Chapter 30
Secrets
I hated this more than I let on, though, the the others knew that. I hated having to hear everything Nova was thinking, even worse, having him hear everything I was thinking.
'Can you at least try to keep your thoughts clean. It's bad enough that you have to lean in on my every move, but you can at least try your best to not think such repulsive things.' I thought to him as he smirked stupidly at Stars plan.
'It's only repulsive to you.' he countered smugly.
'Will you two please pay attention?' Star mentally snapped at us before she continued.
"As I was saying, I think it would be best if me, Shadow, and Nova went out and scouted the area." Star said to the rest of the flock, out loud.
"Is that really necessary? I mean as long as we stay within the cliff we should be fine right?" Iggy said, hating the thought of leaving me semi-alone with Nova again.
Iggy had, had a mental breakdown when he found out about the thought circle going around. He didn't want Nova to gain some kind of leverage on me. Oh yea of little faith.
"The barrier won't last forever, and when it fails I want to have a safe path to follow so we all can escape alive." Star shot back at him, starting to get frustrated. "Now, any other objections before we get on our way?"
"Why do you guys have to be the only ones to go? I mean no offence, but you don't even have wings." Iggy said, still determined to keep me and Nova apart.
"It would be a lot safer if us three do it. We would know if another was in danger. Plus, it would be good training. Something those two both need desperately."
'Hey, we're not that bad!' Nova thought.
'Think for yourself!' I thought back.
'Will you two please stop your bickering!' Star yelled at us mentally.
"Now if anyone besides Iggy has an objection, we'll be on our way." Star said outloud.
"Wait!" Iggy shouted as we started to take off. "Can I talk to you for a sec Shadow?"
I landed next to Iggy, knowing what he wanted to talk about. "You guys go ahead, I'll catch up…"
Iggy grabbed my hand and we started to walk through the forest. "Shadow, you promised."
"What did I promise?" I asked, trying to stall him.
"That you'd show me your neck." he replied.
"Umm, hey look, it's a butterfly!"
"Me and you both know that if there was a butterfly, you wouldn't be able to see it. Stop stalling."
"Fine." I said, showing him the wrong side of my neck.
"Shadow."
"Ugg, are you sure you wanna see it?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing…"
"Show me!"
"Okay, okay!"
'If you don't wanna show him, then don't!' nova thought to me, he was flying back to us…
'Don't you dare come back over here Nova. If you do so help me-' I thought back.
'Okay, okay! Fine!'
"Shadow?" Iggy asked.
"Sorry, Nova's being a butt." I replied.
"You gonna show me or not?"
I sighed in defeat and pulled down my collar the rest of the way. I winced as Iggy cried out in surprise, this wasn't the thing he had been suspecting.
On my neck was a mangled scar were an eraser named Two had once bitten me. Not wanting to worry the others I have kept it a secret. Guess the cat's out of the bag now…
"Shadow? What is that?" Iggy said hoarsly.
"It's a scar." I said with fake calmness, trying to make it sound as if it was no big deal. "Well, you've seen it, and I've kinda gotta go now so…"
I stretched out my wings hoping to take of before he was able to speak again, but of course, he stopped me.
"And you didn't want to show us this before because?"
"Didn't want to worry you, it's no big deal."
Iggy shook his head, trying to clear it. I could tell he was sure that that wasn't the only reason. He knows me too well.
"If it was no big deal, you would have shown it to us by now. How recently did this happen?"
"When the rest of you where at the lake, right before you found me and told me about Star. Before that I just didn't want to show off my birthmark." I admitted.
"You were attacked!" he cried out in surprise.
"Yes…" I said, cursing myself for telling him.
'Shadow, can you hurry it up?' Star asked me telepathically.
'One sec…' I thought back.
"Who attacked you?" Iggy said to me, not noticing my momentary pause.
"An eraser."
"Why do I have a feeling that it wasn't some ordinary eraser?"
"Because it wasn't… but I'll have to tell you about it later." I rushed as Star made the decision to turn around and come get me. "Star is starting to get impatient…"
"Fine, be careful ok?" He said, I could tell that if he wasn't so distracted by his thoughts, he wouldn't have let me go.
I flew over to where Star and Nova were waiting by the edge of the cliff.
'Finally, I thought she would never get here.' Nova thought, blushing as he remembered that I could hear it.
'Let's get this over with.' I thought grumpily as I grabbed one of Star's arms.
Nova grabbed the other and we flew her down to the bottom of the cliff.
I probably could have carried her on my own she was so light, but better safe than sorry…
'So, I guess I'll take the low ground and you guys take the high ground?' she thought uncertainly.
'I would have thought that once we were out of the barrier the black mist would attack us…' Nova thought.
'No, to the mist, we are invisible. It does not matter if we land on the ground, only if most people do.' Star explained.
"Be careful Star, I'm gonna take the right." I said outloud.
'Okay.' Star replied as I took off.
(end of chapter 30)