The First of Many

Chapter 15- Friend or Foe

Chapter 15
Friend or Foe
Unknown POV

Jasper, Dani, Fred, and Steve had been walking while talking through the forest and I was following them in the trees. Jasper was going on and on about how he would protect her from everyone. And by everyone, he meant me. Excuse me, Mr. Thompson, but I will be protecting Dani from the world and, but of course, you.

I was crawling through the branches as I had been. I shifted my weight onto one branch and it snapped. I caught myself from falling but Fred was already looking in my direction before yelling, "Bird Boy!"

Everyone else looked up and Steve already started shooting arrows at me with his crossbow. I easily dodged them because he had horrible aim and I am just that frigging awesome. I heard Jasper curse who knows what and Dani just kinda stood there either amazed or waiting for an explanation. It's hard to read someone's expression when you're being shot at by a horrible crossbowmen and now Jasper who was climbing up the tree with that fancy sword of his, ready to kill me. Just to mess with him, I jumped down from the tree and landed beside Dani. I found out two seconds later that was a mistake when Steve had me at "arrow-point" and Fred had this really big spear pointed at me.

"Hey fellas. How's life in the forest?" I asked jokingly.

"Shut up Bird-Boy," Fred snapped.

"Bird-Boy?" Dani asked.

"Yeah this guy has wings. Pretty creepy and rare for an Enchanted. Parents missing, living alone, lurking in the darkness. Stay away from him Dani. He wants to kill you," Jasper chimed in after he was back on the ground.

"Dani don't listen to him. I protected you!" I yelled just as Jasper ripped off my cloak. Dani gasped at the sight of my wings.

"See Dani. A freak," Jasper said.

"You're...you're the boy. The boy from my window! And the feather...it was yours." Dani said realizing who I really was. I nodded with a slight smile across my face.

"You know this creep?! And he's what, stalking you?" Jasper asked.

"No Jasper he's my friend," Dani snapped, "So drop your weapons. Now."

Fred, Steve, and Jasper lowered their weapons as Dani had ordered, and she walked over to me.

"This is the real me," I said gesturing to myself.

"Who are you? What's your name?"

"Marco."

"Any last name?"

"Nope. Your friend was right. I never met my parents and from that I never knew my last name." That was a lie. I did have parents. But I didn't really have a last name. My people never really used them. But everything I said was to protect Dani.

"Well alrighty then. I guess the five of us are a group now," Dani said turning to the other guys. They all nodded.

"Dani, I can't let you go with them," I whispered to her, "They are gonna kill me I heard them say it. Jasper has some kind of deal with the other two, and it involves you somehow. I'm your protector and you're not going with them."

"Ok fine. But can I talk with you? Alone?" I nodded.

"Guys, I need to talk to Marco here. I'll be just a few trees away if something happens," Dani told them. They nodded too.

Me and Dani walked deeper into the woods. It was still daytime, but I had to convince Dani to stay hidden with me and ditch those sorry losers before it got dark.

"Ok so what do you need to talk about?" I asked.

"What are you? You're not Enchanted. It's impossible for an Enchanted to have wings because Enchanteds work with their mind alone." Dani was right. But how should I tell her.

"No, I'm sorry I'm not Enchanted." I sighed and looked at the ground.

"You lied to me. You lied to me!" Her eyes were burning red.

"Dani let me explain."

"No! What are you!?"

"I'm...I'm a...demon," I said while my stomach churned at the filthy name. Dani's eyes got really big, and the colors red, orange, and blue all swirled in her eyes. Anger. Fear. Sadness. That was a huge sign that she wasn't an Enchanted. You can only see one color at a time in Enchanted's eyes.

"You...you...monster! You want me dead! You came to kill me for my power! Get away from me!"

I grabbed her arms. "Dani look at me. I would never hurt you. I told you everything to protect you. Jasper only wants you to fall in love with him so that you will trust him. Then he's gonna be the reason you get hurt!" She struggled from my grasp but I held onto her.

"You're lying! Jasper would never do that to me! He's my friend!...Unlike you terrible monster."

"Dani listen---"

"No! He can't fall in love with me anyway! We are Enchanted! Our lives are already planned!...Just leave him alone."

"Your love can change Dani. You're not like the rest of them. I know it sounds crazy, but I promise he is planning on gaining your love then giving you to someone who will hurt you and use your powers for evil."

"Shut up! You lied to me once already!" She yanked herself free then ran in the opposite direction.