by Sara Daniell
I look to the side and notice the waitress waiting patiently with my food in her hand. I laugh and quickly sit down. She sets my food down, and I thank her. I look up at Plath who is smiling softly, and I smile back.
“Are you still not going to eat?” I ask.
“I ate at the hospital while I was waiting to get released.”
“Oh… Okay.” I start eating and notice Plath is still staring at me, smiling. “What are you thinking right now?” I ask him.
“I’m just trying to process it all. I have never felt like this before.”
“It isn’t going to be weird between us now, is it?” I ask.
He laughs. “Maybe a little. But not enough to scare me away.”
I look up from my food at him. “We could pretend the kiss never happened and go back to hating each other.”
He shakes his head and scrunches his eyebrows together. “That is a really, really bad idea.”
Kate has been blowing my phone up lately and so has my academic adviser. I have ignored them both. I feel bad for avoiding them after all they did for me, but it’s for the best. I had to leave, severing relationships like ripping off a Band-Aid. Quick and without warning. Plath said it’d be easier that way.
“The mountains are amazing.”
“Colorado is one of the most beautiful places on earth.”
A few moments pass in silence while I marvel at the beauty of Louisville, my new home for the moment. But as beautiful as it is, I want to go home to Dandux.
“How do we get back to our Sphere?” I ask as Plath drives towards our new apartment.
“Why do you want to know? I thought I made it clear that we can’t go back. It would be suicide,” he says as he keeps his eyes on the road.
“I was thinking that maybe we could sneak back.” He lets go of my hand and rubs the back of his neck.
“That’s a horrible idea, Orion.” He looks at me for a brief, intense moment and then looks back at the road.
“I don’t think it is. I think it’s a damn good one. I bet I could find Nikolai there.”
“Are you still stuck on finding him?” His words drip with frustration.
“He killed Sage! I will kill him if it’s the last thing I do.”
“He is not someone you want to mess with. Just leave it alone, okay?”
“I can’t leave it alone!” I cross my arms over my chest.
“You don’t know him or what you are up against. If you did, you would not be so eager to try to kill him.”
“I don’t have to know him to be able to kill him. If you know him so well, then you should know where to find him. You should also know his weak points. Please help me with this!” I beg.
“I will not help you with something that will get you killed.”
“Well, we need to go back anyways. I need to at least tell my family that the Constable is planning something horrible.”
He laughs. “And what will you tell them when they ask you what it is?”
“I will tell them that I don’t know. I will explain to them what you told me about not having a way to tell me what it is.” I look at him, and he is still laughing.
“They will think you are crazy.”
“They might believe me. I have to at least try.” I’m annoyed that he thinks this is silly.
Plath pulls into our parking space without saying another word about it and grabs the few groceries we picked up from the back. I unlock the door, and we both go in. I sit on the counter and watch him put the groceries away.
“So, it’s final then. You refuse to help me with this?” I ask, my eyes begging for him to change his mind.
He puts up the last object and stands directly in front of me. “Yes, I refuse to help you get yourself killed. It’s not safe to go back there, and it’s not safe to find Nikolai. I’m not discussing this anymore.”
I pout and say, “I think I liked you more when you wanted to kill me.”
He laughs and kisses me. “If you can come up with a good plan, that will actually work, I may consider helping you.”
“Seriously?”
He smiles. “Yes.”
I spend the next few hours coming up with a plan, while Plath cooks us something to eat.
“IT’S BEST IF we find Nikolai and kill him before we go back to the Sphere. I want him dead more than anything. When we sneak back into the Sphere, I want to go to Dandux to talk to my parents and Felix. I also need to tell Sage’s parents what happened. As hard as it will be, they deserve to know.” I also plan on marching myself up to the Constable right after I expose their lies. I leave that part out, though. Everyone who lives in the Sphere deserves to know there is a world outside of our own and that the Constable have been lying and hiding a big secret.
Plath doesn’t say a word until I’m done explaining my plan. He takes a drink and looks at me. His expression is hard for me to read. “Are you finished?” I nod.
“Let me make sure I understood you. First we find Nikolai, kill him, and then go to Dandux to warn your family and give Sage’s family closure?”
“Yes, and then we can come straight back here.”
He looks thoughtful for a moment and then says, “First of all, your plan is a load of shit. It isn’t even a plan. It’s a list of events, not well planned at all. Second of all, I don’t think we will have to look very hard for Nikolai. He is most likely searching for us. We just have to make it easy for him to find us.”
I feel a nervous pull in my gut. “Okay. How?”
“Just sit and wait. You and Sage killed a lot of the Hunters on his team. Even worse, you altered the mind of one of them.” He smiles and continues talking, “He is probably looking for you himself. I doubt he sends any more of his team to get slaughtered.”
“Okay… That sounds easy.”
“It won’t be easy to kill him though. The best time to kill him would be when he least expects it. It’s best if you act like you’re scared and make him feel like he has already won. Don’t let him see how strong you are.”
“You are talking like you won’t be there to help me?”
“I won’t be. I will be close, but he won’t come if I’m with you.”
“Why not?”
“He just won’t.” His expression is serious.
“I don’t get it. It sounds like he is the king of whoop-ass.” I laugh.
“I was supposed to be the leader of the group. I was the strongest, most focused - you get my point. Nikolai is much older than I am, and I wanted more training before I took a leader position, not while I’m in my twenties. He knows that I know his weaknesses because we trained together. He doesn’t want to pick a fight with me. I can assure you.”
“So, when are you leaving?” I ask, sort of doubting this whole idea and shocked he is allowing me to go through with it.
“Whenever you are ready. I can assure you it won’t be long, and he will be here. You just have to promise me you will kill that bastard.”
A wicked smile forms on my lips. “You don’t have to worry about that. How is he going to know you are gone?” I ask as I stand from the table.
He stands up as well and starts picking up the mess from dinner. “I can guarantee we are being watched right now. If they see me leave, he won’t hesitate.”
I look up at him and say, “You said they?”
“Yes, I did. He probably has Hunters watching us, and they will notify him when you are most defenseless.” I shudder a bit as I think how badly this could end.
“You are seriously going to let me do this?” I ask him skeptically. He is being too easy. This isn’t like him.
He laughs and immediately looks frustrated. “Hell no! You mean after everything I just told you, you are still willing to go through with it? I figured you would back out of it! You are so stupid!”
Now I’m pissed. I thought he was being serious. How could he joke with me like this?
“Yes! Do you not realize how important this is to me? How could you lead me on
to believe you were going to allow me to do this? You are an insensitive jack-ass!” I grab my messenger bag and start loading my pistol.
“What are you doing?” Plath asks as he tries to take my gun away, but I already have it loaded pointed at him.
“I’m doing this whether you like it or not!”
“Are you seriously pointing your gun at me?” He yells in pure shock.
“I’m not letting anything get in my way! Not even you!” I scream.
Plath backs away from me, and I put the gun safely down at my side. I feel bad for overreacting like that, but I won’t let anything get in the way of me killing Nikolai. I wouldn’t kill Plath. I just need him to realize how serious I am about this.
I’m doing my best to keep my voice calm and say, “Plath, I would never shoot you. The safety was on the whole time. I just wish you could support me in this.”
“Why would I support you in doing something that could get you hurt or killed?” He leans against the wall; his expression hardens, but his voice is calmer somehow. “You know what, Orion? Go! Go get your stupid ass killed. And you think I’m selfish for not wanting you to go! You need to take a good, long look in the mirror so you can see the correct definition of selfish.”
I hesitate and almost don’t leave. But I have to do this. I place my gun in my boot and throw my messenger bag over my shoulder. I pull the hood of my jacket over my head and look at Plath, who refuses to look at me, before walking out of the door.
I walk, trying to find a dark, secluded area where I will appear to be defenseless. But then it hits me. This is stupid. I pull out my phone and text Plath, letting him know that I’m sorry, and I’m on my way home. I try to call him when he doesn’t text me back, but he doesn’t answer. Damn, he is pissed. I’m not sure how we will work on our dysfunctional relationship after the stunt I just pulled. He probably hates me.
I unlock the door and notice all of the lights are off. I quietly call out Plath’s name as I switch on the light. I jump and tightly grip my messenger bag when I see a hooded figure sitting on my couch.
“It is pretty preposterous, isn’t it? Walking into your home, where you are supposed feel safe, untouched… Unharmed?” I laugh as he speaks. Every word meant to seduce me into his trap.
“Go to hell.” I’m contemplating a slow, painful death and watching closely for his moment of weakness. His skeletal frame gives me a slight boost of confidence. Although he probably has great aim, at least I know I could take him down if weapons aren’t involved.
His smile is atrocious and his laugh obnoxious. “Are you not happy with me, child? I thought you would be filled with joy to see your friend dangling from the fence post. Her body lifeless and her skin in shreds - unrecognizable.”
I shudder as the image replays itself in my mind. The image doesn’t sadden me anymore. Instead, it ignites a fury so strong not even he, as smart as he is, will be able to win. I take the small knife from my pocket and grip it tightly in my hand. The knife is sharp, and I feel it slice into the palm of my hand.
He stands up and turns his back to me, looking out the window. I slowly stalk towards him, and when I get close enough to touch him, he turns around with a gun to my head.
“Do you honestly think you can kill me?” He shoves the gun harder into my temple, and his face is inches from mine. His breath reeks of death.
“I can, and I will.” I try to keep my expression emotionless and my voice calm.
He laughs and then falls silent, staring at me without blinking. I look at him and wonder why he isn’t moving. I back away, and he doesn’t follow. What is going on?
He exhales deeply and gasps for air as if he’s stopped breathing. “What did you just do to me?”
I stutter, readying my knife, preparing to kill him. “I-I don’t know what you are talking about!” I’m confused what his question is referring to, but I figure it’s an attempt to distract me.
While he stands close to me, possibly pretending to be confused of something to distract me, I quickly move the knife to a threatening position and stab him in his heart, twisting and maneuvering the knife to be sure he cannot survive its blow. His eyes grow large and fixate on mine as he realizes what I’ve done. Die, you stupid bastard. His blood oozes as hot oil would, slow but steady. His blood is thick, black, and cold just like his heart. I kick his lifeless body to the side, feeling empowered by his death.
I make it the hallway before falling to my knees, overwhelmed by the fact that I just killed who I hope was Nikolai. I’m shocked at how easy that was. Plath was right; there must have been Hunters watching. But where is Plath? My heart speeds up, and I start panicking when I begin to think the worst. What if something happened to him? I scream his name, checking every room of our apartment. I run for the front door, and when I open it, I run into Plath.
His eyes look past me and to the Hunter lying lifeless on the floor. He walks over to him and nudges his head with his boot, revealing his face. “Nikolai…”
He turns to look at me and says, “Are you happy now!” His tone is cold and bitter.
I nod my head and lean against the wall. He stares fiercely at me and then looks away. He puts his hands in his pockets and looks down at his feet.
“Orion, I’m leaving. This isn’t going to work between us. I can’t allow it to go any further than admitting our feelings for one another.”
I feel sick to my stomach and like I have been stabbed in the back. “No… You can’t leave me here alone!”
“You don’t need me. You only care about yourself.” He looks down at Nikolai and says, “You proved that to me tonight.”
“That is not true!” I want to cry, but for some reason I fight the tears, trying to remain strong.
His laugh is cold and distant. “Yes, it is. I’m not willing to grow more attached to you only to watch you do something stupid and die. You think you are smart as hell and don’t listen to anything I say.”
I look at Nikolai’s dead body. “I didn’t die! I killed him! And just because I’m in a relationship with you doesn’t mean you get to be my boss!”
He sighs heavily. “If I’ve learned anything about you in the short time we have known each other, it’s that once you set your mind to something, even if it risks you dying, you won’t let anything stop you.”
“And is that a bad thing? I did what was right! He killed my best friend, dammit! Why can you not support me in this?”
“Killing him didn’t bring her back, Orion! Would you please wake the hell up? You have a guy standing in front of you who cares more for you than you will allow yourself to believe! But you are too selfish to see that! You almost took something from me that has given my life a new purpose!”
“Took what from you!” I scream.
“You, dammit! You! How many times do I have to explain this to you for you to understand!” He yells and runs his hands through his messy hair.
Who am I kidding? I’m not at a point in my life where I can be in a relationship with someone. I probably never will be. I stand up a bit straighter. “You know what? You’re right! I’m too selfish to care about someone else’s needs. So, it’s best if you go.”
He punches the wall and curses. He looks at me and then starts laughing as if he is losing his mind. I look away, trying to avoid feeling sorry for him.
I take a deep breath and let it out. I’m sure what I’m about to ask is going to piss him off, but I have to know. “Before you go… Can you please tell me how to get back to the Sphere?”
He looks away from me and over to Nikolai, whose blood is all over the wooden floor. “I can’t believe you are asking this of me.”
“If you don’t help, I will just figure it out on my own.”
“You know what… How about I just take you there myself?” His tone lacks any emotion.
“You would do that?”
“I would rather get you there myself than you try to figure it out on your own.” I can see it all over his face that I’m crushing
him.
“Thank you, Plath,” I say, but he doesn’t reply. There is a huge wall between us now. If the situation was different I would try to further a relationship with him, but my family is in danger. I have to try to make it back to my Sphere to warn them. Even if that means dying.
On our way to Thailand, Plath barely says a word, and when he does have to talk to me, he is a total ass. I’m thankful for Sage hoarding money so I can do things without worrying about money and not having to ask Plath to help pay.
After we make it out of the airport, I’m shocked when Plath speaks Thai to a man in a taxi. I listen to them converse with raised eyebrows. It makes sense, though. He would have to know Thai if this is where the portal is between Earth and the Sphere.
Plath doesn’t say a word to me while we ride in the taxi. I try to ask him where we are going multiple times, but he never answers. “Do you hate me now?” I ask him.
He laughs. “Do I hate you? No, I don’t hate you.”
“Wow, you talked to me.” I scoff.
“Well, you needed to at least know that I don’t hate you.” I can tell he is forcing himself not to say more.
“I have a question. We never got to talk about what happened when I killed Nikolai.”
He laughs. “I don’t need to know the gory details.”
“No. It isn’t about me ripping his heart open… It’s what happened right before I did.”
He looks at me, and his forehead wrinkles. “What happened?”
I replay what happened in my mind. “He had a gun to my head but became very still. He couldn’t move. Not even blink! And then he accused me of doing something to him.”
Plath thinks for a moment and shrugs his shoulders as he says, “He was probably just trying to confuse you.”
“That is what I thought. But I killed him. I used that moment to kill him. If he was so smart and one of the best Hunters, why did it come so easy for me?” I search Plath’s eyes for an answer, but he stares back with little emotion.
“He probably thought you would fall for his mind games. Obviously, you didn’t. You used that moment for your benefit.”
