Don’t Walk Away- Chapter 9

Don’t Walk Away
….Chapter 9

My breath caught in my throat as I gazed at Hunter’s new face. In my memory he kept his human face. His natural gothic look was something I had become accustomed too, but now… I had no words to describe how beautiful he was.
His normal black hair now shone and shimmered in a wild way. It was messed up in such perfection that no hair artist could create, and his normal brown eyes were now shimmering silver, just like the Moon’s.
He nodded at Cole, “Now show her you. She’ll be able to tell the difference between good and evil soon enough.”
Cole shook his head in fear and I looked at him, “Its ok. Don’t be bullied by him. His ego is way up here,” I put my hand above my head.
Hunter shook his head and snorted with laughter. Cole glared at him. I groaned, wondering when my eyes were going to start watering with the testosterone rolling through the air.
“Time out!” I made a T with my hands, “Cut it out, you two! Why can’t we all just get along?”
That’s when Hunter and Cole burst out laughing together.
“With that jerk?” They both said at the exact same time, pointing at the other. They glared at each other before both dropping their hands.
“Or softly lightens o'er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express: How pure, how dear their dwelling place.” Hunter said softly to himself. I stared at him as if he’d gone crazy.
Cole muttered something crude under his breath before explaining, “She Walks in Beauty. Very famous.”
“Do you even remember what the word beauty means, or are you still caught up in your awfulness?” Hunter teased like a child.
Cole shot a glance at him before looking back at me, quoting the poem as well; A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent!” He took my hand and went to lead me back inside, but suddenly Hunter was between the door and Cole.
“Don’t touch her,” Hunter hissed at Cole. “You have no right. She’s mine.”
Cole raised his eyebrows, “Let me guess, you pledged yourself to her?”
Hunter nodded, “Yes I did, meaning she is mine to love and protect. I can kill you if I want and get away with it.”
Cole laughed, “In case you don’t know, she can agree to more than one pledge. She can have more than one fey protecting her for all eternity.”
“Wait,” I interrupted, “Am I immortal?”
“Yes.” Cole said, “Now, a matter of business. And to stick it up Hunter,” Cole knelt in front of me, “Will you be my master? I pledge to honour, love, protect and cherish everything you were, are, and will be. Please say yes.”
“Put a hold on this for a minute,” I said, “This isn’t marriage is it?”
Cole shook his head, “No. But if you say yes, I am your warrior forever, unless I get killed.”
I was about to shake my head and refuse to let him protect me to the point of death, but Hunter pipped up.
“Cole’s very dramatic. This is a matter of pride for him. If you refuse his offer, then he must stay away from you forever. And if he feels really special, he might kill himself.” He grinned, “I pledged myself to you once before, and you said yes. So I am your number one protector!”
I grimaced, and then looked back at Cole, still kneeling on the ground, “How do I agree?” Cole said nothing.
Hunter stopped smiling, “He’s tongue is tied. He’s not allowed to talk until you agree. Let’s run off, leaving him here for a while, so he won’t be able to move or talk! That would be fun!” He sniggered to himself.
“Tell me the words to agree,” I growled.
Hunter looked at me startled then whispered something in my ear.
“Is that it?” I asked in surprise, “That’s kind of stupid.”
He nodded then backed away, a glint in his eyes.
“Cole,” I said nervously, hoping that this wasn’t another of Hunter’s childish pranks, “I accept your offer. You are now my warrior. Everything I say, goes. Every order I make, you do. And every opinion I stake, you will back up. Now rise.” My voice slipped on the last two words. I didn’t like having control over someone else.
Cole got up from the ground and embraced me. We hugged for a long time, and when I looked over at Hunter, all I saw was his back as he walked away from us both. I felt an overwhelming need to run to him and tell him everything was ok between us. Instead I called to him, “Hunter, don’t walk away from me anymore.” Tears overflowed from my eyes. They fell on my hand as I stepped away from Cole’s hug and took a few steps towards Hunter’s retreating form.
Hunter paused in his walking and turned back towards me, “You’ve just made it impossible for me to be your warrior.”
“Why?” I nearly screamed at him, “Why can’t you two just coexist?”
Hunter pointed at Cole, “Because he’s an evil son of a donkey.” He said simply.
“Will you both just shut up?” I screamed, “He’s evil! No, he’s evil! I’ve just had enough! Will you both give it a rest with the hating? Whatever came between you two in the first place, be it someone’s evil, just get over it already!”
Hunter and Cole eyed each other awkwardly, but remained silently.
“What now?” I sighed, “The screaming put you off?”
“Ah, not exactly,” Cole said, “Just, the, uh, thing that came between us in the first place.”
“Well?” I demanded, “What was it?”
Hunter half-whispered, but my ears caught it, “It was you.”
I felt the Earth shift under my feet, “Well, then, just get over me then.”
“It’s not that easy,” Hunter said, “You chose me, but now, you’re choosing him. I can’t just move on from that.”
My heart stopped in my chest, and then I ran up to Hunter, hugging him like I hugged Cole only a few moments ago. I felt Hunter kiss the top of my head, and then the tips of my faerie ears that were poking from my hair, being bigger and pointier than my original set.
“Willow,” He whispered the name I would now go by, now that I knew Janice was not mine.
I held onto him tighter, but Hunter put a finger under my chin, lifting my face, where his lips met mine.
We broke the kiss, as I heard the door to the house clang shut as Cole went back inside.
I turned towards the shut door and then back to Hunter. He smiled softly and it hurt me to tell him, “I have to go. So do you.” I gave him a peck on the cheek.
I went to the front door and I looked back at Hunter. He took a cigarette from his back pocket and lit it. My head instantly felt weak and dizzy. I slumped to my knees, and heard Hunter yelling my name.
Cole had come over, “Put that out, you moron,” he snapped at Hunter, “She’s still a Faerie; she doesn’t have the same immune system you do while you’re in your human form!”
Hunter cursed in fear and desperation, and I heard a cigarette being crushed under his foot.
“Fool,” I whispered, while my throat felt like sawdust; raw and burnt. I wouldn’t be surprised if I started coughing up blood next. As a matter of fact, I did.
I leant my head to the side and coughed again, red mixing with my saliva. I looked up at Cole, whose hands were supporting my head.
“Hunter’s getting help, ok? Hang in their,” Cole muttered over and over again under his breath.
“But I only smelt it from a distance,” I said, coughing some more blood up. I started hyperventilating at the sight of my own blood all over the ground.

*I haven't finished this chapter yet- more to come*