JESSIE
Oh my God, is a fight about to happen right now? I know Nytheris and Veyraths hate each other, but I didn't know they hated each other this much. Because they're looking at Sebby and they're growling, and their eyes being golden means they're about to go full beast mode right now on Sebby.
Sebby's green eyes are on display. I look between them, and I don't even know what I'm going to do in this situation. I'm so confused, and I do not have the strength to fight anyone. I don't even want to fight anyone, God damn it. But what do I do? I can't just stand there.
I watch the veyraths and they look so strong, even the women amongst them have muscles. Damn, badass.
Oh my. What's even badass is the Taylor Swift Reputation album's lettering on one of the Veyrath's shoulders.
She has brown skin and she's South Asian with long dark hair, straight nose and full lips, she's so beautiful and she clearly has taste because she's a Swiftie just like me.
"You listen to Taylor Swift?" I ask her, and I cannot believe I just asked that. They look like they're in the middle of a war, and I'm asking about Taylor Swift. Damn, Swifties are annoying.
The pretty girl looks at me, her eyes go back to normal, they're cognac brown, and she looks pretty; she still looks pretty with golden eyes.
She smiles. "Yeah, her music speaks to my soul."
"OMG, I know, right. She says what we're all thinking. She speaks through us."
"And she sings about her life, but somehow we can relate to her songs."
"Exactly."
Sebby's eyes go back to normal, and so do the veyraths. They're looking at each other, confused as hell. I, this beautiful woman, ignore them. That's what Taylor Swift does: she makes Swifties communicate in a way that makes other people who aren't Swifties invisible.
"I'm guessing your favourite album is Reputation," I say, putting my hands in my pockets. Wow, I went from anxious to relaxed so quickly.
"Yep, delicate alone made me a reputation girlie," she shrugs.
"Who doesn't like delicate?"
"Pick mes." she says, and I giggle.
"What's your favourite album?" she asks me.
"Lover."
"Oooh, a full-on romantic. I love that."
"Hold up, hold up. What is going on here?" the leader of the veyraths says. He's very hot, tall, handsome, beige skin, the perfect lips, so fucking-
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa." Sebby interrupts my thoughts, and he walks toward me. Jesus fucking Christ, I forgot that Sebby can read my thoughts. Oh nooo this is so embarrassing.
"Jezzy, you're supposed to hate these veyraths. I bet they smell like wet dog to you." Sebby says, and all the veyraths before us look at me.
I sniff. "No, they smell normal to me," I say, sniffing again. "One of them smells like muffins."
"Oh, me." A nice-looking Veyrath raises his hand to reveal himself.
"Oh, hi," I say.
"What the fuck? You don't hate their smell, you don't think they stink, or they don't annoy you in any way? You don't feel like scratching their eyes out."
"Nope," I say, looking at them.
"Wow, a nytheri who doesn't act like a douche," the sexy says.
"Shut up, Daniel."
"Make me." Daniel's eyes flash.
"Why do you veyraths always feel the need to put your legs in places you're not invited? We were here first."
Daniel rolls his eyes. "You don't own the woods, De La Rosa. It's a free country."
I know this guy; he looks super familiar.
And then I know where I've seen him from. There was a time when Seb and I went to watch a movie. Spider-Man Homecoming, to be exact.
And while I was waiting for him to go get his wallet so he could buy the tickets and popcorn. I saw him going head-to-head with him, Daniel.
I asked Sebby what happened when he came back to me, and he lied to me and gaslit me into thinking they weren't threatening each other and they were just greeting each other. Damn, damn, damn. It's all coming together.
I always thought Sebby wasn't normal, that he was extraordinary. But I thought I only thought that because he was so handsome and I was in love with him. I didn't think he was supernatural, but I should have.
It's not normal for a human to move in ways no human should. He was the reason why our school's football team kept taking home trophies. There were times I had seen Sebby's eyes change colour. But I thought that was ridiculous because no one's eyes change from brown to light green. I thought I was hallucinating or it was a trick of the light.
The signs were all there. But of course, why would I think that he was supernatural? I didn't believe in the supernatural at the time. I'm still finding it hard to believe it all.
But supernatural creatures are standing in front of me. Hell, I'm a supernatural creature now. I'm no longer human.
"Alright, fine, we'll leave you be. Only because your boyfriend is nice." Daniel says, and I give him a surprised look.
"He's not my boyfriend." I snap.
"Okay, whatever, Taylor fan." he looks me up and down. "Something about you is different from the other annoying ass nytheris. Don't you think so, guys?" he asks his pack, and they all nod their heads in confirmation.
Well, maybe it's because I died and was brought back to life by a Nytheri.
"Oh, you have this one, De La Rosa," he says, pointing at Sebby as he backs away from him. They turn around, but they don't amble away; they run like wolves in the night.
They actually look so cool. I hope I see that Swiftie again.
"They seem nice," I say, and I feel Sebby whip his head over to me. I look at him and I immediately start giggling. He furrows his brows.
"What's so funny?" he asks.
"I'm sorry, you just look so fucking funny right now. You look funny when you're pissed." I say, and my giggles turn into laughter, then soon after, he begins to laugh as well. We're both laughing at Sebby's funny, angry face.
I'm laughing hard; this is genuinely how he makes me feel. Like this cruel world is worth laughing at, and there's no space for heartbreak.
"Okay, okay fair," he says, and we both stare at each other with bright smiles on our faces. "But seriously, you didn't feel any resentment toward those dogs."
I look to the side to think. "No, they just seemed normal to me. The only thing that told me they weren't normal was the golden eyes." I wanted to just leave these woods with that girl and sing We're Never Getting Back Together with her in my room.
I didn't feel like killing them, like Sebby and Sebby looked pissed when they came. It was like he came face-to-face with devils.
But they're not if Sebby can let them go and not kill them.
"Why do you guys hate each other so much?"
"We just can't stand each other; cats and dogs can't be friends. Felines and canines don't mix, and people believe it has something to do with the beef between Anubis and Bastet. Anubis is the father of all veyraths. And Anubis and Bastet hate each other. They've hated each other even before humans existed."
Interesting.
"So Nytheris just feel disgusted when you're near them."
"Pretty much yes."
"Wow. How come I don't feel resentment toward them? Is it because I'm a Nytherikin? And Daniel said the same thing that Nocturne said about me being different. Can they sense that I wasn't born a Nytheri? "
Sebastian just looks at me.
He shrugs.
"I don't know," he says.
That statement. "You're different." is making me want to learn more about myself.
"Uh, so are we going to talk about how you had a dream that you kissed me?"
I roll my eyes and I groan like those veyraths.
"Please let it go," I say. "Can we focus on what we came here to do now?" I say in a pleading tone because I really don't want to talk about this right now. And I knew it, I knew he was thinking about that dream, this bitch.
Well, he's a cat, not a bitch, so I don't think that would be the right wording.
"You know I can't let this go, Jezzy." he moves closer. Oh no, what is he doing? Please let this be another dream.
"It's not a dream."
"What the- please get out of my head."
"You know, I can't."
"Yes, you can." I push back.
"I want to know what you're thinking."
"Wh-" I sigh. "You need to stop talking."
"Why?"
"You know why. Oh my God, I have a boyfriend, Sebby."
"Break up with him."
I look at him like he's just said the dumbest thing ever.
"I'm sorry I didn't mea-"
"Yes, you did! And I'm sorry, Sebby, you have to remember the only reason I came back wasn't for you but because of my dad's funeral. I came here to support my mom."
Sebby just looks at me with hurt in his eyes.
"You know what. I didn't ask you to save me. You should have just let me die." I walk away from him angrily.
"You're right, maybe I shouldn't have brought you back, you should have just stayed dead." I freeze, and then I look over to him.
I can't believe he just said that to me. I remember when I'd tell him that I wanted to die, and he'd tell me he would die if I died, but this time, he's not telling me that it seems like he means what he just said.
"Oh my God, Jezzy, I didn't mean-" he reaches out for me, and I pull away. My eyes sting, and a lump appears in my throat.
"Jezzy," he says, and then I turn around and I run.
I hear him call my name. But I don't listen.
I run as quickly as my Nytheri legs can carry me.