."

"And you say I'm an ass," Sky shook her head but was unable to hide the smile that spread across her face. "Let's go."