The Devil's Smile

Chapter 35

The dream that I had was so vivid. It was almost like I was watching it happen in my eyes and I knew that it was the story that the monster demigods had been telling me. How was I being able to dream of the same things that they were telling me? And I knew that this was the after part of the story that they had stopped in the middle.

There must be a reason that I was seeing this. Was it kind of the story with a moral that I was supposed to understand?

And if there was a moral then when was I going to know that? Was there no way that I could fast forward everything and then come to know?

“Hey let's go,” he announced. we should get her back to goodwill and then have someone look at her.

“We can’t involve anyone else in this,” Cronas returned appearing in the line of sight and taking the lead. “No one can know about Rane and…. And what happened.”

Amor fell into step behind him. “I wasn't talking about that. She might have bruised ribs or something. She might get sick. We have no idea what he hit her with.”

Cronas did not reply but I wasn't even listening anymore. I was facing Amor my chin naked against his shoulder my hands locked behind his neck. The knuckle imprinted rock was banging lightly between his shoulder blades and with every step. I didn't want to let go for some particular reason. He was holding me with one arm his hand settling into my waist as he stuck me again stays front a little off to the side so he could walk easily. my legs were kind of just dangling. I was considering wrapping them around his waist just to be a little more comfortable but decided against it. I was too numb to do anything. Too numb to ask questions. Not that it stopped them from springing up inside my head.

What the hell was that ball of light and smoke?

I ran into it, didn't i?

It hit me in the chest, didn't it?

Am I going to die now?

“No you are not going to die,” Yeti growled out.

My eyes flew open connecting with his he was walking behind a more and his expression was as dark as everyone else seemed to be.

Shit was I like asking those questions out loud?

Yeah, silas answered.

I frowned, moving to clap my mouth with my hand. Only problem was the knuckle imprinted stone was still in my hand. Yeti jumped forward, plucking the stone out of my hand when it was less than an inch away from smashing into my nose.

“Try not to make it worse,” he begged.

“That is mine,” I pointed to the stone.

He looked down at the stone his eyebrows arching share rocks. I won't steal your rock. I will just keep it safe until it no longer represents a danger to your face

I know date once satisfied. Amor’s chest rumbled a little a laugh barely audible as we walked. I rested my chin against his shoulder against smuggling closer. Blame the exhaustion. His free hand landed on the back of my thigh holding me a little more securely. I fought the urge to wrap my legs announced him yet again but then decided that there wasn't much point in fighting it. I was already growing attached to this Demi gods. Maybe it was because I secretly wanted to be one of them. I wanted to be badass and superior as well. I wanted to take on the gods and have a superpower. I wanted to give me a nickname based on my superpower instead of based on the fact that I was always falling over.

Or…

Or maybe it was all the near death experiences. I suppose that it could form an attachment of sorts. Whatever it was I was giving up fighting it. They could kick me out of the group if they wanted to. they could push me on to my ass and leave me be find. But maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they would keep me and teach me how to be bad as while saving me from getting killed all by the other Jimmy gods out there would definitely not appreciate my new found persona.

I locked my arms tighter around Amor’s neck pulling my legs up around his waist. The hand on his thigh helped automatically sleeping further now near my ass to hold me up. He stopped walking his chest rumbling again. This time it wasn't a laugh. it was a growl.

I was reached away from him suddenly and passed into another set of arms. I wasn't sure if I had been stolen or if Amor had handed me off.

“Not a good idea rocks, pushing a guy with a seduction gift.” Cronas’s voice shot through me cooling heat into places that heat had no right pulling into. Okay what the hell was going on?

“He is a big boy,” I grumbled. “He can handle it.”

That was probably the truth but that wasn't really the issue in the moment. The issue was could I handle it?

I was trying to ignore a very big problem. It took us another day to get back to goodwill and in that time there was always one of the cursor brothers by my side. You usually it was because they were carrying me since it was faster to travel that way and they wouldn't need to stop for too many breaks. I had ventured off on my own for a few minutes though stop we had stopped a few minutes to rest and I had been bursting for bathroom break again. Since all the hell had broken loose the last time I had been bursting for the bathroom I was understandably where as I made my way through the trees trying to find a problem. The problem was the for the right travel the more of my chest began to throb. very soon it was too painful for me to go any further. The pain wasn't as bad as it had been the previous day but as soon as I finished my business and made my way back to the others it lessen.

When I touched one of them resting my arm against Silas as I called back on the ground it disappeared completely. And I stored the information of turning it over and over in my mind.

I didn't want to tell them on the off chance that they used it against me but it the need to say something was becoming increasingly more and more urgent as we fought through the trees back into goodwill. It went completely against my nature not to push out of cronas’s arms and strode away from them. I wanted to find Red and get my lecture out of the way before delivering myself to the healer. If dwellers were even allowed to see the goodwill healers. But I couldn't because I knew on some level the pain of being away from them would cripple me.

Which definitely was not normal. That went beyond the bond formed between people who saved each other's lives. This had everything to do with Rani and his creepy smoke ball of light. Still Cronas apparently new me well enough to know that the normal need soon demand to be set on her feet so he let me down. Ignored the small pinch in my chest and started to straight ahead of them. It did not last long because my dweller legs were super short. They had overtaken me in about 3 minutes and then I was jogging to keep up with them.

We passed the back building of goodwill and the curse search charging past the other demigods as though they owned the whole property and me hurrying to dodge the stunned people who turned to watch them go I didn't know where they were going so it surprised me when they burst write into the dining hall. It was completely empty but the kitchens were bustling with activity so it must have been closed to dinner time. they sat around their table and I hovered behind absolutely despising this new dynamic where I was being forced to follow them around like lost little cub.

Silence noticed me still standing there and moved over a seat holding out the chair between him and amore. I shook my head. He reached over to me and gripped my forearm and dragged me into the chair. I landed heavily assigned grumble sounding and the back of my throat. I need to convince one of them to take me to a healer. Something needed to be done about this forced codependency.

“You going to enroll me in classes too?” I asked Silas my tone dry and slightly annoyed.

He smirked turning on me. “What? You don’t want to be one of us, dirt-dweller?”

I scowled narrowing my eyes at him.”No.” Yes.

He shook his head at me. “Make up your mind.”

“I said no.”

“You also said yes.”

“No I didn’t!”

Amor leaned over his breath against my cheek. “You did,” he confirmed. “But it's OK. You are one of us now. we said we would protect you if you stole the cup and now we will. You are becoming a Cursor is the only way that could happen.”

“What?” I turned on him and then on others. None of them looked shocked. Maybe they had discussed it last night while I had slept. “Are you going to adopt me?” I screeched.

Cronas leapt out of his chair looking disgusted. A few mouths dropped open.

“What?” Choked Silas.

“Am I supposed to be your sister?” I was still speaking in that voice that was part screech. “Are your parents going to adopt me? Are you going to marry me? Isn't that illegal? No wait it's just the procreation between demigods and dwellers that is illegal. I remember clearly now Red told me.” I was clearly rambling at this point but I couldn't stop myself. “So I guess technically marriage is legal but I don't want to get married! And I am too young to get married! I still learn need to learn how to cook! And. And I…”

“ Calm down.” Yeti’s voice washed over me stealing the bubble of words from my mouth. “Sit down.”

“I looked down at my chair. I hadn't even realised that I had jumped out of it full had it been when Cronas jumped out of his? Maybe I had reflexively copied him. Which was weird. I sank back down.

“Take a deep breath Charmaine,” Yeti continue to the smallest of smile spreading across his face. There is no way in hell that you are going to be related to us. He paused meeting Cronas’s stare. Cronas had urged abroad at him. He turned back to me his expression darkening. "Because you are a dweller he needlessly added fool but you are going to stick with us from now on and we will protect you. We will send this message to this Academy that anyone missing you with you is messing with us."

I noted full my eyes falling to the table that could work. It would also help with the pain I felt whenever they want it near me but what would happen when the classes ended for the day and everyone went back to their dorms? I would still have to be near them. They realisation hit me with heavy sickening clarity.

Shit! I cant sleep alone.

“Why not?” Silas blinked at me forcing me to real in my thoughts.

“What?” Either I had lost my damn mind or I accidentally kept saying my thoughts out loud

“Why can't you sleep alone?”

Okay maybe both. I had lost my mind and I kept speaking my thoughts out loud. But I knew I hadn't actually said the last part there was no way unless…

“I am scared,” I lied trying to deflect.