20

G E O R G I E

✿

Beau held out his hand. "Come, I'll show you something."

I grabbed his hand, savoring the warmth that came with it, and followed him outside.

"What do you want to show me?" I asked as we wandered through the forest.

"Let yourself be surprised."

"I'm too curious to like surprises," I said, laughing, and tugged at his hand. "Come on, tell me where we're going!"

Beau doesn't say anything and I sighed. It was useless to argue with him. Once he made up his mind, it was immutable. stubborn.

The nocturnal forest, which used to enchant me, now passed unnoticed in front of my field of vision. I was lost in my thoughts, brooding over my dream that didn't want to leave me. It had felt so real, like it always did because it was real.

Cold blue eyes staring at me from a emaciated, pale face. Inside an evil twinkle. And then this endless pain.

I had lived through this dream for so many nights. But today he was different. Something had changed.

His name.

His name had changed.

It was no longer Hades who bullied me.

But the bringer of death.

I hadn't told Arya and Xenos that the pirate had mentioned that name. Maybe I should have told them. Or maybe not. Maybe it was just a silly goofy name that scoundrel had made up.

And it certainly wasn't Hades. I let go of his hand and buried it in my large pocket so Beau's watchful eyes wouldn't see her tremble. I was being ridiculous, worrying about someone who was long gone. Someone who was stone dead.

The twigs crunched under my boots, which I had slipped on earlier. I looked down at myself and only now realized what kind of outfit I was wearing. A shirt that came down to my knees, plus wide jogging pants combined with black boots. Wow Georgie, you keep surpassing yourself.

What type do you think Mrs Beau fancied? One that was always up to date with the latest fashion trends? Or rather someone who cooked for him? Maybe he was into older women? Besides, what was that bouquet of flowers in his house? My soft footsteps turned into a loud pounding. "Who gave you the flowers?" I asked out of nowhere.

Astonished at my sudden need to speak, he simply replied, "Rose."

"Aha." I didn't know a Rose. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. "And who is Rose?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Rose is my aunt."

"Oh." Not a young, attractive and potential partner after all. "You must be close."

"Yes, we do." After a moment's hesitation, he added, "She's like a mother to me."

"That is nice. What about the rest of your family?”

“I have another cousin. April.” Now he was grinning. “Fucking cheeky. Looks like an angel, acts like a devil.”

Then tell me about her and distracted me from the terrors still in my bones. He told me about all the hardships that his little, very clever cousin had put on and that had driven his aunt insane. I laughed more than I had in a long time and even had to hold my stomach because my fits of laughter were so violent. The tension in my muscles eased and the fear that had enveloped me like a dark haze faded. "She what?!" I exclaimed in disbelief when Beau told me that April had put live bugs in one of her classmates' meals.

"Oh yeah. Rose had grounded her for three weeks after that bullshit. Couldn't keep it up for more than a week though as she felt sorry for her."

"And you? Were you grounded too when you were younger?” I asked, laughing.

"No," he said with a cunning expression on his face. "Rose loved me far too much for that."

I punched him in the side. "Liar."

"You think so?" he smirked. "What do you think I did that was so bad?"

"I've got some ideas in mind," I joked as cold needle pricks suddenly ran down my spine. Beau must have noticed something too, because he stopped immediately. With a keen eye he searched the forest, sniffing the air and listening to the silent forest. But he found nothing. Just like me.

"Hm," he muttered before continuing on his way. As we left the forest behind us, a hilly landscape appeared in front of us.

"Here it is," said Beau.

The hills covered with tall grass and moss looked cute. You were pretty, honestly. Somehow. I bit my lower lip. "Oh yes?"

“Not so hasty. Don't judge until we're in."

My boots sank into the swamp the next step I followed him. "Beau, I'm not sure..."

But he ignored me, just motioned for me to follow him further through the swampy moorland and then stopped in front of a cave entrance.

Everything in me froze. I shook my head wildly. "No."

"Hey, calm down." He reached for my hand, but I flinched.

“No, absolutely not! Without me.” Panic tightened in my throat as the memories tried to spill out of me.

Beau stood close in front of me. 'It's not dark. Trust me.” When I didn't respond and my rapid breathing didn't improve, he repeated, “Trust me.”

I narrowed my eyes. Tried to bury the pictures. Then I felt his fingers on my skin. He brushed my wet strands of hair, which still seemed to be stuck to my face, to my side. "I would never put you in danger."

I looked up at him. How could I not trust those eyes, that face, that man? My husband. It had nothing to do with the mate thing. I had loved Beau before and still did. Of course I trusted him. So I decided to take his hand again tonight and follow him through the cave.

The slapping of my boots on the damp rocky ground, where a new puddle accumulated every few meters, along with the murmur of the river, was the only sound that echoed through the dark corridors. And I didn't know if that should reassure me or if I should go for the run screaming option. But which soldier was afraid of a dark cave? No. Exactly. So I clung to Beau's hand and swallowed my inner fears.

The gleaming river we followed meandered through the corridors like a black, slippery cobra. Concentrating on the soft murmur of the river, I took one step at a time until the corridor ended and we encountered a large inner hall.

I gasped. The black water meandered picturesquely through the subterranean gloomy cave that would remind me of all my darkest nightmares were it not for a thousand little fireflies buzzing on the ceiling, breaking the darkness with their bluish shimmering light.

"Oh Beau. It's beautiful.” I breathed dreamily. I nearly craned my neck while marveling at the mystical wonder of nature. It looked like a magical blue starry sky. "How can there be so many fireflies in a cave?"

"Those aren't fireflies."

I spun in circles, unable to take my eyes off the ceiling. Wow. "So what?"

"larvae."

I stopped my spin and took a closer look at the blue things above me. "Did you just say larvae?"

“Yes, these critters here have nothing in common with your cute fireflies. It's fungus gnats hanging from the ceiling."

Far less fascinated by the beautiful spectacle now, I wrinkled my nose. larvae?

Beau, seated on the ground by the river bank, laughed. "Would you like to taste one? They don't taste bad at all."

Desperate to put a little more distance between myself and those hanging bugs that could decide to spin onto me at any time, I sat down next to Beau. "What, have you eaten one of these?"

"When I was eleven, yes," he said as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.

I looked at him dumbfounded.

"What is it?" He laughed merrily. "We are wolves, Georgie."

"Sure thing. Doesn't mean I shove every worm that comes my way into my mouth.”

He leaned back on his forearms and looked at me. "Scared Bunny."

His shirtless upper body, whose hard abdominal muscles stood out even more in the bluish shimmer, captivated my gaze. He looked hot.

Close your mouth, Georgie, and don't gape. I mimicked his movements and said, "Stupid."

One corner of his mouth lifted and I smiled. 'My parents would have liked it. Especially my mother.'

"I'm sure they're looking at each other right now."

"Do you think?"

His fingers brushed my cheek and he smiled at me as he said, "One hundred percent."

I got warm. "What about your family?"

'I had parents. And a little sister.” Beau's face darkened and he closed his eyes for a brief moment. Then he stared at the opposite rock face. "They're dead. All of them."

"Oh, Beau... I'm sorry." I put my hand on his arm. Hoped I could take all his sorrows from his soul. "I know the feeling."

He looked at me thoughtfully. There was something in his eyes that I couldn't believe. "I know."

We were silent for a while. Then I told him what was bothering me so much: "I won't pass the exam."

"No you will not."

Ouch.

“You won't pass the test. Unless... I'll help you."

I laughed dryly. I must have misheard. "What? What about I shouldn't be a soldier? I'm not acting like a soldier? I shouldn't even take the exam?"

'That opinion hasn't changed. You're the worst in your class."

As ruthless as ever.

"And why do you want to help me now?"

He sighed. "Because even if you're below the rank of soldier, you won't stop putting yourself in danger."

Well, he had hit the nail on the head there.

"You're not bad at all martial arts," he said.

"Well, thank you very much," I grumbled.

He ignored my provocation. 'You know your guns, I'm not your problem. And you are not lacking in intelligence or dexterity either, the national navigation course will not be a problem.”

"Oh, and then what's the matter?"

“Melee. You're not as strong as your opponents, and you're not as fast either."

I drew my legs up against me and sadly rested my head on my knees. "Great."

"But, there's still hope." He pointed to the blue glowing dots floating above us like fairy dust. “Look at these bugs. They secrete sticky threads, which they then let hang down. And in order to catch as many insects as possible, they shimmer in a bluish light.”

I snorted. "So am I supposed to eject sticky threads and shoot them at my opponents like Spiderman?"

"No. What-"

I raised my head. “Ah, wait, there's still something missing. You have to shine, of course. I silly. So I'd rather shine them in a pink light-"

His hand went over my mouth. "Would you mind listening to me?" he growled angrily.

I growled back, about to bite his hand.

His eyes sparkled knowingly. "Don't you dare."

What an invitation that was. Before I could get to it, however, he yanked his hand from my mouth and pinned me to the floor.