She's The Enemy (GxG)

Chapter 17- Some Things You Never Forget

I swing the blade in front of me, stepping back as I do so. Sweat slowly drips down my forearm but I continue despite the discomfort. This past week I've found a home on this crowded field- a release. There's this adrenalin rush I get the moment a sword is placed in my hand. A surge of energy- a feeling of pure and utter freedom. Almost every free minute I have is spent on this rough, battle strewn land. Freeing my head of crowded thoughts of the blonde beauty and my poor innocent little brother. Even the looming threat of my father's imminent death hangs over me like a dark shadow. Unescapable. Here on this ground is the only place where my mind is finally free from everything weighing it down. I swing the sword into a frontal attack and flinch at the sudden touch on my shoulder. I turn to see the one girl I came here to forget. She bites her lip slowly and I strap the sword to my belt.

"Hey..." She mutters.

"Hey," I say, more bitter than I wanted it to sound.

"You're going to wear yourself out with all this constant training you know," She murmurs, looking at the sword in my belt.

"Isla...," I breathe out, "Did you want something?" She looks defeated and continues to chew on her bottom lip.

"I... Can you come with me?" Her eyes finally meet mine and I see her laid raw and vulnerable in front of me. Behind the wall of green in her eyes is a troubled, conflicted soul and all I want to do is place her hands in mine and wash all the pain away. I nod slowly and we walk past the weapons shed before she leads us into the stables. There are already two horses prepared and guards offer me help to get on. I refuse and climb onto the raven-maned horse in front of me. Isla climbs onto a stunning white horse beside me and I follow her out of the stables.

"I know this week has been a lot for you..." She mutters and I turn to her watching as she parts her lips ever so slowly, "And... I haven't made it any easier, you really don't deserve to be treated like this Emelia." My heart buzzes with warmth and I guide the horse closer to hers.

I'd only ever ridden a horse a few times before this week. Surprisingly, Adrien had offered to teach me a few things, I guess I was a fast and way too eager learner because after the second lesson he had said there was nothing more that I needed to learn. I've learned many things about Isla's life this week- including the fact that her friends aren't all that they seem. Adrien is sometimes nice to be around, especially when it comes to his little sister, who is the cutest and kind of reminds me of Noah in some odd way. I haven't really talked to Naidia much, but Casper hangs out with Adrien sometimes, so I've gotten to know him a little. Archer has been... distant. I don't think he likes me that much. I think he thinks Isla has grown too attached to me; I walked in on a sensitive conversation between the two of them once...

"Isla! You barely know her, and you are letting her stay here! Train here!"

"What do you think she's going to do?" Isla sounds partially annoyed and I hear footsteps inside the room.

"Hurt you maybe? Betray us?" Archers voice doesn't calm, and I hear the slam of what was most likely his hands on the table.

"She wouldn't do that... I trust her."

"A little too much maybe..." Archer puffs out angrily and I hear Isla's breath catch. Before she can respond, I walk slowly into the dining room. They both go suddenly silent.

"Emelie?" I tear myself from deep inside my thoughts and catch the gaze of the girl beside me, "Say something, please."

"Isla... I've never been in love. I don't know how relationships even work but I'm not sure it's supposed to be as one-sided as this," I gulp as I realised that I just labelled whatever the hell is happening between us. She closes her eyes softly before pulling tight on the reins to get her horse to stop.

"We have to walk from here."

We walk in silence. I try to catch her gaze the whole time, but I can tell she is buried deep in thought. I breathe deep and wonder what is going through her head. Part of me just wants to yell at her and make her spill everything that's bothering her, but I know that I can't. That's when we meet a small clearing in the forest. It's a waterfall. It's the most beautiful and serene place I've ever been to. The soft trickle of water in the background relaxes my muscles and the soft feel of the sun caressing my skin sends jolts of warmth up my nerves. She sits silently at the bank of the stream and I sit beside her.

"I'm sorry," She whispers her confession into the space between us, "I shouldn't have pushed you away... it's just... I'm scared. I'm scared because you're human. I don't want to lose you, yet I know that is the inevitability of us." And here I was thinking she didn't want to be with me because of what her people would think. A human and a Faerie. But as always her thought process goes deeper and more caring than I could ever imagine and there's nothing I can say because everything she says is true. She could be by my side until the day I die but I could never be by hers.

The reality of it burns at my chest and I place my hand on her cheek, caressing it softly with my thumb.

"I'm not your forever. You have yet to find your mate- the person you are supposed to spend your life with. Forget about me." The words hurt to say but it is the truth. The truth always hurts. She is fated to fall in love- male, female, whatever. Just not human. And that is the one thing that will forever keep us apart, "This place is beautiful," I say as I stand to leave. I feel her fingers tighten around my wrist.

"I could never forget about you. You make me feel something that I've never felt before. I was drawn to you even before we met for the first time. You wanted to know why I watch? I used to watch you. I know that might sound creepy or whatever but since that moment I first laid eyes on you when we were younger, I was drawn to you. Like a forbidden connection- and that night by the lake was..." I stop her, shaking my head.

"What about finding your mate?"

"It's never happened... but who says a human can't be mated with a Faerie?" She stands and takes both my hands in hers. I let myself drown in the emerald of her eyes. We both know that the answer to that is never simple. It would be practically impossible for her to be mated with me but for a minute I let myself believe it. I believe that maybe I could be her one and only. And as our mouths near each other, a noise resembling a male voice echoes across the valley.

"Queen Isla, The King of the Unseelie Court and his son Prince Xavier request your presence at the castle"

A/N

Hope you enjoyed! And thanks again to everyone who has voted- it means the world. I did just want to let everyone know that is this very much inspired by the book A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas so if you enjoyed this definitely go and check that out - it's an incredible series and definitely worth the read! Thanks for reading and have a lovely day!