Chapter 22

I woke up what seems like hours later. It felt like 3 because I was pretty tired and I could just go to sleep. I took in my surroundings though surprised I was still alive. I was pretty sure whoever it was in the forest would've killed me on the spot even with Rebeca right there. I looked around and saw I was in for all intents and purposes a jail cell. I was in a room. A pretty nice room but could smell the bar on the other side of the door to keep me in. the walls were stone. The floor was wood but I could feel the concrete underneath them. I decided not to try and test the strength of my restraints. I sighed, not seeing Rebeca. It always seemed like after I was knocked out or something that she was always there. But not this time. I sighed and curled up in a ball on my bed and started weeping silently. Tears rolling off my face. I hoped I would see Rebeca again before the end. It felt like my days were numbered. I cried more, sobbing quietly but I couldn't suppress the noise. How would they explain my disappearance to my parents. Some horrible accident gone wrong, or right in their position... I cried more and more than before and I cried myself to sleep.

**

I yawned when I woke up and I looked around still no Rebeca and still in the same jail room. I looked around again and saw a gallon of water sitting on the desk. I walked over to it, it hadn't been there when I had gone to sleep or I would've drank, but no message. I shrugged and chugged the gallon down. Was this my last meal? It shouldn't have even counted as a meal. Now look what you did.... You let the pray get away and now your thirsty! The voice screamed at me but I tried to shut it out, but it was hard. I took a deep breath and calmed myself. I sat down on the bed, not sure what to do. I heard footsteps walking outside my room and I looked up to the door.

"Mich... Are you awake?" I heard Rebeca's voice through the door. I got up and walked over to it quickly.

"Yes Rebeca," I said. I could tell, even without seeing her that she smiled.

"That's good. I'm trying to get them to spare you..." She trailed.

"How's it going?" I asked.

"Not half bad. I did have to tell them about the forest, about the... voice. But telling them of your restraint has helped our case, it's before the council. Salina would have you killed on the spot but I appealed to the coucil. They are the only ones who can veto her decision with a ¾ majority," She said.

"3/4 majority... That's pretty high," I said.

"I know... It's a long shot but... It's better than you dying without me even trying," She said.

"I know that, thank you," I said. I put my head to the door.

"I wish I could see you... Hold you again," I said saddly.

"I know, me too," she said. I could feel the heat from her cheek on the door and I put my cheek on her's if the door wasn't in the way. I heard her sigh contently and I smiled.

"They have a guard at the door and it's a little awkward..." She trailed.

"Yeah," I said and got up.

"Thank you... For everything," I said.

"Me too," She responded.

"The council has made a decision, I need to go," She said. I had heard another pair of footsteps come close. Probably a messenger.

"Go love," I whispered and I heard her footsteps. I sighed and sat down on the bed. I didn't know how long it was going to take and I saw a digital clock on the nightstand that said 10:20. It was a little early and decided to try and go to sleep again. I took a deep breath and laid my head down on the pillow and too slowly drifted to sleep.

**

I woke up a few hours later, it was about 12 so that was better. My sleep cycle had changed dramatically, I went to bed now at 3 and woke up around 12. I felt the cloth tight around my feet like someone was sitting near there and looked up and I saw Rebeca's smiling face. I smiled at her and she dove on top of me and hugged me tightly and kissed me furiously before I could even speak. She was stronger than before, well... Not really stronger but more desperate is more like it. That made me panic a little and she felt it in our kisses.

"Something wrong?" She asked me.

"What's going to happen to me?" I asked her. She sighed and pulled away.

"Your going to stay with me, and we are going to live together... Have children... And grow old together," She told me and I smiled at her and she did the same back.

"So the council let me live?" I asked. She smiled and nodded. I hugged her harder. You know what you want. She saved you just to become your pray... The voice trailed but I shut it out vigorously when me and Rebeca continued our kissing. I acutely became aware of another presence in the room that I hadn't felt before. Rebeca and I broke off and I saw a Fist in the corner of the room just watching us.

"That's not awkward at all," I said sarcastically nodding to the fist.

"Yeah... A attachment that the council granted Salina was that we were to have a guard in the form of a Fist in any room that we were together," She explained. I sighed. She did too. I heard a knock at the door and Rebeca's mom walked into the room. She didn't look very happy the way we were, Rebeca on top of me in bed, still fully clothed though.

"Time to catch the plane home," She said.

"5 minutes," She said. I nodded as did Rebeca. She rolled her eyes as she left. Rebeca got off me and sat at the edge of the bed and I did as well. She smiled, but not in the normal way.

"Hungry?" I asked her. She nodded and I tilted my head from her and she bit deep into my neck.

"I haven't had any since before we left..." She trailed in a muffled voice against my neck as she drank from me. My eyes started to roll back from her drinking but about a minute later she stopped. I looked up to her and smiled, she smiled back and I could feel that the wound was already a very small scar. I grinned back.

"I guess we should get going. Your stuff has already gotten packed," she told me. I nodded and we headed out. The Fist that was assigned to us led us to the private airport where out plane would take us home. Me and Rebeca boarded and we took a seat near the rear of the plane. The guard sat behind us, she, from the shape of her armor, hadn't even said a word since she had assigned us and through out the entire plane ride.

"You tired?" I asked Rebeca, she nodded. I smiled.

"I'm trying to adjust to your sleeping cycle but it's proving difficult," She told me. I smiled and stroke her hair.

"It's ok. You don't have to if it's difficult," I said.

"But..." She trailed.

"No buts, I don't want you to be exhausted in the middle of the day," I told her.

"Fine," She said in defeat. I smiled and she laid her head on my lap and stretched her body over the few couple of seats that were empty, it was a huge plane for only 5 or 6 people that were on it now. I continued to stroke her hair until she was asleep, and even after I kept stroking. Her silky brown lockes easily slipping through my fingers... I saw the Fist walk into my field of vision and sit down on the opposite side of me and Rebeca. I sighed and tried to ignore her but I just couldn't.

"Do you mind?" I asked her. She nodded her head. I sighed and looked back down at Rebeca. I leaned down to her and kissed her cheek. Rebeca smiled in her sleep and probably unconsciously, snuggled closer to me, I smiled and stroke her hair even more, soothingly. Every hour or so she would stir slightly, I would never get tired of her and I stroke her hair the entire night. It was about 5 in the morning when we landed and about an hour later we were sitting in the car, I woke Rebeca up gently when the airplane landed. She was asleep again on my lap. It was about 7 when we reached Rebeca's house. I picked up Rebeca and she snuggled closer to me and I smiled and set her down in her bedroom and kissed her forehead and she smiled, I smiled too. Quick. When no one is looking! The voice said. I shook my head of the voice and left and I gathered my things and set them in the trunk of her mom's car and she drove me to my house. We still had a week off of school. I wandered into the house with my things.

"So how was London?" My mother's voice asked me.

"It was ok. I didn't get to do much sight seeing though," I told her. She nodded.

"They had told me that it was a business trip but didn't say the business," She said.

"Family business," I told her. She nodded.

"Ok. You ok, nothing bad happed?" She asked me. I sighed.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing I couldn't deal with," I said.

"But..." She trailed.

"Mom, I'm a little tired," I told her. I hadn't lied much. I was a little tired.

"Ok sweetie. Sweet dreams," She called as I entered my room. I flopped down on the bed and sighed.