SR: Kina - I feel empty
twenty-three.
marina.
I let a nine-year-old manipulate me into driving her to a party.
I was going to get shit for this, but I couldn't help it. I had to do what was best for my people and this was it. This was me doing something.
Amelia insisted I had to dress the part and that she did indeed. We rummaged into Lance's closet and somehow found an off the shoulder blue mermaid dress. Very fitting. Very... convenient.
A part of me thought that Ami had all this planned out already.
We followed quickly after them, awkwardly breaking from time to time. It was sometimes confusing to drive a car and the closest I knew how to ride was a boat and that was about it. I very much preferred boats. Especially canoes or kayaks.
This, I thought, is so difficult. I always got the acceleration and the breaks wrong. Cars were so awkwardly bulky.
When Mom and I used to go canoeing around Aqueria, it was nice to be above the ocean sometimes. It made me feel like I was on top of the world.
Now, I didn't feel on top of the world so much. I felt right under it. Being on land... it was so comprehensive... Sure, the ocean was big, but its vastness was familiarity, so it didn't feel so big.
Amelia looked with awe at the building once we arrived. The car in front of us parked to the side of the building. I made sure we were a block or so behind. They were vampires if I was too close, they would hear us.
"It's a... fancy office?" I replied, my nose scrunching up as I tilted my head upward at the tall building.
Ami shook her head. "It's a hotel building. Idiot."
I parked the car haphazardly and slid out, picking up my dress with me. I sighed, trying to not get it stuck between the car door. "I still don't know a lot—" I sucked my teeth and bent down, yanking out the fabric, "—about human life."
Wind flew past me suddenly and I stood up straight, my heart sinking as I saw who was right in front of me.
Eryn's hands were on either side of Ami's shoulders as she pushed her forward. Eryn's piercing gaze was on me, the red pooling into the grey eyes.
"You got her into this?" Her glare blazed, shoving Amelia aside and lunging for me.
I squeaked, closing my eyes tightly when Eryn pinned me against the car door. I took a gasp of air as my back collided against the car.
My eyes whirled open meeting her gaze. She breathed heavily through her mouth, eyes searching mine. I couldn't pull my gaze away, the vibrancy of the color left me entranced.
She thumped her fists onto either side of me.
I grasped her wrists, holding onto her.
"Why are you here?" she spoke, her voice hoarse. There was a desperation in her eyes that left me on the brink of tears. I shouldn't have done it, but seeing Eryn settled me down, even while she was in this state. She was angry with me, this much was true, but she looked at me with concern. She was worried about me...
I peered over at the air around her, grateful that I was my father's daughter. My royal bloodline was able to let me use my powers on land. I could see her aura materializing in front of me and I let out a breath I didn't think I was holding. Her aura was a splice between red and pink, the colors swirling together. They were almost blinding, leaving me in awe.
"I can see your emotions," I breathed out, hating the hope that was blooming into my chest.
Yeah, she was angry at me, but she cared for me more than she showed. I didn't like to use my abilities on others, but I couldn't help it. I needed to see. An icky part of me wishes I had done it earlier.
Chris's meaty hand clamped itself on Eryn's shoulder, yanking her back. She was thrown upwards a couple of feet, landing onto the grass. I stalked forward, but Chris hissed, leaving me against the car. His face was terrifying, his eyes pulsating red and the veins around his eyes and mouth popping out.
"Chris," Sagan called, heading towards where she was laying, "you didn't have to be so rough with her!"
"I'm tired of this," Chris snapped, turning to me. He calmed down a bit, his chest heaving up and down, "you are going to stay in the car with Amelia." Chris grabbed my arm and led us towards their car, shoving me into the SUV. He was surprisingly gentle, given that he had just flung Eryn feet away.
Lance stepped out of the car and raised his brow.
Amelia shoved in after me, getting placed in the passenger's seat. Chris glared at me, "you will not endanger my family ever again, you hear me?"
I nodded, gulping down nervously. "I didn't mean—"
"I know that you must've been dragged into it because Amelia wanted to go to this. However, to risk her life to be here and for Eryn to react like that is unacceptable," Chris turned around and watched as Eryn and Sagan headed towards us.
"What the fuck, mate!?" Eryn shouted, motioning towards the grass.
Sagan's eyes were thin slits as she looked at me in the car.
"Whatever problem you're dealing with you need to get it under wraps right now. I know you're capable of restraint and it needs to be done. I do not need anyone risking her life!" Chris shouted and pointed to Amelia. She shrank in response and looked more like a child than she already did.
I was delusional letting Amelia get me into bringing us here. I should've known better, but I couldn't just sit around not doing anything.
"She wanted to be here for her friends," Lance defended, "Marina, come here." He held out his red nailed hand and I hesitantly got out of the car.
Eryn's eyes slid into my line of sight and I held her gaze for a moment. A bewildered expression flashed across her face for a moment.
"I'm going to take Amelia and Marina back with me," Chris declared, taking his phone out of his slacks, "Sagan will stay here with you and Eryn."
"Marina will stay with me. Mermaids have pack mentality, we're just like the vampires in there if we take her free will away," Lance snapped, facing Chris head-on.
Sagan rolled her eyes. "It's for her own good."
"I can make my own choices," I glared at her, standing up for myself for the first time against Sagan. I was tired of her dropping her opinion where it wasn't her business.
Eryn folded her arms, not saying anything. I wanted her to say something, anything. Her silence was agonizing.
"You are in no position to be talking," Lance glowered at Sagan, causing her to straighten up. He turned his gaze to Eryn, "keep your emotions in check, do you hear me?
"You don't need to tell me twice," Eryn gritted out, "do what you want. If she gets killed, that's all on you." And with that, Eryn turned and stalked off towards the building.
Sagan huffed and followed Eryn catching up to her and linking her arm with Eryn's.
Chris cursed, and turning his gaze at Lance, "I'll be right back." He headed into the car. Before he slid in, he met eyes with Lance. "Be careful please."
Lance looped his arm with mine. "What he doesn't understand is that I have a finesse for these kinds of things more than him." We started approaching the building, "It's because they care, you know."
"How so?" I asked. I was elated that Lance came to my defense. Knowing that he really believed in me made my chest swell in happiness.
"Eryn's comes off as aggressive because she's passionate. It's been a long time since I've seen that from her," Lance raised his head and took a deep breath, "anyways, enough with that. Are you ready?"
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