Ever since Theo stepped into Gravemont, she’s always lived for today. She always believed she wouldn’t make it till the next day without getting caught, so she never made plans.
Commandant Draegor had summoned her not too long ago, and she had just left his office. He had told her to give a detailed account of everything that happened inside the forest, but she had left so parts out.
The demon. Zeke and Sylas. She only told him about what happened between her and the n. When he had asked her how she wasn’t dead, she had told him she had no idea, either. The way he had looked at her told her everything.
He didn’t believe her.
Everything that has happened over the past two days scared her. At first, she wondered if those two masked n had co after her cousin himself, Thaddeus Douglas. Maybe they heard he was now in Gravemont and had co after him, and they know what might have happened to him in the first place.
But that does not explain why they would try to lure him into the forest. To her, it was almost as if they were following orders, because they were just as confused and scared as her inside the hallow.
She kept walking till she reached the parts of the school that weren’t in use. She needed so place to be alone for a while till she had the courage to return to her dorm and face Zeke again.
Her legs made no sound as she leaned over and sat on a small rock by the side. She closed her eyes and leaned on the wall behind her, wondering what to do next.
Just then, she caught the whiff of cigarettes in the air.
Her eyes opened again, and she stood up.
Soone was here.
She sniffed again and caught a faint scent of soone coming from around the corner. Her mind skipped, already knowing who it was. She wasn’t sure she was ready to face him, especially since she noticed that he’s been actively avoiding her these days.
As Theo approached the corner, she heard his voice. He was whispering to soone else.
"... alive. The Veil remains unopened,"
Theo’s heart almost stopped.
The person’s voice from the other side was sowhat distorted, but she heard it a little clearly.
She knew who he was speaking to.
Eric was facing the wall, one hand braced against the stone, with a cigarette dangling loosely between his fingers. Smoke curled around him like a veil, shrouding half his face in a ghostly haze. There was a small device to his ears, and the distorted voice was coming from it.
Theo’s stomach clenched so sharply she nearly doubled over.
A low rumble answered him Theo couldn’t make out the words, only the harshness underneath them. Eric swallowed and nodded quickly, wiping his sweaty palm against his trousers.
"I know what you said," he murmured, "I know. I just...I can’t do it yet. She’s very alert now after last night’s incident, and if I approach her, I doubt she’d listen,"
Another growl and Eric flinched, "She’s in love with doesn’t an she’s stupid. She won’t just walk into the Veil with because I asked her to,"
Theo froze.
The person on the other side spoke again, and Eric flinched even harder, "No," he hissed under his breath, "Finn doesn’t know anything. I haven’t told him. I wouldn’t... I wouldn’t risk him,"
The distorted voice lashed out again, and Eric’s shoulders tightened instantly. He dropped the cigarette, crushing it shakily beneath his heel, "Please... don’t bring him into this." His voice cracked, "You promised he’d be safe."
There were more unintelligible commands. They sounded so harsh, rapid and impatient.
Eric’s throat bobbed as he forced himself to respond,
"...Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll lure her out. Just...just give ti. I can get her there. Just send so more n,"
Theo’s entire body went cold.
The forest.
The sa place those masked n tried to lure her into. The place she had slipped into the cold hands of death.
Eric scrubbed a trembling hand over his face, looking years older suddenly, "Yes," he whispered hoarsely, "I understand. If I fail... you’ll kill him. I get it,"
Another hissed order ca, and then light from the device hit the wall, then dissolved into a dimness.
Eric sagged against the stone, breathing raggedly.
He looked like soone who was torn and confused, but still soone who had already made up his mind. He had yet to notice her, probably too worried thinking about how he would keep protecting Finn to let his senses click properly.
Theo’s heart ached terribly. She did not want to believe all this. It sounded like so kind of twisted, dark dream in her head.
But it wasn’t.
"Damn it!" Eric hissed, slamming his fist into the ground.
She’s been looking for the courage to confront him properly because anyti she looked at his face she only felt one thing - love.
And it made her weak. So weak that she found it hard to open her mouth. She could only smile stupidly around him, with the stupid, naive hope that he would one day notice her.
She had been a fool.
"Was that Cain on the phone?"
Eric stumbled back, his eyes widening as he looked up at her. Theo fully stepped into the corner, her feet still making no noise.
"Teddy?" The word left him like a confession, "W...what are you doing here?"
"I asked you a question!" She almost yelled, a heavy lump in her throat. She needed him to say no. She desperately hoped there was another explanation for all this. Eric isn’t this kind of person, "Tell , was it Cain you were speaking to?"
"Teddy...," His eyes softened and he took a step forward slowly, trying to approach her like she was a wounded animal.
She stepped back, her breath coming out in fast pants, "You’re one of Cain’s spies?!"
"No... What?" He looked genuinely confused and stared at her like she didn’t know what she was saying. His eyes were soft, his aura was calm, but Theo had grown since she walked into Gravemont.
It was definitely the lessons she took from Sylas.
Now as she stared at Eric, she could see right through this fake façade of his. He was only forcing his aura to be calm so he couldn’t approach her, and the softness in his eyes was fake.
They’ve always been.
Tears ran down her face, and she felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs. Her heart was being squeezed, and she gripped her chest and panted, "How could you do this to ?" Fear zapped into her body, and she shuddered as a shocking thought occurred to her, "Please... please tell it’s not what I’m thinking. Please tell Cain doesn’t know I’m at Gravemont!"
She knew the answer to that question.
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Mass Release Coming Next week!
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