Liberation

Chapter 13

Peter's point of view:

"In every sense of the word, I am an idiot," Julia mumbles as we walk back to Evelyn's house.

"Yep, no argument there," Adam says back. I lightly slap his arm in response. "What? She's the one who hit Will across the back of his head with a bottle. And on top of that, she left behind her face mask," Adam protests before turning to Julia.

"You might as well have just stood up and shouted 'Julia Lancaster over here! Come and get me!'" He adds.

"Glad I can always count on you for support," Julia grumbles as she tries to heal her face where the barbed wire snagged her mask and cut her cheek.

"There's no telling what kind of trouble we're going to be in with Evelyn if she finds out," Adam says.

Julia suddenly shrieks in pain as the wound on her face opens itself further, causing blood to spill on the ground.

"Here, let me," Cassia says as she rushes over, the more experienced healer closing her wound back.

"Adam, could you do me a favor and just shut your mouth for a few minutes? You broke my focus," Julia growls at him.

"Are you sure it's not just your shabby healing skills?" Adam challenges.

I stop dead in my tracks, because those words could have very well been Adam's last.

Julia summons a flame in her hand, the orange light dancing in her palms and illuminating her deadly green eyes. "I beg your pardon?" She asks almost uninterested, as she passes the flame from one hand to the other. "You know Adam, lately your words have been a bit out of place. I know I made a stupid move back there, and I'm sorry I've probably set Will and Henley hot on our trails. But need I remind you who's more dangerous right here and right now?" Julia asks a bit too innocently before she shoots the flame at Adam's feet, causing him to stagger back and fall.

"Next time, I won't miss. Now let's get out of here," Julia says as she trudges past all of us.

Cassia and I help Adam up before I sprint to catch up with her.

"What was that about? I mean, I know what he said was out of place, but it's just Adam," I tell Julia carefully, afraid I'll be the next one getting a fireball thrown at me.

Loving Julia is the best thing that could have ever happened to me, but the fact that your girlfriend has enough power to destroy you makes things a bit fearful. But, at least it's never a dull moment.

"I don't know," she sighs as she puts her hand to her forehead. "Evelyn told us that this mission would tear us apart, but I guess I didn't really believe her," she says.

I slip my hand in hers, wanting to give her something to hold onto at the moment. "Hey, look at me," I say as I reach for her chin with my other hand to meet her eyes. "We're still here. We're gonna get through this like we always have," I tell her hopefully.

But to my surprise, she lets go of my hand and draws farther away from me. "You didn't see it; he has so much power that there's no telling what he can do," she says, the cold tone in her voice completely foreign to me.

"Julia, are you ok?" I ask, genuinely concerned and afraid.

But by then, we had arrived back at Evelyn's.

"Grab hands, and don't make a sound," Julia orders as she takes my hand again, but not at all loving or affectionate. More like the way a parent would lead their child to a time-out chair as punishment.

We pass through the house, relieved to see that no one is awake, therefore no one has sensed our absence.

Adam and Cassia head off to their rooms, and Julia and I head for the stairs in uncomfortable silence.

But before I put my foot on the first step, I feel a disturbing presence around the corner.

I turn my head and see Victoria's silver eyes watching me from a distance with suspicion, asking a million questions at once. In response, I hold a finger up to my lips, signaling for her not to make a sound. She nods, and I disappear up the stairs.

I manage to catch Julia just before she closes the door to her room. "Can we talk for a minute?" I plead, desperate not to leave things the way they are.

She slowly emerges out of the darkness, her green eyes now softer with the Julia I know. "Peter...I'm sorry, I don't know what's happening. I don't know why I'm acting this way. Evelyn said this would tear us apart, but I only wish I knew why. It's like I have some sort of split personality," she admits.

"I know the feeling," I mumble, reminding her of my own split persona between my good side and my dark side that I've kept dormant for years.

"How do you keep it under control?" She asks desperately.

"Well, it's not that I have to keep it under control. My dark side is weak, so I don't have to fight it. But on the rare occasion when it threatens to overtake me, I just remind myself of what's good in this world. Try thinking on that," I offer.

She nods, but there's a faint trace of sadness in her eyes when she looks at me, almost like a longing of an old memory. It is then when I notice the faint circles under her eyes.

"Julia, have you been getting any sleep?" I ask, concerned.

She looks down, her dark hair falling in her tired face. "You know I have nightmares from the war," she admits in a small voice.

I mentally kick myself for letting that slip my mind. That's why Julia and I moved in the same house and why she's always tucked safely in my arms at night.

So I would be there for her when she wakes up screaming. And I completely forgot about it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask as I take her hand and lead her to my room. "I didn't want to seem like a child running for their parents crying from a nightmare," she says as she helps me peel back the covers.

"You don't always have to be the brave one, you know," I tell her as we both slide in. "It's ok to be afraid; let someone else be brave for you every once in a while," I say as I pull her close, wrapping my arms around her and tucking her head under my chin.

She smelled really good, like the sweet scent of crisp autumn air surrounded with the golden leaves that had just begun to fall.

Our favorite season.

She looks up at me, her green eyes full of hope. What I wouldn't give to make myself into a shield, protecting the both of us from anything and everything in order to keep that hope alive.

"Sleep, Julia," I tell her as I pull her closer, shutting my eyes as well.

But before I slip out of consciousness, I hear her utter one more thing:

"I love you. Don't let me forget that."