Mia
I almost cried when I saw the boys again. After watching all those gruesome images and crying my eyes out in front of the mirror, I suddenly met myself in another place. I was afraid of being tested again until I saw whirlwinds begin to appear and when they evaporated, I saw the boys on the grounds looking as confused as I was.
Maybe that was nice. Maybe that wasn’t. I didn’t know yet what was about to happen. It could be that we were about to be tested again and this was a puzzle that we would have to fight together.
I sighed, hoping that wasn’t the case. I was drained. I couldn’t do this anymore. Watching those images had messed with my psyche. I couldn’t get it out of my head that I was going to betray the boys to the dark wizard. I shook my head in terror, my body wracked with a tremor. That shouldn’t happen.
Come on, Mia. It’s just an illusion. I reminded myself for the thousandth time.
The boys finally noticed me and started running towards me at the same time.
“Mia!” They screamed as they ran.
I could hear the joy and relief in their voices and I wasn’t left out either. I was relieved to see them as well.
They all pulled me into a group hug at the same time and I smiled as I went willingly to them. I didn’t mind at all. In fact, the scent of their sweat and musk was a welcome one to me. I felt strangely at peace. I felt like I was at home.
It was a reunion that we were all happy to have and our differences didn’t matter at this moment.
They pulled back, looking at me for wounds, their eyes searching all over me as their mouths thinned with worries. They turned me over and nodded to themselves as they confirmed to themselves that I was fine.
I was actually fine, just tired, dusty and the only difference in my body was my red eyes due to the tears.
I almost laughed at their attitude. They had acted at the same time that it made me laugh at how much they worry over me even though they hadn’t met one another before to discuss their plans. They had all been dropped at different angles when I saw the whirlwinds clear up and I knew that they had been separated from one another as I was from them.
They couldn’t have told one another what to do when they see me again. It touched my heart that they were worried about me even thought they looked as drained as I was.
They raised their heads and arched their eyebrows at my laughter.
“What is funny?” Jack asked.
“Nothing.” I shook my head and lied though I was still unable to control my laughter. “Are you fine?”
“Yes.” They all nodded without hesitation.
“What happened to you?” John asked, looking at my eyes.
“I cried.” I blushed, thinking of why I had.
Jack chose that moment to be funny. “You realized you couldn’t live without us?” He teased me.
I smiled. I didn’t mind. Laughing at his joke took my mind off the guilt streaming below my belly.
“What happened to you, Mia?”
“I thought you were with me and suddenly realized that you weren’t. I noticed that I was in a different place as well and while looking for you, I found a mirror with a message written on it that I would have to face my fears to be free. After some terrifying moments of standing in front of the mirror, I got here.”
“Me too.” The boys said at the same time and looked at one another.
“That means we were intentionally separated.” John said. “That blasted mirror.” He cursed and shuddered as if he couldn’t bear to think of what he had experienced moments ago.
“I thought so as well.” Quinn said.
“I’m glad we are free. ” John said.
“Let’s not talk of the fears we had to face. I can’t bring myself to think of it again.” I said before they started talking of what had happened to them and asked me for mine. I couldn’t bear to tell them of what I had had to deal with.
How could I tell them that I had gotten married to the dark wizard and killed them? That would never leave their minds. It was bad enough that my head was aching with the thought of that happening. I didn’t want to pass the burden to them. I would bear it all alone.
“Good.” Quinn replied. “Let’s all put the past behind us and move forward.”
“You are right. We don’t know yet what we are still going to fight on our way as we move ahead so it would do us no good to start talking of each scary adventure we have to go through. It will only fill our hearts with fear and reduce our courage. We can always do that when we are back home safe and tell our stories as moonlight tales.”
Moonlight or sunlight tales, I didn’t think I wanted to say anything about my adventures here. If everything was going to be like this, I wasn’t sure I had the courage to tell others of it.
My stomach cramped and growled, protesting in hunger. I blushed in embarrassment as I placed my hands on it in instinct. The boys looked at me and laughed. I wondered how long it had been since we had eaten.
Quinn looked at me with a smirk on his face. “Should we stop and have a quick meal?”
“Yes.” The boys agreed.
Everyone set out their bags and brought out what we needed. We would have eaten a warm meal. We deserved it after all we had been through but none of us wanted to take that risk. The forest was still unstable and we didn’t know what might happen if we started a fire in it. It was a miracle that it had stopped to echo our voices and I wondered if the boys noticed it.
Maybe we had bought ourselves some privacy by fighting our fears. I didn’t want to jinx it or I would have asked if they noticed. I was scared that the echoes would begin all over if I mentioned its absence and I didn’t want that.
I was already enjoying the peace that I got and didn’t want to stir up some trouble for myself. I needed a break and I knew the boys did as well. There was no point in doing what would only stress us more.
I didn’t want to end up in another part of the forest and we would also be giving our location away by lighting a fire.
I didn’t want to run from another pack of boars. Who knew what would find us if we made a fire?
Thankfully, the head cook had bought a lot of preserved food that we could eat without microwaving.
John brought and set out the fold chairs in his bag. He unfolded and placed them on the ground.
“Sit, Mia.” He said, guiding me to the chair at the middle.
I noticed what he was trying to do. He wanted me in the middle so I would be the safest in case anything wants to fight us again. It would be easier for them to surround me and fight while keeping me protected at the same time.
“Thanks.” I said as I sat where John wanted me.
Jack brought out a scarf from his bag and spread it on my legs when I sat down. I looked at him, wondering what he was doing.
He shrugged in a nonchalant manner but I knew enough of him to know he was just saving his pride. “Keep the cold out of your skin. It is getting late and gets cold here at night.”
I nodded, grateful for his concerns. “Thank you.”
“It’s getting late as Jack had said.” Quinn said. “Let’s wrap our dinner so we can fix our tents on time without having to make a fire.”
My heart skipped a beat at the thought of spending the night here. I had known before we left for this trip that we would be sleeping on the island. After all, it would be stupid to expect hotels around here. I had known that and had accepted it but my ordeals within a day of getting here was doing shit to my head and my courage was flowing out.
I was beginning to wonder if I should have listened to the boys and stayed at home. I shook my head. I couldn’t have even though I knew that they were trying to protect me. I would have died of curiosity and worry before they come back home.
Jack noticed my expression when Quinn had mentioned tents and suspected what I was afraid of.
“Don’t worry, Mia. You will be safe all through the night. We all will. You will be sleeping in the middle of course so we can better protect you.”
That didn’t make me feel any less nervous as I was not comfortable with sleeping in their midst as I was of the boars or other strange creatures lurking here.
I shrugged my discomfort away and nodded at him. Sleeping surrounded by them way better than being turned to dinner in the belly of some creatures.
Quinn looked through his bag and handed our food. I was the first to get and I got a gorgeous package than the boys.
They all took one for themselves but I got another when my stomach rumbled again.
I blushed as Quinn handed me another container of food. “Don’t worry.” We should all manage the food.
“Take it.” Jack insisted. “You are clearly not yet satisfied. We are.”
I knew they were lying. Wolves ate more than that and that couldn’t have satisfied them. If they were trying to control what they had to eat so the food would be enough for as long as we were here, we should all bear the sacrifice. They shouldn’t give me any exception. I was going to ride the storm with them.
“Don’t worry.” I said, pushing back the offering to him. I wanted it and I forced my eyes to stray away from it as I prayed that my stomach didn’t grumble and embarrass me as it had done the other time.
“Take it.” Quinn said, his eyes unflinching as he stared at me.
I knew that tone. He wasn’t budging on what he wanted and I knew what he wanted. It wouldn’t be in my best interest to keep on arguing. I would only waste time and prevent us from sleeping early. I took the food, thanked them and hoped that I didn’t feel guilty as I ate.
The boys smiled as I ate and started making the tent that we would all sleep in.
They doted on me all through the night, making me feel more nervous around them but I must admit that it was nice.