ALIX's POV:
Caddie was starting to worry me. She never left the school or did anything remotely interesting. I had thought she was finally coming out of her shell but now it'd seemed like something was pushing her back in. Normally, I wouldn't be so nosy, but she was my best friend. And her existence had turned into a nightmare of homework and classes.
I had heard about the incident with Mira. Not directly from Caddie, as she never said a word about it, but the whole school already knew. By the time the school day was over, all the students knew what happened. I was fully prepared to congratulate her for finally growing a pair, but then I saw her huddled on her bed with the dead look in her eye.
In the past few months I had seen Caddie at some low points, but I had never seen her so drained of life. When she first came to Nox Haven, she had that special gleam in her eye like there was a secret part of her that she kept hidden from everyone else. I had seen that part, and I was dying for it to come back.
"I'm going out," I said simply, slipping on my platform boots.
She looked over at me with mild curiosity before returning to her studies.
"Okay."
That was all she said. Normally, we would banter over something stupid and then I'd bring her with me, but not anymore. If she could, she'd stay inside of our dorm for the rest of the year. It broke my heart that I couldn't convince her to come. I had tried that before, and she only seemed to get worse. I'm no saint, but I don't particularly like peering into the future of others.
The future is always changing and it's never set in stone. So it's a hackle to keep up with it. But I have to look into Caddie's future constantly; I'm her protector. It's literally my job to be over-protective. I knew about her choice to save Dmitri, I also knew that this selfless act was going to take more from her than she bargained for. Starting with her freedom.
I left without another word. The atmosphere seemed to shift in the hallway. I could no longer feel Caddie's black cloud, but that didn't lessen my concern. I waved to a few of the other girls and made my way to the bottom of the stairs. My brother was already waiting for me.
"Do you have any concept of time, woman?" Jaxon asked checking his watch, "You said you would be ready ten minutes ago!"
I fluffed my red mane and smoothed my leather collar, "You have to understand that when a girl says she'll be done at a certain time, it's really an estimation. You have to give her at least a fifteen minute buffer time."
He tried to scowl but his smile shined through the cracks.
"What you actually mean is that you're worried about Caddie."
My thoughts always give too much away. Well two could play the invasion of privacy game.
My lips curled into coy smile, "Speaking of concern for girls, you should be worried about Bethany Wilde."
His smiled faltered, he looked around to see if anyone was watching and then he lowered his voice.
"What do you mean?"
I slipped my Maui Jim sunglasses, and walked out of the school lugging, my poor, naive brother with me.
"Let's just say you shouldn't have loved her and than left her so quickly. The stupid girl thought it meant more to you," I said, stepping into the private car.
Shame flooded his face as he groaned. My sweet, angelic brother had a lengthy list of girls he had screwed and left before the crack of dawn. It's a piggish habit he has, but it was my brother I couldn't hold him accountable for all of those shattered hearts. This is the boy I raced for the Christmas presents and spent some of my most precious memories with. In my eyes, it was never his fault.
"I had made it perfectly clear that I wasn't looking for a girlfriend," he professed.
I didn't care, but Bethany did. She was a beautiful pin up blonde, who was used to getting what she wanted. It didn't help that she was royalty. Her cousin was the one and only Mira Croft. I really wish my brother had thought that one out.
"Well, you've got yourself another stalker," I said as the car rolled away from the school.
I glanced up at the window in the tower. I saw the curtain flutter close, and I knew Caddie had been watching. I wanted to do nothing more than to run upstairs and sit through a Keeping Up With The Kardashians marathon, only to make fun of them the whole time. The things we did together were so simple, but it was perfect for us. I wondered if I would ever get that time back.
Caddie:
I stepped away from the window and flopped back into the bed-staring aimlessly at the ceiling. These terms I had to follow were beginning to suffocate me. I hadn't gotten into any trouble in the past two weeks, but that didn't mean everything was all right.
Heidi had me working my butt off while she did the necessary research. If I only had to do this for a few days, it would be a different story. But now it was going to be two weeks and counting. Prison couldn't be any worse than this. I had to follow Heidi's rules:
1. You are not allowed to leave the school grounds.
2. After classes, you are only allowed to work on schoolwork.
3. You can only talk to your roommate and the other Heirs
Normally, I wouldn't follow these rules so strictly, but I felt like I was being watched. These past two weeks I'll never get back, but Dmitri has suffered through worse conditions for a longer amount of time.
A knock sounded on the door and I froze.
"Who is it?" I asked timidly.
"It's me." Aleksander's voice boomed.
I didn't move to open the door. I knew it was him, but that didn't mean I wanted to open the door.
"What do you want?" I yelled grasping the bronze knob.
"To talk," he responded, sounding annoyed.
That makes two of us, I thought to myself.
"Aren't we doing that now?"
I didn't have to see him to know that he was pushing his hair back and burning holes into the door with his eyes. That almost made me smile. Almost.
"Caddie, just open the stupid door," he howled.
I cracked the door open to annoy him. This was the most fun I've had in a few weeks. Unfortunately he was stronger, and took the chance to barge in.
"Get out," I said in a monotone voice.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked with a hint of incredulity.
"You." I said with a deadpan expression.
"What have I done?" he asked, visibly flustered.
I cocked my eyebrow and created a list of different things I could hold him accounted for.
"You're a boy in a girl's dorm, it isn't allowed."
He leaned against the foot of my bed, looking like a stud. I grimaced in response.
"I have the whole school wrapped around my finger, no one will care." he said with ease.
"Not the 'whole' school," I reminded him.
His eyes tightened, but he didn't move.
"Well, you are a rare specimen, so I don't really count you."
I gave him a wry look, "I see you've regained your moxie."
He sighed and threw his hands up in the air.
"I'm hoping you regain yours too. Please, Caddie, I'm literally begging you to tell me why you're acting this way," he pleaded.
I was starting to notice his odd mood swings. At times he was Mr. Smooth with a cocky personality. Other times he seemed softer, maybe even more approachable . . . not unlike now.
"I'm trying to do what everyone else should be doing."
I slipped, and told him part of the truth. I know I shouldn't have and it was stupid to trust him, but I had to tell someone and he was right there.
"Please tell me you're not talking about him," he asked, chancing a look.
I nodded, which earned a groan from Aleksander.
"You need to forget about him."
My hope deflated when he didn't understand. Why would he? He was the one that had discouraged me in the beginning.
"He's your brother. Shouldn't your family be dedicated to finding him?"
He looked away, guilty emotions pulsing from him.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have a brother." he tried.
"Cut the crap. I know. I have proof.
He was about to argue when he had remembered our conversation on the mat.
"It's too dangerous--" I cut him off before he could even continue his speech.
"Everything is too dangerous for you. I'm starting to realize that for all your big talk, you're not that adventurous."
He rolled his eyes and countered my statement. "It's called being cautious."
I stalked towards him and kept my eyes narrowed.
"I'm seeing two sides of you. The side you make everyone else see, and the part that really is you. Which I'm starting to see is reserved for me," I stood in front of him, his breath prodded at my cheeks.
"There's only one me," he answered, "And then there's my brother. Who's gone."
"He doesn't have to be," I reminded him.
"No ,he doesn't," Aleksander allowed, "But unless you get one of the council members to help us, we're as good as dead."
I felt the sheer pleasure of victory.
"Actually, I do."
I told him that Heidi had agreed to help us. She was going to find where the dark ones were keeping him, and then she was going to send a team in to dig him out. He made it known that so far it sounded like a lousy plan but I reminded him that the other solution was to do nothing at all. He seemed content with continuing doing nothing but his conscience got the best of him and he reluctantly agreed.
Once he left, I felt my victory deflate. I was alone again, or maybe not. I closed my eyes and searched in the darkness for Dmitri. His vibrant blue eyes appeared through the mist.
"Thank you Caddie," he whispered through the darkness.
He left as soon as he'd come. My disappoint overweighed by newfound strength. I can fight through this.
"Don't worry, I'm coming soon." I said to no one in particular.
**Hey guys. I know nothing in particular happened in this chapter. This is just to fill you guys in on some basic information. I will be putting the next chapter soon**