Breaking and Entering

So far so good. We made it out of the boys dorms without anyone spotting us and we were now walking through the quad, pass the water fountain, where a group of vampires were hanging out.

I'm not going to lie, I was nervous, and once in a while Chaviv would squeeze my hand like he knew or it could be that my hand was shaking. I kept fearing that I didn't mask his heartbeat and they'll hear him but they didn't even glance once in our direction, looking confused and wondering where the heartbeat was coming from.

Chaviv looked over his shoulders with a truamphet smile letting me know I did it. I felt relief and a little happy that my first attempt to masking another person was successful.

We made it pass the group and we were heading towards the library. Chaviv turns right in the direction of the principals office.

"So, what's the plan?" I ask him when I see we're nearly towards the office, "We go in, find the secret entrance than enter the secret library and find what we looking for than get out" he says nonchalantly.

"There is no way its that easy," I tell him, he can't possibly think that plan will work but he seems confident that it will "Trust me, if I say it's that easy, it's that easy," he says giving me one of those confident smiles.

Moments later we're standing inside the principals office. Chaviv has a smug look on his face while mine is in total disbelief, "There is no way it was that easy."

"Don't know what to tell you sweetheart," he says feeling pretty proud of himself that the first part of the plan went off without a hitch. No guards patrolling and even the office door was unlocked, which surprised me the most. I even looked up to find any camera's but there were non which raised a lot of red flags.

I still had us Glamoured and I wasn't going to drop it until I was certain that we weren't going to be seen breaking and entering the principals office. I search around for anything that might indicate that we were being watched.

"You can relax, sweetheart, there are no camera's in here" Chaviv says as if he read my mind, "You can't be too careful," I tell him before dropping the Glamour.

Chaviv shakes his head while humour dances in his eyes. We begin searching the room for a secret switch. Chaviv searches the desk while I search the bookshelf on the right. I skim over the books and my eyes land on a deep moss green book with golden lettering on the ridge; Secret Garden.

I stare at it and nearly laugh. It can't be that easy, can it? I reach for the book and pull it down and I hear a click, and the whole bookshelf springs to life and slides to the left, revealing a staircase leading down into a dark abyss.

Chaviv appears besides me with the same smug grin, "See, easy." He immediately walks right in as I stare in disbelief, its almost funny. I follow behind and as soon as I enter the bookshelf closes behind me and we're surrounded by darkness.

I don't see the step in front of me and I slip but Chaviv catches me with amazing reflexes. I almost thought he was a vampire but remembered he was an elemental. He holds me firmly by my waist and my heart nearly stops, "Careful." The way he says it makes my heart skip, my eyes are adjusting to the darkness and I'm immediately drawn in by his dark eyes. Even in the darkness they seem to illuminate like the universe.

"Thank you," I tell him as I pull away. My cheeks feel hot. I fish out my phone from my pocket and turn on the torch to light our path and I take the lead, wanting to put as much space as I can between us.

It doesn't take too long for us to reach the bottom of the stair's. I turn off my torch when I see soft light filtering through the darkness. We walk in to a large room and my jaw drops at the sigh of the library, it was like staring at a huge sea of shelves filled with books dating back to the earliest century. Nothing but rows and rows of books, there were antiques from the past kept in glass cases to preserve them.

"Wow," I breathlessly say.

Chaviv chuckles amused by my expression, "Aren't you glad you came," he whispers in my ear and walks down the long steps. I smile behind him, I'm more than happy that I came, I could stay here forever.

I walk down the long steps and I feel small as the shelves seem to tower over us and I can't help but feel a little intimidated yet be excited at the same time. I want to read everything single book, smell the scent of old pages and feel the ancient covers in my hands.

My whole body vibrates as I find myself torn in wanting to explore every shelf and immediately start reading but unable to due to the small amount of time we have until morning and I want to cry out like a toddler who's been denied a treat.

"You look like your in agony."

"I am," I admit, "So many books to read but not enough time, life is so cruel."

Chaviv laughs when I pout, amusement dancing in his eyes but says nothing and looks around for whatever it is he was searching for. I should do the same, the sooner I get answers the sooner I'll be out of here. But where do I start?

I look around and notice that Chaviv has disappeared. My stomach lurches and I feel my chest tighten, fear gripping at me. I suddnely realise that he left me here, what was I thinking following a complete stranger to a secret library. Shut up. I'm such an idiot for trusting him so quickly, all because he comforted me when I felt scared and vulnerable, now he wants nothing to do with me.

Ugh, she's crying again.

Wait.

Let's get out of here.

Please don't go.

Ya, she's starting to freak me out.

I'm sorry, I don't want to be alone.

Weirdo.

I'm scared. I miss my mom and dad.

I cover my ears to try and silent the voices. But I could still hear them. Fuck. I'm crouching down with my face buried in my knees as I continue to cover my eyes and just pray for the voices to go away. I need them to go away, I need Rodney.

I reach for my phone and I see that there's no network down here and I feel my entire body go limp. Silent tears stream down my face, I'm stuck down here and the only person who knew how to get out left me here.

My breathing was coming out short and fast. I felt sick to my stomach with fear. I blindly trusted someone. My vision was blurry with tears, I kept wiping away the tears but they wouldn't stop flowing. Why am I such a crybaby and why won't these stupid tears stop flowing.

I didn't notice a figure standing next to me or hear my name being called until I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. I look to see Chaviv crouching down beside me, a deep crease formed on his forehead. His lips were moving and I couldn't hear him over my thoughts.

Why do you look concerned. You left me here all alone. So, why are you looking at me like that?

"...cause I want to know why are you crying?" He says as he cups my face in his hands and wipes my tears with his thumbs. The touch sends warmth throughout my body and I find myself slowly relaxing. I don't understand how a simple touch can affect me this much.

"What?" My voice sounds so hoarse against my ear. I blink a few times at him thinking he's just a figment of my imagination and he'll just disappear again.

"I want to know why you're crying sweetheart," he repeats, still gently caressing my cheeks with his thumbs and I'm melting inside. His called me sweetheart before but this is the first time it has made my heart flutter. Tears slowly brim, blurring my vision and the lump in my throat grows. I swallowed to clear the lump out of my throat.

"I..I thought you left me." My voice was so soft I barely heard it.

He frowns and searched my eyes, his voice was calm despite the hurt look in his eyes, "Why would you think I'd leave you here?" Because everyone leaves me, because I'm a crybaby and no one likes a crybaby. I don't tell him that I'm too embarrassed to say it out loud. I bite my bottom lip and I avert my eyes down to my hands which are clasped firmly on my lap.

"Look at me." I don't, I keep my eyes trained to my clasped hands.

"Anita, look at me," he says more firmly, using his index finger to till my head up. He holds my gaze with his and they are dark as he pulls my lower lip than traces his thumb over it and I feel my body go on high alert. He places his thumb back on my cheek and continues to rub them gently. I don't think friends touch or look at friends like the way he is to me.

"You can tell me," his searching my eyes, those black orbs are pulling me in and I can't tear my own away from them, "why did you think I left you?"

"It has happened before."

He narrows his eyes, "what do you mean?"

I'm twiddling my thumbs and bite my lip again. Chaviv's eyes darken once again and he pulls my lower lip down but much slower than the first time, his eyes linger on my lips for awhile as an unspoken emotion flashes in his eyes before looking into my own, and I involuntarily shudder.

He doesn't say anything and waits for me to speak, "It wouldn't be the first time someone leaves me cause I weirded them out." I'm not a stranger to people not wanting me around cause of how much I cried, even when it came to adoption. Rodney has been the only one I've even considered as family.

Being separated from him had me scared but the new family that had took me in were friends with Rodney's new family, and they did everything they can to make sure I was happy and I was slowly starting to warm up to them.

But that still didn't lift the silent fear that I was going to lose them all, whether cause they no longer want me or something else takes them away. And, that in itself, terrifies me.

Having someone near me after my nightmares, puts me at ease. It's like a constant reassurance.

"Well those people are idiots and I'd never leave you. That's a promise." Why does that feel like a life time commitment. I sniff and give him a small smile, "Thanks."

"No need, to thank me sweetheart." He tucks a lose strand of hair behind my ear, "shall we begin?" he says cocking his head towards the tall shelves. I nod.

He stands up straight offering his hand to me, I take it and he helps pull me to my feet. He doesn't let go of my hand once I'm up. I'm tempted to pull mine out of his but I like how they feel wrapped around mine, so I don't.

"So, where do we start?" I ask, surveying the shelves, "We can start with your personal project and than move to mine," he says, I almost tell him no, not wanting him to find out my secret but I also don't want to be alone.

"Okay."

"Great, and I think I know where to start," he says and leads me through the bookshelves.

"You don't even know what I'm even looking for," I tell him, "I might have an idea." My eyebrow arches up.

"I saw one of the books you were reading the other day and pieced together a few things," he says not noticing the look of dread on my face. Shit. My blood runs cold, I can feel sweat beads forming on my forehead.

Does he know and if he does know, how much of it has he figured out? Damn it, I thought I was careful. If he knows he'll probably sing and I'll be sent to who knows where.

"Oh," is all I could manage to say. My mind is racing and if I open my mouth, I fear I'll say more than I should.

He eventually stops in front of a book shelf and I nearly walk into him, "All the books written about every mystical over the years," he says, sounding a bit proud.

My fingers twitch, itching to hold one of those books and to find out what secrets they have. I trace one hand over the spines of one book, the leather cover feels smooth under my fingers. I frown as a question is brought to the front of my brain.

"How did you know where to look?" I turn to face him, remembering how he easily led me here without taking any wrong turns. Like he knew where to go.

"My informant," he says nonchalantly and I narrow my eyes, "They've been here before, they know the place like the Pastor knows his Bible," he explains and I can't help but wonder how close he is with the informant to go as far as trusting them with something secretive.

"So, what did you say I was looking for?" I keep my expression sober and my voice level despite the army of butterflies in my stomach.

"I told them that your looking into Mysticals and that you've hit a dead end," he says truthfully and the honesty throws me off a bit but I'm relieved. He at least doesn't know what I'm really looking for and so far he hasn't pushed either.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything."

"Why are you really helping me? Don't get me wrong, I really do appreciate it but I just can't help wonder, why?"

A crease forms between his eyebrows as he looks down at our joined hands, I even forgotten that I was still holding his hand. Is it crazy how natural it feels to hold his hand? He rubs his thumb over my knuckles and I feel warmth travel up my arm. I have to will myself not to shudder.

When he looks up and holds my gaze the butterflies in my stomach go on overdrive. "I want to spend time with you, get to know you more." he says it like its obvious but I can't shake the feeling that there's more to it.

Since the little restaurant spectacle, his been around me a lot more. Even when he wanted to be friends and was waiting on my answer he hung around. I don't mind us being friends and I enjoy his company.

"Okay, next question."

The corner of his lips twitches up to a half smile, "I didn't know we we're playing twenty-one questions."

I roll my eyes and try to keep my expression as sober as possible and look him in the eyes. God, why does he have nice eyes? Focus Anita. I want to see just how honest he'll be. I take a deep breathe and ask my question.

"What's your personal project?"