by Namita Singh
tone of finality, “We’re going to split up.”
Neal looks at me like I am crazy. “We shouldn’t-”
“We should.” I interrupt. “They are looking for me. They will encounter you if you stay beside me. Your aura may be repelling them, but we’re not certain about that and I won’t take a chance on it. Both of us staying in the hospital will inevitably increase their chances of finding us.”
Neal considers that for a moment, seemingly in deep thought. Reluctantly, he nods, “Okay, we’ll split.” He puts the bag down on the floor, next to the wall we are standing at and starts fumbling with his pocket. After a moment, his hand reemerges with David’s vial in his hand.
“Great.” I don’t know if that comes out of my mouth sarcastically or in relief. At one hand, I am feeling extremely annoyed that Neal’s aura will get suppressed. On the other hand, I feel reprieved that the liquid will help Neal pass through the exit undetected. I keep my annoyance at bay, knowing too well that getting Neal out of here is priority. And if that comes at the expense of me being deprived of his aura, so be it. If I have to choose between Neal without aura and Neal with unwanted people, then I will choose the former.
“I had forgotten about this.” I tell Neal, eyeing the vial in his hand.“But good, you won’t have to wait to pass through the waiting room; undetected by the therians waiting there. Without your aura, their gaze will not fall on you. Just keep a low profile-”
“You’re the one who is drinking this.” He interrupts.
I falter, “W-wha, No.” I say, briefly closing my eyes in irritation.
“Yes.” Neal says, his brows furrowing, his eyes narrowing. That’s his signature expression that indicates that he is preparing for a verbal battle in his head.
“No.” I say in a firmer tone.
Neal glares at my antagonistic tone. “They are looking for you. And I am sure if they ask the receptionist again, she’ll tell them gladly that we haven’t moved towards the exit as of now. With both of us separated and them looking for you, the chances are too high of them finding you. My aura can repel them. But your aura wont and I don’t think there are any other therians in this hospital to cause them confusion.”
I hesitate in answering. Of course every aura that I have come across till now has been human. But thatcertainly doesn’t mean that my aura will stand out more than Neal’s aura.
“Yes, they are not looking for you.” I say, “So, their chances of accidently coming across you are far more than I’d like. Don’t argue on this.”
Neal is shaking head before I am even finished, “You’re the one who is arguing. As we have just discussed, they obviously have me in mind at a subliminal level. I am confident my aura will repel them. I’ll just stay put in the washroom of some corridor-”
“No. I am not taking chances.”
“You have no hoodoo mechanics to make people divert away from you. Is that so tough to get?”
“I said I am not taking chances.”
“Just drink this bloody thing and move out.”
“I am not going anywhere. Seriously Neal, you’re wasting your breath here.”
“Stop being annoying.” Neal snaps, his tone turning harsher.
“No, you stop being stubborn.” I snap, taking a step towards him. So close, Neal has to tilt his head slightly to meet my eye. Distractedly I notice that he is not as short as I always assume him to be.He is reaching almost to my nose level.“Listen to me for once, would you?” I glare.
“No, you listen to me.” He snaps, his face turning pink due to anger, “Drink this and move out. Go to the nearest newspaper shop and pick up yellow pages. Look for eighth hotel in the index. I’ll meet you there. Those guys are not going to stay in this hospital forever.”
Through my vexed state, I stutter at his instructions, “Why eighth?” I manage to retort.
Neal shrugs, “Choose seventh then. Our cellphones are dead. We need a common place to meet. Just get out of here.”
“Neal, it’ll get morning and you won’t be able to make me drink that. Let’s save time. You drink it. Take my jacket. It’ll be big on you and will help with inconspicuousness.” I thrust mine towards him. Neal doesn’t bat an eye, almost boringly glaring at me, “Look for the eight hotel and I’ll be there soon.”
“Fuck you.”
I sigh, rubbing my temple with the forefinger of my left hand. “Neal-”
“They will not find me.” Neal stresses, “You need to get out. You’re the one who is wasting time.”
“Neal, no offence to you, but you cannot possibly fight against those guys in case they encounter you.”
“And no offence to you, but stop fighting my fights.”
My eyebrows crawl for my hairline at that. “Your fight?” I ask incredulously.
Neal purses his lips, his eyes darting away from our glaring match, “Just go, Josh. If it’s my fate to be caught, then I’ll handle it. Isn’t that what you like? Things to proceed as they were meant to be?” he asks rhetorically. “God, I wish I had changed this event.” He mutters.
I stutter at his sudden outburst, “Aakir isn’t exactly free to get you projected.” I manage to splutter, even now annoyed at him expressing his desire to change future.
“I know that.” Neal snaps angrily. “Just-”
“You do realize that I’d prefer anything over you being in the hands of those men, right?” I interrupt him. “So, before whatever you’re thinking of this being ‘your’ fight, focus on the fact that I have my own personal interests.” I snap.
“That your dad and granddad don’t share.” he blurts. He shakes his head, as if he wasn’t intending to say that, “Just drink this and move out, Josh. I don’t-”
“Are you feeling guilty that my father and Mikhail are going to be stuck in that mansion?” I interrupt him yet again, my expressions flickering between vexation, confusion and incredulity.
“No.” Neal says exasperatedly, “I mean, yes, but no-”
I cannot believe this. His lack of verbal participation since Aakir’s visit was attributed to the sudden tension between us by me. I didn’t even pause to consider that Neal might be disturbed because of a totally different thing. Neal is not a fool. Of course he sees that it’s because of him that my father will probably face the wrath of the council and will probably face god knows what in front of the Occultists. The idea doesn’t settle well with me but I never thought that Neal would be guilt ridden over the subject.
Killing the Occultist is bringing way more burden than we all would like. Neal is not oblivious to the fact that this all could have been avoided if only he hadn’t killed the witch. But even with the unfortunate cloud looming above us, I do not blame Neal. I am assured that my father feels the same. If we didn’t find Neal enough worthy, we wouldn’t be putting any effort. So, there is no need for him to feel guilty.
“Everyone considers you a part of the family, Neal. Even my father, hell even Mikhail. Don’t think this as a favor. We are family and we stick with each other to the end.” I tell him, feeling a sudden heaviness in my gut.
Neal completely schools his face, not meeting my eye. This conversation is taking an unwanted down road.
“Neal-”
“I never had a family, Josh.” Neal says, looking up to meet my eyes, “I don’t know what that entitles. What I know is that I don’t want to cause all of you any more trouble than necessary. I should stand where I can-”
“It’s not ‘trouble’ for us.” I say, aggravated. “It’s what we want to do of our own volition. Stop putting words in my mouth.”
Neal exasperatedly sighs, as if he is fed up of arguing. “I will not drink this.” He says in a final tone, thrusting the vial towards me.
I give him an exasperated look. Neal is not moved.
“Please, Josh.” He adds.
I never thought I’d see the day when Neal will be pleading. The single word expresses so much that I find my angry stance crumbling at once. I have never heard his tone be this
helpless or downright desperate. He really, really doesn’t want me to stay back and risk encountering these men. Not when those men are looking for Neal in the first place. Is it really weighing him down so much that we all are incessantly fighting for him?He looks dejected, that because of something that he is, all of us are being dragged into a shithole. But again, in my opinion, his guilt holds no ground. Neal didn’t ask for this life of his. He didn’t ask to be the vaticinator.
His expressionless face, his jaw set stubbornly, doesn’t mask the vast amount of emotions dwindling in his brown eyes. I can already see that my words will bring no effect on his mindset. He doesn’t want me to get entangled in a conflict because of him. And he is going to make sure that that remains so. Honestly, seeing him so vulnerable, my own contradictions have died in my throat. I cannot possibly fight with Neal when he is looking like this. Definitely not when he is pleading. I don’t want to be the cause of another frown on his face. I don’t mind his wrath but I definitely mind this vulnerable side of his.
But more than anything else, I do not want Neal to be caught by anyone. I don’t want those men to catch drift of Neal and overpower him. It doesn’t matter how unlikely Neal says that situation will be. I have faced his absence once and I sure as hell cannot face that again. I don’t want to spend a single day more worrying if I’ll see Neal again or not, if I’ll sense his aura again or not. And it’s not just about me. Neal doesn’t deserve this. He didn’t ask for such