Leo

Chapter Thirteen

[TJ’s POV]

I glared at them. So this is what they were doing, huddled close in an abandoned factory with a warm fire and not to mention the fact that Leo’s clothes were missing. Eyes looked at me uneasily at that moment; he inched back towards the opening, still looking at me and Leo back and forth.

He knew he was in trouble and he knew it, it was written all over his face. I continued to glare at him, my eyes flicker over to Leo who was clutching her blanket around her.

“I think I’ll leave you two alone.” Eyes mumbles and ran out, the darkness swallowing him.  Leo stood up, still clutching it tightly, I eyed her up and down shamelessly and I could see her shiver visibly. I smirked devilishly at her.

“What are you doing here?” she hisses. My smirk widens.

“Why? Am I interrupting something? A date maybe?” I walked towards her. “We’re you enjoying it? Maybe you were considering the fact that your clothes are gone.” I stop right in front of her. Her eyes widened and then it was gone replaced with a straight and determined face, she looks like she was willing to knock my lights out, that’s my Leo.

“I don’t like Eyes.” She says coldly. “And for your information, he found me without my clothes, I didn’t take it off in front of him if that’s what you’re implying.” She shakes her head looking disgusted.

“I’m not those kind of girls, I grew up in Vesperin, cut me some slack!” She punched me in the arm, and I heard a bone crack, if it was hers or mine I don’t know. “Say that again and I will shoot you dead.” She hisses inches from my face. My eyes dropped to her lips, tempting. I look back into her eyes, she begins to retreat, noticing my eyes drop.

It was funny how she can think, not like a girl at all. I grin and wiped it off my face, bringing myself to scowl and not laugh. Then I remembered how they looked so cozy with each other.

“You better watch your tone, Leo.” I practically growled. Something flickered in her eyes: fear. I’ve seen it too many times to not recognize it. “I’m still the gang’s leader, the rogues wouldn’t even dare to say those words, and I’ll make sure you won’t be any different.”

She glared at me as I circled around her. “Now the question is,” I lean from behind her to whisper in her ear, I could feel her tense. “What are you doing here, more specifically with Eyes and without your clothes?”

She turns to face me and took a step back, her face redder than a mongrel’s eyes.

“It’s a long story and as for Eyes, I don’t know why he’s here. Besides even if I told you about it, you wouldn’t believe it.” she says sternly. Her eyes turning a shade darker as if she was remembering something unpleasant.

“I know why he’s here, I sent him to rescue you.” I say, casting a glance at the flames, they reminded me of the incident. I shook my head and looked at her again, her face with a puzzled look. "But why you're here in a warehouse together, that wasn't part of the plan."

“Why would I need rescuing? I can save myself.” she rolled her eyes, and narrowed her eyes at me.

“Yeah right, says the girl who lied unconscious without her clothes, for all you know you could’ve been raped.” I says huskily. She is definitely fuming now.

“I wasn’t raped! I was – I – I just fainted okay!” she stutters, my eyebrows furrowed.

“Fainted? Then why was Eyes explaining about Mongrels then?” I catch her shifting her weight from foot to foot.

“Didn’t someone tell you not to eavesdrop on other people’s conversation?” she tries to cross her arms over her chest but failed, seeing as how she can’t do that without the blanket slipping over her shoulders.

“There were some people, but they’re all dead now. Would you like to tell that to me too? I'll make an exception and make your death quick.” I set my jaw, making a point that this was no laughing matter, she immediately caught on but didn’t pass the chance to annoy me.

“Dead?!” she gasps. I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

“Stop changing the subject and just answer the question!” I yell in exasperation.

“I can’t do that; I can’t answer your question, coz I don’t know.” She sighs.

I grab her arm and pulled me, and I stared into her eyes and whispered low and deadly. “You don’t talk about that, you don’t bring it up, and you never let anyone know that there’s other species out there unless they’re a mongrel too.”

Her eyes widened again, I walked pass by her and looked over my shoulder since I didn’t hear her following footsteps.

“Aren’t you coming?” I ask impatiently and she picked up her pace.

[Eyes’ POV]

When I left the warehouse, I wandered on my own, which meant up top. I am on the roof now, my vision sharp as ever. Looking at the skyline, it was dark already, nighttime. Leo surely was a sleeper alright, it took her more than a couple of hours before she awoke.

My head did a 360, – yes it is possible for me but don’t go trying it out, I don’t want to be blamed by your parents for breaking your neck – and nothing interesting. I took off. I kept close to the sky where I camouflaged with the violet and black starless sky.

Just then a movement caught my eye and I landed on a nearby building, behind some crates on the roof, just in case if this thing happens to look up. Just far below, I see a boy about my age all bloody and bruised. I can hear him panting. I cocked my head and focused on his face, my eyes widened and then he was a feral running down the street after catching her scent.

It was pretty strong and no wonder why all the mongrels can find her, they could just sniff the air and voila a ticket to Leo. That’s why she’s in danger.

I took flight, faster than anything, reaching almost a 100 miles per second, that’s one of the perks I guess being something different.

Then I found them, walking down an abandoned alley, this whole section of Vesperin was generally abandoned, a few gangs were here on the stakeout. Some smugglers, the people who were Aviators but traded with the Rogues, go by this way. The gangs here wait for the smugglers and make the deal, then pretend nothing happened.

This is where the blind spot of the wall is, as far as I know, that’s why I brought her here, I could’ve descended towards the wall to get her some clothes but risking our whereabouts is not worth it, besides I like seeing Leo… you know. I grin at the thought and shook my head, you’re supposed to tell her you idiot, fantasize about her later.

I landed where I kept my clothes and changed. When I pulled my pants up and seemed descent enough, I ran where I thought I last saw them. The moment I caught up to them, I shouted for them to wait and they turned.

Leo’s eyes widened and averted her gaze, I looked only at TJ as well since she still didn’t have any clothes. TJ scowled, oh good he wasn’t possessed by some insane person like the people who did those things to…

“Where’s your shirt?" he points disapprovingly at my chest. I looked down at my chest, and realized. Oh right, no wonder why Leo looked away.

“That’s not important!” I say urgently. “Ria,” her head turned, she looks shocked, for the first time I used her name. “Your brother…” I pant. “Your brother, I saw him, I saw Martin and he didn’t look so good.”