thought that was how it was going to be, and that’s why I was fine with leaving with her. We could be equals. But we’re not. She’s still drawing all eyes on her while I remain in the background. No matter how hard I try, I’m still forgettable.”
“It’s because you try too hard. That crap you pulled downstairs? Taking off your poncho with Scarlet and Eckard? You looked like you were a puppet. Like you didn’t have your own brain. It was pathetic. I could understand why you would tell me about Remi’s condition when we first met, but you could have still said it in private. You didn’t have to make that one of the first things you said. Again, it made you look pathetic. Why would I want to hang around someone that’s so desperate for attention that they’ll throw me in the mud to get it?”
“Glad you think so highly of me.”
“No, I don’t,” he said truthfully. “But that doesn’t mean that can’t change. I feel like this is the first real conversation we had. So maybe this can be a fresh start. How’s that sound?”
“Yeah,” she said with a grin. “Can we?”
“Sure,” he said, glancing back at Remi. She hadn’t moved.
“I just have to say one thing. Just so you know.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’m not protecting Remi anymore. If I’m going to be my own person, I really can’t. My life has been tied from her from the beginning, but it’s cut now. It’s fine if you’re there for her, but I’m moving on. Hope you understand.”
“I get that,” he said.
“UGH!” Remi yelled. Kace and Olivia jumped to their feet as she flung the blankets off of her and onto the floor. “I’m all sweaty.”
“Payback,” Kace laughed. “Now you know how it feels.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have done that,” she groaned as she plopped her head back onto the pillow. “Okay, now I’m cold again.” She reached down to pick up them up when vomit spewed out from her mouth. Kace and Olivia jumped back and scrunched up their faces as she wiped the residue on her forearm. She glanced up at them with a weak smile. “Okay, that was gross.”
“Understatement,” Olivia said as she walked around the room, looking for a basin or bucket of water to access. Remi groaned and jumped out of bed, nearly falling onto her knees once her soles hit the floor. Kace rushed to her side and grabbed her clean arm, steadying her.
“Let’s go clean you up. There’s a bathroom at the far end of the hall. You think you can make it that far?”
“I’m going to have to,” she replied as Kace opened the door. He swung it open wide and looked down at her feet to make sure she could still walk while Remi stared straight ahead. Her eyes widened in horror as a man stood before her.
He had dark red eye-shadow around his eyes and thin lips. His hair was slicked back and greased heavily with a black, tar like substance. He wore a three piece dark blue suit and he was so lanky that his face was nearly as thin as a skeleton’s.
She could barely take in his features when he reached forward and wiped a strange, gooey substance onto the middle of her forehead. It burned on contact and Remi shouted in pain. Kace looked up to see the intruder cock back his fist and punch him square in the face. Kace went flying backwards into Remi’s bed. The intruder reached out for Remi’s throat when a blazing hot blade nearly stabbed his stomach. He moved to the side just as the tip cut into his suit’s fabric and then he turned around and ran down the hall.
“Are you okay?” Olivia asked her as she stared at Remi’s forehead. “Geez, that looks bad.”
“It feels terrible,” Remi said, looking back at the unconscious Kace. “But we don’t have time for this. We can’t let him escape.” Remi began running down the hall, still in her thin clothes as she prepared to unsheathe her eidolon. Olivia followed reluctantly, warming up her blade.
“Are you sure you’re up for this?” she asked as they sprinted down the
“It’s because you try too hard. That crap you pulled downstairs? Taking off your poncho with Scarlet and Eckard? You looked like you were a puppet. Like you didn’t have your own brain. It was pathetic. I could understand why you would tell me about Remi’s condition when we first met, but you could have still said it in private. You didn’t have to make that one of the first things you said. Again, it made you look pathetic. Why would I want to hang around someone that’s so desperate for attention that they’ll throw me in the mud to get it?”
“Glad you think so highly of me.”
“No, I don’t,” he said truthfully. “But that doesn’t mean that can’t change. I feel like this is the first real conversation we had. So maybe this can be a fresh start. How’s that sound?”
“Yeah,” she said with a grin. “Can we?”
“Sure,” he said, glancing back at Remi. She hadn’t moved.
“I just have to say one thing. Just so you know.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’m not protecting Remi anymore. If I’m going to be my own person, I really can’t. My life has been tied from her from the beginning, but it’s cut now. It’s fine if you’re there for her, but I’m moving on. Hope you understand.”
“I get that,” he said.
“UGH!” Remi yelled. Kace and Olivia jumped to their feet as she flung the blankets off of her and onto the floor. “I’m all sweaty.”
“Payback,” Kace laughed. “Now you know how it feels.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have done that,” she groaned as she plopped her head back onto the pillow. “Okay, now I’m cold again.” She reached down to pick up them up when vomit spewed out from her mouth. Kace and Olivia jumped back and scrunched up their faces as she wiped the residue on her forearm. She glanced up at them with a weak smile. “Okay, that was gross.”
“Understatement,” Olivia said as she walked around the room, looking for a basin or bucket of water to access. Remi groaned and jumped out of bed, nearly falling onto her knees once her soles hit the floor. Kace rushed to her side and grabbed her clean arm, steadying her.
“Let’s go clean you up. There’s a bathroom at the far end of the hall. You think you can make it that far?”
“I’m going to have to,” she replied as Kace opened the door. He swung it open wide and looked down at her feet to make sure she could still walk while Remi stared straight ahead. Her eyes widened in horror as a man stood before her.
He had dark red eye-shadow around his eyes and thin lips. His hair was slicked back and greased heavily with a black, tar like substance. He wore a three piece dark blue suit and he was so lanky that his face was nearly as thin as a skeleton’s.
She could barely take in his features when he reached forward and wiped a strange, gooey substance onto the middle of her forehead. It burned on contact and Remi shouted in pain. Kace looked up to see the intruder cock back his fist and punch him square in the face. Kace went flying backwards into Remi’s bed. The intruder reached out for Remi’s throat when a blazing hot blade nearly stabbed his stomach. He moved to the side just as the tip cut into his suit’s fabric and then he turned around and ran down the hall.
“Are you okay?” Olivia asked her as she stared at Remi’s forehead. “Geez, that looks bad.”
“It feels terrible,” Remi said, looking back at the unconscious Kace. “But we don’t have time for this. We can’t let him escape.” Remi began running down the hall, still in her thin clothes as she prepared to unsheathe her eidolon. Olivia followed reluctantly, warming up her blade.
“Are you sure you’re up for this?” she asked as they sprinted down the
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