Isla

Chapter 13

Sierra was acting weird.

Isla hadn't had a chance to talk to her much between her date with Aedric and that Friday. Their schedules clashed, and Isla really just wanted to be alone.

She appreciated that Sierra respected that, but it wasn't like her. She definitely would have said something by now.

After work, Isla changed her clothes and pulled out a snack before she made dinner. Aedric had texted her a few times, but she didn't respond. She just felt so dumb. What would Aedric ever see in her?

Come sit with me. I'm in the living room

She saw the text from Sierra immediately, and she sighed. She just wanted to know what was going on with everybody. Was it her?

Aedric's voice was unmistakable as she left her room.

"What's going on?" Isla asked as she stepped into the room. Sierra was on the couch with Aedric beside her.

"Hey," Sierra greeted, flashing a smile that seemed different than her normal ones. She was nervous. "Come, sit."

Isla took a seat on the far end away from them.

"There's something we need to tell you," Aedric started. "Sierra and I are adopted."

She furrowed her brows, taking the throw pillow and hugging it to her chest. That was so random.

"And we have certain abilities," Sierra mumbled.

"Abilities?" Isla whispered, confused.

"For me, it's clear. I am an empath. I can see people's emotions like an aura."

Isla's heart was pounding in her chest. She squeezed the pillow. Was she serious?

"My side is less clear," Aedric said. "I must be some kind of mix with a demon. Although, I'm mostly human, I still have the height and strength-"

"Do you even hear what you're saying?" Isla asked. The panic was thick, and it crawled up her neck. Air was hard to come by.

"Isla," Sierra murmured. "You should let him finish."

"Demons have soulmates, and-"

"And I'm yours," she finished with a quiet scoff. "I can't believe you would go to this level of manipulation after everything I've been through."

"No one is trying to manipulate you," Sierra said.

"He's trying to crowd me in so I can't escape, and you're just sitting there letting it happen," she accused Sierra, standing up.

"I know it's hard to believe," Aedric said. He stood up too, and his height had never felt so intimidating. "I promise we are not messing with you."

"Your promise means nothing to me," she said, feeling the pressure of tears behind her eyes. Her head ached, and so did her heart.

"Does mine?" Sierra asked softly. She was clearly hurt, and that made Isla hurt, too.

Isla struggled with what to say next.

Sierra seemed to always know what she was feeling, and she always knew what to say, and Aedric had almost immediately been interested in her. Maybe there was some truth to their words, but that hurt even more than them being delusional.

That meant she had been lied to. That changed everything. That meant Sierra never truly cared, she could just see what Isla was feeling.

Isla sobbed, muffling it with her palm. She turned and walked away, going straight to her room.

She stuffed things in a bag. She hated the feeling, like she was trapped with nowhere to go.

Demons? Superpowers? Did they even understand how crazy they sounded?

She just needed time to clear her head, to grapple with everything.

"Where are you going?" Sierra asked as Isla stepped into the hallway between her door and the garage. Sierra smeared some tears with her palm, sniffling pitifully.

Isla didn't know what to say.

"I didn't tell you sooner because I knew you had a lot to deal with already," she said.

"Would you have ever told me?" Isla asked. It seemed like Aedric was the reason all of this came up.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I liked having a real friend for a change. You're like my sister. I didn't expect Aedric to be thrown in the mix."

Isla shook her head, still so confused.

"It's not like I can just turn it off," Sierra sobbed. Isla hated seeing her upset.

"Was that the whole reason you let me stay with you?" Isla finally asked.

"Maybe when we worked together and I brought you food, but then I got to know you and it was never about that anymore."

"I just need some space," Isla said softly, her own tears dampening her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," Sierra said, so sincere that Isla felt torn apart.

Isla was heartbroken. She felt deceived. She didn't know what was real anymore. Sierra and Aedric - they didn't really want to get to know her. She was like a pawn in their game.

The demon empath situation wasn't even the part that was hard to believe. She had just finally thought she had found people who genuinely wanted to get to know her and be around her, not because of some pity, or some mystical attraction.