Author's Note: Hi guys! I want to say thank you to everyone who's followed, favorited, and reviewed, I really do look forward to reading your reviews all the time. So here's another chapter, I hope you enjoy. XOXO- Skai.
No one really knew how to explain what had happened in the past twenty minutes, I think we didn't even know what happened ourselves. Truthfully, I didn't care about what had happened. Dylan was alive, and that was what mattered.
After several mumbled and confusing responses to his question, Gazzy shrugged and turned to Dr. Guntherhagan.
"Who are you?" He asked in the blunt way only young children could manage. "I'm Dr. Guntherhagan, now if you'll excuse me, I was trying to get to a point about-." Gazzy interrupted with a puzzled expression, "Dr. Guntherha... what?!"
The doctor pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Dr. Guntherhagan, as I was saying, there is one key thing I've yet to mention."
The tone of his voice implicated bad news, the kind of bad news that Dylan was actually dead and this was a clone, or the worse scenarios that my imagination played out in detail. The color washed out of my face. Noticing, Dr. Guntherhagan chuckled, "No, no, don't get that look. Nobody has died yet." I didn't find that very comforting.
"In fact what I have to say is fairly good news, depending on the way you take it. You see, Dylan is Max's perfect other half." Max, who had been taking a long drink out of a water bottle, sprayed her drink everywhere. "My what?"
Dylan wiped the liquid off his cheek, "I'll pretend not to be offended." I was gaping at him, how could he be so casual about the fact that he was somebody's perfect other half. Somebody's destined soulmate. It didn't seem like an affair to be casual about.
"He's your equal and match in every way," Guntherhagan explained. "This is a good thing, is it not?" The man looked genuinely confused, I would've felt pity for him in another circumstance.
"No," Max said determinedly. "This is not a good thing. My life, my decision," she continued, "and my soulmate or whatever other cheesy crap you want to call him. You don't get to decide for me."
Gazzy and Iggy seemed to have not fully comprehended the situation, but Angel had such a serene expression on her face like she was a therapist. "Honestly, Max, is having someone perfect for you such a bad thing?" It seemed as if therapy was in session, Max the unwilling client, and the Flock the witnesses forced to watch.
Nudge was bubbling with words she had yet to say, but Fang was calm as ever. His face was unreadable.
Angel gave Nudge a scathing look, as if to convey "don't say a word." "Yes, it is bad. It's horrible even. Because I don't even know the guy," Max argued. Dylan looked extremely uncomfortable. Angel fired back, "Then get to know him."
Max's face was flushed. "Like I said, It's my decision!" Fang intervened, "Max doesn't have to do anything she doesn't want to."
Dr. Guntherhagan had a terrified look on his face, as if his world were crumbling before his very eyes. "Why don't we all get some sleep, and broach the topic with fresh eyes in the morning?" He suggested. Max didn't deign him with an answer, she spun on her heel and left. Iggy went after her with a concerned look.
Dylan hunched his shoulders, as if trying to disappear from his spot, curling inwards until his body became a black hole he could be sucked into. His hands were jammed into his pockets and I was able to get a good look at him.
He had sandy blonde hair, bleached gold in the sun, turquoise eyes, and a build to rival any male model. He was attractive, but I wasn't attracted to him. It would have been like loving my brother.
Fang stood behind me, I could feel him watching my every move. It wasn't the kind of watching I usually got from him though, this kind was not full of love and adoration. It was full of assessment and analyzing. He was watching me to see how I felt about Dylan. It was as if I was feeling walls go up around him. Only I couldn't tell if it made him untouchable or me untouchable for the time being.
His gaze set me on edge, I could feel the fire pulsing in my veins. It burned slightly, as if singeing me from the inside out. The pain was bearable until it reached my forearms. I hissed and stumbled back, bracing my arms against my middle.
Fang's eyes widened before he started toward me. "Are you okay?" I didn't have time to answer. I could feel the heat like a living force inside me, begging to be released. I tried to bring my ice towards my hands, it worked, but it wasn't painless.
I grit my teeth and sank to the ground. The fire seemed to retreat, but it was in such a way that the cat slinks back into the night. You await it's next return and find a way that it won't kill you at a vulnerable time.
"What's wrong?" Concern and hints of fear colored his face as he placed his palm along the ridges of my spine. He bit back a yowl leapt away from me, shaking his hand. "It's the fire," I felt ashamed that I had hurt him, yet again.
Unlike the ice, which depended on me thinking clearly and being level-headed to work, the fire came forth every time I felt an emotion just a little bit too intense. I was surprised the self-loathing I felt at that moment didn't awaken it again.
I hated hurting people, I hated being the cause to someone's pain. I had been dealt too many hands of pain before to ever want another to go through the same.
Slowly, I felt my body cool down. I sensed Fang as he moved to me once more but this time he gathered me to him without fear. "I'm sorry," I mumbled. I was content enough with Fang that I almost forgot Dylan and the doctor were watching. I pulled away to see Dylan gaping at me.
"Fire?" He asked very quietly. "Fire?" His voice rose. I nodded. "What did they do to you?" I winced at the way it sounded like an accusation. "It's not just ice, but now fire?" "Yes," I tried to keep my voice, to not portray the pain I felt at that moment.
Then I realized his accusation wasn't directed at me, or the School, it was directed at himself. "I'm so sorry." I hated that the first time I saw him in years had to revolve around the things it did.
"It's not your fault," I told him. "A girl named A-, a girl gave it to me as she was dying." I didn't want to say her name, not yet. Though I hadn't known her for very long, I was reminded of her absence with every scathing surge of power I felt. I wished she hadn't died. More than anything.
"Why?" I had been asking myself the same question since she did it. The best answer I could give was, "I don't know." Dr. Guntherhagan looked enamored at the sight of me. "Fire and ice? Both. I have to run some tests. DNA, hair, blood-." "No," Fang said sternly. "She's not a science experiment for you to ogle at. She's a person, one that you won't take advantage of."
I felt a strong surge of affection for Fang in that moment. "Now if you'll excuse us," Fang grasped my hand and lifted it up for show. "We're leaving." Dylan rushed toward me, "Can I talk to you later?"
As much as I loved Dylan, discovering he was alive took a lot out of me. I was unsure and confused and I needed a bit of time. "Can we talk in the morning?" He seemed a bit disappointed but he understood. "Sure."
Max's POV:
I couldn't think. Everything was just a big jumble of tangled and incoherent thoughts floating around in my head. I found myself an abnormally large rock to perch on as I tried to make sense of everything.
Some rustling behind me made me spin around. It was Iggy, "Hey." "Hey." I turned back around, looking up at the night sky. The darkness had turned a somewhat lighter indigo, it was in the early hours of the morning. The moon was a small crescent hanging in the sky. It gave me something to focus on when I felt like I couldn't.
Iggy joined me on the rock. We didn't speak, but he was there. His warmth rolled into my side comfortably. It was the sort of silence that you didn't feel the need to fill with words, it was just already full.
I glanced at Iggy. The fine planes and angles of his face were darkened but still just as sharp and precise as ever. He had delicate cheekbones that were slightly feminine, but his broad shoulders made him seem anything but. He had blue eyes that were misted with blindness and strawberry blonde hair.
I felt like he had grown up a bit in the past few months, he'd changed. But then again, hadn't we all? When Patrick mentioned Angel getting bigger, it had struck me stupid just how big she'd gotten. She had now reached a height of 5 feet 2 inches and her face had thinned out.
It seemed Iike everything was changing too fast. First the Flock was growing up, just when Skylar had seemed to fully integrate into the group, Angel predicted she might die, and Dylan showed up. My supposed other half.
I realized it wasn't that I couldn't think, I didn't want to. I sighed and leaned into Iggy. Resting my head on his shoulder, I felt safe.
Skylar's POV:
The Flock had dispersed gradually so it was only Fang and I walking back to our tents. His hand was warm in mine. I liked him, a lot. More than I would care to admit. It was a great feeling, but it scared me. The feeling itself was part of it, but it was more so the fact that it could be taken away from me in a moment's notice.
When we entered the tent, I struck with the fact that I had no idea what to do then. Luckily, it didn't take long for Fang long to speak his mind. "Do you love Dylan?" This had been why he was analyzing me, he was uncertain.
"Yes," he grimaced. "Like a brother," I finished. He ran a hand through his shaggy, jet black hair. "You're positive?" I didn't hesitate in answer, "Positive."
He seemed a bit relieved and I felt his walls come down, but tension remained in his frame. "Angel said you were going to die." There was the awful truth I had been trying to ignore and sort through at the same time. "We all die."
"But she doesn't predict the rest of the Flock's death, and she said you would be the first to die." "You don't know what that means, none of us do. It could just mean I'll die of old age before the rest of you." "Or it might be Dylan who's the one who dies." Another thing I was trying to pretend didn't exist, wasn't predicted, and wasn't real. My imagination got the best of me.
Fang's voice was nearly a whisper as he said, "I can't lose you." "You won't," I assured him, I didn't want to leave or die. I didn't want to lose him as well. "I won't let it happen," he seemed to be convincing himself.
He then closed the distance between us and planted his lips firmly on my mouth. His hands ran up and down my arms, as if confirming I was real. I kissed him back passionately. All thoughts flew out of my head.
I was consumed with Fang and only him. It was a nice feeling, it was an amazing feeling. It was Fang.
It was difficult when we finally pulled away, to stop. I didn't want to.
Author's Note: Here's a bit of a long chapter for you guys. Hope you enjoyed! Please review, follow and favorite. Thanks. XOXO- Skai.
