8

"Did I really smell that bad?"

He nodded.

"Well..... Maybe it's because I ran"

"No."

"What?"

"It's not because you ran."

"And how would you know that?"

"How did you get here?"

"Do your emotions determine the colour of your eyes?"

He exhaled in annoyance and she blinked up sweetly at him. "Yes."

"You don't have a lot of friends, do you?"

"How did you get here?"

"How or why?"

"Eleanor." He warned

"You aren't clear with your questions." She hopped off the chair and began to limp around the kitchen

"Walk me through everything about you being here."

She picked up a tomato and bit into it. He rose a brow at her and she smiled "Sorry. Bad habit. Okay," she sat. "I came here because of work-" all amusement left his face and his eyes resumed their sharp green colour

"What work?"

"I'm a writer for a magazine in New York called Black and You and my job was on the line so I came here."

"I'm Sorry, Black and You?"

"Mr. Maxwell Black owns the whole thing"

He nodded "And he threatened to fire you?" 

She nodded 

"And you came here?" 

She nodded again 

"Why?"

"Lake Creek has a lot of mystery to it and I got curious. Plus, a scoop like this could really save my Job."

He folded his arms and leaned back in his seat "Carry on."

"I got here, ate and the weirdness began. First, taxi drivers almost amputated my toes in their haste to drive away because I mentioned Lake Creek, then I asked a thug for directions and-''

"You asked a thug for directions?"

She nodded innocently, "Yes. He also got scared and told me to go home but then, dare I say luckily, i met Carl, who drove me into the forest"

He suddenly sat up, an unreadable expression on his face as he asked "Describe Carl."

She shot him a look. "Please.", he added

"Tall, very strange looking, stick thin- almost all bones and veins, bulging red eyes, crazy hair, barely speaks and owns a cab."

He nodded. Description fit to a T. About the cab, he took a wild guess.

"You approached him?"

She shook her head "He approached me."

"Someone like that approached you and you followed him?"

"I didn't have a choice! No one else wanted to bring me!"

He shot her a look. She watched him observe her. He was probably questioning her sanity.

"Please carry on"

She exhaled "He drove me into the forest and stopped me in front of a very narrow road and told me that was my only way into Lake Creek"

Andreas instantly rose, and began to pace the kitchen.

"What did you see?"

She was getting scared, "Nothing. Just trees and then no trees then faceless voice came-"

"Why didn't he kill you?"

"Wh-yo-i don't Know. Maybe because I didn't look at him."

He suddenly turned to face her, a strange look in his eyes "Why didn't you look?"

"Because Carl told me not to."

He swore violently. It was her. Now he understood what Anna meant. It was her. She was the one spoken about in the prophesy. To end the evil of the pact but why did--- he had to push her along. Screw her meeting Anna, she was going to be in too much danger. He wasn't up for that. The prophesy said nothing about her living or dying at the end and he didn't want to train her or experience anything at all with her. He would care for her and she might die. Heck, she would! This chick had a Knack for dangerous situations. He did want the pact to end, so so badly but did he want all the extra drama?

Eleanor watched him think, now fearing deeply for herself.

"You might lose your Job, after all."

She frowned "Why?"

"Because you're going to see things you can't write."

"Wh.... Wait... Ugh" she gripped her head, then remembered "Wait.... Wait- forget it"

His eyes Pierced through her "What?"

"This is crazy." she whispered to herself "Nothing. Can I borrow your phone?"

"What's crazy?"

"I have to call the tourists agency."

"Eleanor."

"I'll just go to the hotel i booked and forget all this happened. I came for work. I have to get out of your hair," she stood up and smiled "Thank you, Andreas. Really."

She was leaving. That was good. She should leave. Keep them off her tail for however long she could.

"Can I borrow your phone please?"

He pulled it out and handed it over "Still, what did you want to say?", curiosity got the better of him.

She exhaled " Since we're all about the crazy, here goes. I had a dream... Actually, ever since I made up my mind to come here, I've been having these strange dreams of this voice telling me to look at him and me running and this green eyed mist or shadow or something trying to reach me. I thought it was all because I was a little spooked about the stories I read of this place but after what happened a few.... Sorry, how long have i been here for?"

"Four days" came his absent minded reply

Her eyes widened "FOUR DAYS?! Sweet Jesus, I definitely have to go" she hobbled off with his phone while he stood thinking. Those weren't just dreams. They were warnings. And if they were warning, the witches of the pact would have caught wind of it and if they did... Shit. She wasn't safe. No wonder they didn't kill her, they literally couldn't. She'd escaped and they'd be curious... Curious enough to watch her every move till they got to her. He was already involved now and heck if he'd let them kill another one of his tourists! Here comes the extra drama.

He walked up to her and listened in on her conversation with the agency

"Where are you now, miss Starr?"

"I'm-"

He took the phone "She's with me." He responded

She frowned "Hey!", then watched him listen to the lady over the phone and after a while, he handed the phone back to her

"Hello?"

"Miss Starr, you're in the best hands. No one knows Lake Creek as well as Mr. Montrier does. He'll take care of you. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact this line. Bye!" She rushed out. Eleanor was confused. Huh?!

She looked to him "Huh?!"

He shrugged

"You're a tour guide?!"

He nodded

"How? Why? Why didn't you tell me you were in charge of this area?"

He rose a brow

She scowled "You don't talk a lot, do you?"

He shrugged again

"Why did she sound scared of you suddenly?"

"Because she is"

She blinked "Well, I have to get to my hotel and-"

"Cancel it"

"Excuse me?"

He casually sat on a couch "I have a place for you to stay. Cancel that one."

She folded her arms "Why can't I stay there?"

"You can, but you won't."

"And who are you to tell me that?"

"Your tour guide. Besides, they won't leave you alone"

She swallowed "Who's they?"

"Don't pretend."

"But.... Why?"

"Eleanor, they get everyone. They didn't get you. They're..." Going to go on a killing spree till they get you ".... mad"

"Stupid males and their Ego!"

"Males? How d'you know it was a male?"

"Carl was male. The faceless voice sounded male"

" You said it also sounded like you too"

"How do you know so much about this stuff?!" She growled out in frustration

"I wouldn't be your tour guide if I didn't. Let's go."

"What?! Now?!"

He nodded, went in, came out with her suitcase a while later and began walking outside. She hobbled after him but his pace was inhumane!

"Andreas, stop!"

He stood still, turned back, then walked back to her. She watched him stop in front of her while she glared up at him

"Number one, you didn't even lock the door. Number two-"

He rolled his eyes "Humans," and picked her up. Eleanor squealed, wrapped her legs around his waist and held fast to his neck.

"Why did-"

He shot her a dry look and began walking, with an arm around her and his other hand holding carrying her suitcase. She noticed how close they were and she stared hard, trying to catch a hint of something

"Staring is rude"

"What are you?"

His eyes flashed emerald green and she gasped and leaned in closer

"Bella."

"What are you?"

"You're such a child."

His teeth were so shiny.

"What does orange mean?"

He ignored her

"Mystery Man?"

Nothing

"Mystery man?"

Nothing but his eyes took on a slightly red tint.

"Andre."

He shot her a look.

"What? You called me Bella."

He looked away.

She sighed "You're a horrible tour guide."

He stopped abruptly "Per l'amor di Dió! Perché sei cosí fastidioso?!"

(For the love of God! Why are you so annoying?!)

Her eyes widened in shock "You speak Italian too?! Ohhh yeahhh, Mr. Montrier used to speak it too." She then took in his slightly tan skin color, which was not really obvious but wasn't exactly hidden either. She looked up in time to watch the red in his eyes increase and she frowned. "Put me down."

He carried on walking.

She grit her teeth "Put.Me.Down!"

He kept walking. She couldn't fight him and she knew it so she just kept quiet. When she said nothing for a while, Andreas looked at her

"Stop sulking."

"Please don't talk to me."

"It doesn't look good on you."

"Why in the name of scuba divers do you care?!"

He exhaled and she looked away, with a frown on her face, trying to put as much space between them as possible

After a while he said "I am not used to people."

"Well, I would have gotten out of your hair but you barged in and made them put you in charge of me. You aren't used to people but I also am not used to Carl and the stuff i saw on that path but look where I'm at. I brought myself here and you made yourself my tour guide. Deal with it."

She was hot when she was mad, with her whole face aflame like that.

"I will. I'm sorry"

She shot him a sideways glance and nodded. They continued on in silence when, after a while, he began to chuckle. She cast him a weird look and he erupted in laughter. Oh biscuits! Why was he so beautiful?! Arrgh!

"What's so funny?"

"You said scuba divers. You don't cuss a lot, do you?"

She slowly smiled "It's hard."

He looked at her a while longer and just kept walking, a gentle smile on his face. She stared at him.

"Stop it."

"We're friends now, right?"

He frowned and her mouth fell open "Am I so bad? You're not so great yourself! To think I was about to compliment you." she huffed and shook her head.

After a few minutes, he said "I guess we're friends now.... Kind of."

"Too late. Hmph!"

He rolled his eyes at her and about 15 minutes later, they arrived and her mouth fell open.