GRAVICTA

CHAPTER 15.

As if knowing there'd be a misunderstanding, Zed comes in. Puffer's fists are already balled and he looks extremely hateful at the moment. If it isn't for the fact that we know he doesn't know Decklan, you would think he had a score to settle.

"Puff!" Zed holds out his arms, telling him to calm down. "Puff it's okay. He's a friend."

Puffer stares at Zed and then looks at Decklan as if being unsure, fists still balled. "Sure?"

Decklan is quiet but has an amused smile on his face. He has his arms folded as he sizes Puffer from head to toe. Fairly speaking, Decklan is taller than Puffer and also looks stronger. Puffer doesn't look like he has a chance but is still ready fight.

"Hey chubby. It's fine really," Buttertooth says and Puffer calms down.

"I still don't know who he is though," Puffer mumbles and eyes Decklan.

"He used to work for my dad. He came to talk to me." Zed grins and pats Puffer on his back before looking at me.

"Hi," I whisper and he walks up to me, looking down at me as he grins widely.

"Hey babe." His deep smooth voice calling me babe makes my cheeks heat up.

"So, we are all here then." Purplestorm walks in and smiles. "There's juice in the kitchen, let's go eat some cake."

With smiles, everyone gently makes their way to the dining table while Purplestorm, Puffer and Buttertooth go to the kitchen to get the juice and cake. Honestly, I wanted to follow them to set the table up but Zed's arm around my waist won't let me. He literally held me and refused to let me go. Not that I'm complaining, Ha-ha.

Once we are seated, Purplestorm and Buttertooth walk in with the delicacies and place them the table. Puffer then comes in with some plates and cups and arranges them in front of everyone.

"Decklan would you like to pray before we eat?" Purplestorm says as the three of them finally sit down.

"Um. Purplestorm I don't think you should be asking him to do that," Zed answers immediately from beside me.

"Oh, I'm so sorry dear. Is there something I'm missing though?" Purplestorm stares at Decklan who is now looking down at the table.

"Fallens don't pray," Zed answers for Decklan once more and Purplestorm's eyes widen in sudden realization.

"Oh, True. Puffer then?" She turns to the chubby boy and he nods quickly.

"Dear God, on behalf of everyone here, I want to say thank you for the food. Bless us all as we feast together. Amen." Puffer finishes and everyone starts eating.

"Feast together huh?" Zed chuckles, looking at Puffer.

"Sounded just right to me." Puffer shrugs, taking a bite off his sliced cake.

"Shut up and eat." I roll my eyes and Puffer gives me an appreciative smile.

"Yes babe." Zed winks and slices a piece of cake for himself, leaving me a heated mess.

Buttertooth looks at me weirdly with a smile and I playfully glare at her. I know it's because Zed called me babe, again. Trying to get my head off all the nonsense I can't stop thinking about, I tap the table to get Decklan's attention.

"Is there a reason why Fallens don't pray?" I ask without adding much thought to it.

"God won't answer us." Decklan looks annoyed for a moment before his expression returns to a blank stare.

"Yeah. It's pretty messed up. We betrayed God so he's done with us," Zed says immediately, trying to stop me from asking more questions.

"Okay," I say but not before I decide to ask Zed questions about it later.

The mood is lightened up when Puffer asks if Zed and I are like together. I quickly say no but it doesn't stop us from being the subject of discussion for the rest of the meal.

"Hey Zed," I call as I see him talking to Decklan and he turns to see me. "Can I talk to you?"

He nods and says something to Decklan before walking over to meet me. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to ask a few things. You know..." I pause, trying to give him time to catch on without having to say anything.

He just stares at me expectantly with raised brows and wide innocent eyes. "I know I can talk inside your head but I can't actually see what's inside Eve. I'm not a mind reader."

Heaving a sigh, I grab his arm and take him outside. The air is now a bit cool as the sun has set and the evening has taken over. "I want to know about the Fallens."

When I notice that he hasn't said anything after a while, I look up to see him staring at me with a small smile engraved on his face. He looks up and sits on the small step in front of the house and I join him.

"As you know, the Fallens betrayed God and rebelled, which caused the great fall. The rebellion was led by my dad but he always regretted making his friends suffer with him," he says, smiling as he tells the story.

"Why did he do it?" I ask and he shakes his head, not looking at me.

"I don't know." His smile falters as he stares hard at the sky. "But I don't think it is fair that God won't forgive us. No matter how hard we pray, he's forgotten all about us."

I flinch as his folds his fists. "If God totally forgot about the Fallens, I don't think they'd be out of hell right now, staying in Gravicta."

"What's the difference? The Frees hate us and if they have their way, they'll kill us all without a second thought," he says as he releases his fists and lets out a sigh. "We're not much anyways. The Frees can as well do what they want."

"Don't talk like that. Not all the Frees are bad people you know. Apart from Decklan, the rest of us in here are frees and we support you. We..."

He stares at me, waiting for me to complete what I was going to say. I don't know why I feel like what I'm about to say is deeper than it sounds, at least to me. I take his hands in mine, causing him to face me and I place a soft kiss on them.

"We all love you Zed. You're not alone," I say and he smiles so brightly that his eyes almost close.

Wiggling his eyebrows, his smile shifts to a smirk. "So, you love me huh?"