Surprise

"Hmm? You're that woman Aurora was with? Rose?" I asked, my hand still wrapped around her throat as I sat on top of her.

I know it's her but something seems so different about her still.

"You … You're that girl. At least you remember me. Now, will you take your hands off me?" She asked, looking at me with those cold eyes. Well, I might be having them as well.

"Not until you take your blade away from my throat," I answered back, seeing her dagger still there.

"You let go first." She scoffed.

"Are you really going to argue with a kid? Have you no pride as a member of the Society of the Velvet Gate?"

"Cheeky one aren't you? Fine. We will both let go at the count of three."

"Fine."

"One." She started.

"Two." I continued.

"Three."

We moved away from each other at the same time, grasping our throats while glaring at each other.

"Good to see that you are well, Aurora will kill me, everyone then herself if anything happened to you. Where did you disappear to anyway?" She spoke, her voice a little hoarse from me squeezing it too hard.

I felt a little satisfaction seeing her in a bit of pain, though it isn't enough to quell the burning sensation on my body.

So close. We were so damn close.

Calm down, Kefi. Nothing is going to change with you getting worked up like this.

I need to vent out the frustration I am feeling, Meraki. I don't necessarily want to kill, just destroy something. I haven't felt like this since the opposing army got wiped out before we even got there.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Rose shouted.

So annoying. I wonder what he wanted to tell us.

We'll never know now because that man is frigging dead and we couldn't even find the killer! I just want to! Ahhhhhhhhh!

So screaming in the head is possible. Alright. But, something doesn't make sense. Why would they kill him? The job is done ��� Unless they want me dead too.

"Are you deaf?" Rose grabbed my shoulder, fuming with rage.

"You were still here? I thought you would already have left." I answered, pushing her hand off my shoulder.

"I can't leave you alone. Come, let's go back to Aurora." She attempted to grab me again but I moved away from her while Kefi hissed.

"Don't touch me." I started walking away from her again, "Come with me first then we'll go to Aurora."

"What? You expect me to follow a child?"

"You can stay there then and wait for us to come find you again. Which I doubt Aurora would do once she sees me." I stopped and raised my eyebrow at her.

"That's true … Fine. I'll come with you. What did you see? Some pretty plants or something?" She followed me begrudgingly, complaining and mocking me the entire way there.

"Meraki!" Caris came running to me from behind the trees, his face in a state of panic.

"What is it?"

"You are unharmed, right? Nothing happened right?" He asked as he continued to inspect my face and my hands, wincing when he saw the cuts all over me.

"Who is this?" Rose asked, annoyance thick in her voice.

"Nobody you need to know. Caris, did you leave the people alone?"

"Don't worry, I placed a forcefield around them." He said smiling brightly. He's doing a good job of ignoring the woman behind me.

"Good job. Let's hurry to them."

"People? What people?"

"Is she the one that shot the man?" Caris whispered to my ear, making sure his voice was loud enough to hear.

"Shot? Who? What is going on here?"

"Unfortunately she isn't. I lost that person. They were able to conceal their presence so well not even Kefi could find them. She's fuming mad now." I replied, ignoring Rose as we continued to walk. She continued asking me even if I ignored her.

So annoying.

"Aww~ Too bad. Oh well, I'm glad you are alright at least."

"Don't fake your concern, Caris. I still don't know your true motive for wanting to stick by me." I looked straight in front of me as I walked, quickening my pace.

"I just wish to observe you, Meraki. Is that so creepy?" Caris asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yes. Very creepy. Now shut up both of you &^*&^%$$^&! Before I *&&*%$#$@#%$^ and *&^%$##%* the both of you!" Kefi came out, snapped at Caris and Rose and went back in again.

Thank you.

I didn't do it for you, they were just so damn noisy.

Sure.

The rest of the walk back was quiet thanks to Kefi. But I still couldn't organize my thoughts. So many things didn't make sense and, with every clue I get, I am just left more and more confused.

Why would they kill him now? Is his use was over then wouldn't they have killed him once the job is done?

He was about to tell me something. Does it have anything to do with the attack? Well, they know that I am alive now so we need to get our plans moving as soon as possible.

Every minute I delay is them getting one minute ahead of me. I hate it. I hate not knowing anything and just being unaware.

Just when I thought I found a clue, it is taken away in less than a second. I feel like I'm trying to follow footsteps in a snowstorm.

Wait, how does snow feel like?

Never mind that. It isn't important.

____________________________

"What is this?" Rose shouted, mirroring the exact feeling I should be experiencing.

No one was where Caris left them, only the ropes remained while the barrier is gone. But, looking a little further, we could see the bodies of the people there, blood pooling around them.

Caris went to them and felt for pulses but there was nothing. They were still warm so they didn't die too long ago.

"I thought they were the souls and could only be killed with the use of your knife? Why are they dead and bleeding? Caris?" I eyed him, my suspicions rising.

"I know what it may look like but it wasn't me. I promise. I don't know how this happened as well. Meraki, you can tell if a person is lying. You know that I'm not, right?" He took my hand in his and pleaded.

There is no feeling of deception coming from him but that doesn't mean much. He either is so good at lying or he doesn't really know what happened.

I still can't trust him but … I feel it in my gut that he didn't do this. It's too obvious to be him. No one would be this careless unless they are an idiot.

Or trying to frame someone.

He isn't an idiot, that much I know. If he did this, he could have done so many other things.

"How long are you going to keep ignoring me? Hmm? Odd." Rose walked to the bodies and touched the blood, smelling it.

"What's odd?" Kefi asked, a little too excited.

"Their blood. There's something so off about it."

"What? What's so odd about it? Tell me? Tell!" Kefi was only inches from Rose's face, beaming.

"I-I don't know but I can a do blood reading if you want. Though I'll need Aurora for this." Rose replied, pushing us away.

"Really?! That's great, where is that woman then?" Kefi asked.

Seriously she is a little too excited.

"I left her lying on the ground when I came to look for you."

"Isn't that dangerous?" I frowned at her.

"Don't worry. If anyone comes, they will think she is a corpse herself with her condition." Rose laughed, someone else is also enjoying themselves too much.

"Let's go get Aurora then!" Before I could protest, Kefi took off running to the battlefield.

It was easy to spot Aurora in the pile of bodies, she is the only one that actually looks dead.

We took her over our shoulder and began our descent back. My attention is on the bodies strewn around even after we reached the other two.

"Wow, you're fast."

"Of course, its Meraki Sagepice."

Rose looked impressed while Caris beamed with pride.

"Here's Aurora," I said, dropping the corpse in front of Rose.

"Hey, wake up. Your miss needs you." Rose slapped Aurora's already battered face back and forth.

I don't know what came over me but I grabbed Rose's hand as she was about to hit her again, "I'll wake her up."

"If you say so." Rose instantly stepped back, hands raised. I grabbed Aurora before she could hit the ground and sighed.

"Aurora?" I called to her and her eyes flew open. "Miss?! Miss! You're ok! I'm so glad!"

She pulled me into a tight hug and I allowed her to without any resistance. She deserves at least this much, though it feels like something is missing.

"I-I thought- I-if something h-happ- I- I would n-never-"

"Aurora! We need to use blood magic." Rose interrupted, the blood still staining her fingers.

"Why?"

"I need it," I told her, not turning from her burning stare.

"Fine." She sighed. "If it's for Miss. Let's do it."