Chapter 3 - All Parts/Complete

When Leksi stepped into the bus, she saw Elijah sitting in the way back. He starred outside the window so she couldn’t really see his face.
„Is it okay, when I sit with Elijah for our way back?“, she asked Blake who stood right behind her.
„Sure.“, he said and smiled at her. They looked each other deep in the eye for a while and Leksi had to swallow. She turned around hasty and made her way through the narrow aisle. As she sat down next to him, he gave her a short glance, then watched outside the window again. A smile flitted over his lips. Leksi wanted to say something, but she didn’t know what because she hadn’t been quite nice the last time talking to him.
The bus started moving. Leksi was really tired. Even though they haven’t done a lot, she wanted to fall into her bed right away. She saw Blake in the first row. He didn’t turn around a single time and he hadn’t reacted weirdly, when Leksi wanted to sit with Elijah. Actually she thought that he would think he did something wrong and that would be the reason why she didn’t want to sit with him. She didn’t even know why she sat with Elijah. It was just a unpleasant feeling so see him all by himself. Leksi didn’t know him for long, but she had noticed that he wasn’t as grotty as he liked to pretend. Leksi felt his warmth. She had a hard time holding her eyes open. They always wanted to shut.
„Are you that tired?“, Elijah asked. Leksi looked at him surprised. He smiled and exceptionally the smile seemed honestly.
„Aren’t you?“, she asked and inclined her head.
„Get a little sleep.“, Elijah said and turned his head back towards the window.

All the sudden he felt something at his chest. Leksi leaned her head against him, with her eyes closed. He looked down on her light blonde hair confused. Did she really fell asleep?
„Sorry!“, she mumbled into his jacket.
„It’s okay.“, he whispered. Only now he realized his entire body had tensed. He took a deep breath and loosened himself.
„Are you looking forward to going home?“, Leksi asked. She peered up to him.
„Actually no.“, he said and sighed.
„Why not?“, Leksi wanted to know.
„Just sleep.“, Elijah answered to avoid her question.
Leksi shook her head and messed up her hair. Elijah had to smile. He leaned back into the backrest and also closed his eyes.
„Why don’t you wanna tell me?“, Leksi asked when Elijah kept quiet.
„You’re quite annoying.“, he laughed.
„I know.“, Leksi sighed. „I’d love to go back home.“, she said with a sad voice.
„Aren’t you going?“, Elijah asked with confusion in his voice.
„I really doubt that.“, she whispered and buried her face in his jacket to push back the tears. Elijah clenched his teeth and didn’t know what he should answer. He didn’t even know why Leksi was at the academy, still less if she would return after winter break.
„It’ll buff out.“, he said and knew that this sounded pretty stupid. Leksi laughed frustrated.
„I will miss you as a partner if you’re not coming back.“, he said and immediately regret it. He watched her anxiously.

„You’re weird.“, Leksi said. She craned her head to look up and got tickled by Elijah’s hair. He had lowered his head, so his eyes were covered by shadows. He bit his lip, something he mostly did when he was nervous. He gave her a look of expectancy. He actually wanted to show her the cold shoulder but her sudden closeness had put him off his stride. Elijah looked into her light eyes, seeming to hypnotize him. After a perceived eternity, Elijah was able to finally turn away.
„We’re almost there.“, he said when he saw the gate of the academy.

Leksi absorbed his scent. He smelled like fresh air and somehow like cinnamon. She couldn’t explain herself why she had dumped down on his shoulder. Even though she only knew Elijah since a week, he somehow spread familiarity. If she had been able to she would have probably taken her head off of him, pressing herself into the backrest. But she wasn’t even able to held her eyes open and the even beat Elijah’s heart was making, pulled her into a different world. The bus drove over the uneven sand road, winding through the forest. Leksi didn’t want this ride to ever end. She didn’t want to go back into the high building. She would have preferred to jump out of the bus, running away into the city. Alicante wasn’t much better, but at least there would be someone who could bring her back to Montreal through a portal.
„Would you help me?“, she mumbled lost in thought. She didn’t even want to ask that question out loud. Apparently Blake didn’t intend on helping her, but Leksi understood his reasons. Elijah didn’t seem like he had much to loose though.
„What do you mean?“, he whispered. His voice had such a lovely tone when he wasn’t irascible or mean.

„I need to go back to Montreal.“, she continued and accomplished to open her eyes.
„Why are you thinking I can help you?“, he wanted to know. His features stiffened.
„Cause I know Blake could.“, she whispered gloomy. „He’s just not allowed to.“
„Right, so because nobody likes me anyways, it’s not important if I send you through the portal and somebody finds out?!“, in his voice lay anger. She looked at him startled.
„No, I didn’t mean it this way.“, she started to say, but actually it was exactly something like this, that made her think he would help her.
„When do you want to leave?“, he asked after a short silence. Leksi looked at him unbelievingly. „Preferably right now, but we still have the test in Nolan’s class.“, she started. When Nolan’s name and the test dropped, Elijah look her in the eye curiously. They would get their task on monday and had to perform it on the last day of school. Leksi didn’t care much about the test. But Elijah and her made a really good team, when they were not wrangling or starring viciously at each other and this awakened something like ambition in Leksi. Of course she wanted to get back to Montreal as soon as possible, but she was also really afraid of Helen’s and Aline’s reaction if she would just show up there before the school year had even ended. It was somehow different when school was officially over. The academy was closing over winter break and she had to go somewhere. Helen and Aline would take her back and wouldn’t be that mad when she had done what was required. 

„So then friday after the test?“, Elijah wanted to know. Leksi nodded.
„Thank you.“, she said. It was a soothing feeling to know she wasn’t alone anymore. Even though she had wished Blake would be the one to help her, she was really glad Elijah was there. He surely was a little weird but he was reliable. Leksi had heard of the portal inside the academy, through which you can only go if you have a specific rune. And exactly this rune was on her arm since the day she arrived in the academy. Every student got one, just Leksi didn’t understand the point of Mrs. Wayland giving her one. Probably so she wouldn’t feel as much as a prisoner and to impose a sort of affiliation on her.
„I know your problem.“, Elijah said all of the sudden. His voice sounded carefully.
„My problem?“, Leksi asked surprised and didn’t know what exactly he meant.
„With the fighting.“, he said.
„What?!“, slipped out of her mouth. She had to misheard this. „And what do you think is my problem?“, she asked irascibly.
„That’s exactly what I mean.“, Elijah answered, raising his eyebrows.
Leksi looked at him aghast and shook her head.
„Temper is dominating you.“, he determined. „It shows when you fight. Temper is a weakness and you can’t get a prime fighter like this.“
That was too much for Leksi. She sank down into the backrest and struggled for words. She wanted to yell at him that he was wrong but now that she had his words inside her head, she saw something true about it.
„If we want to be excellent on friday, we have to insert some extra lessons after class.“
„You really think we need that?“, Leksi wanted to know.
„You do.“, Eliah said. „I don’t mean to offend you, Aleksa.“, he continued. Leksi hated to be called Aleksa, but when he said it, it sounded nice and not snootily.
„I get that temper out of you.“, he said as he noticed Leksi wasn’t going to answer anymore.

„I actually don’t believe that you are the right person for that.“, she said snippy and felt a little sore. After all it was Elijah who always seemed angry and flamed everyone who came across him. She only got an amused smile as an answer.

Disgruntled Leksi walked into the training room. Class had already enden and now she was supposed to work on their test with Elijah. The task they got from Nolan was quite easy. They only had to perform a synchronic sequence of cuts that you used with japanese swords. But Elijah seemed to see a problem and criticized Leksi’s movements. In his eyes she was way too stiff and concentrated. Elijah walked up and down in the large hall. He wore his shadowhunter gear just like Leksi did. He turned around when she entered the room. His brown hair was ruffled and lay in streaks in his face. Leksi walked up to him. She had to look up, because he was about half a head taller than her.
„Finally you made it.“, he said. Leksi didn’t know if he was uptight or if his voice just always sounded that way.
„Sit down on the floor.“ he said. Leksi rose her eyebrows. Why did he want her to sit down? Elijah looked at her expectantly so Leksi settled herself with a sigh.
„Cross-legged.“, Elijah said and sat down towards her.
„Now put your hands on your knees and close your eyes.“
„What is this amounting to?“, Leksi wanted to know.
„We are going to meditate.“, he said.
„Are you serious?“, Leksi shook her head.
„Of course I am.“, Elijah already closed his eyes.
„And why?“, she asked.
Elijah opened his eyes annoyed. „Could you just trust me on this?“, he snapped at her.
„You’re making it awfully hard for me.“, she threw at him.
He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but then closed it again. He took a deep breath. „Please close your eyes and do what I tell you.“, he said and you could feel his tension.
Leksi rolled her eyes and put her hands with a smack on her knees.
„Thank you,“, Elijah said. „Take a deep breath and imagine that the clean air takes everything bad and evil with it when you breathe out.“
Leksi did what he said but felt a little weird.

It was hard for her to admit that she actually had a unrestrained anger inside of her. She didn’t want to admit that he was right, but there was nothing much left. After a while she loosened a little and was able to relax a little in the meditation.
„Focus on that black spot inside of you. Cover it with a golden coat, don’t let the black get to you. Turn it off.“
When Leksi did that the images of Annabeth came back into her mind. That was the reason she was so furious. But she wasn’t mad at Helen or Aline because they send her to the academy. Neither because Mrs. Wayland kept the information. She was just mad at herself, because she let Annabeth go alone. She knew exactly that she was sneaking out of the institute each night to see that boy she met in the park. She had not told him who she really was and said that he would understand one day. Leksi had only seen him once. And that was when he was hanging on that one street light with his stomach slashed. His blonde hair shimmered in the yellow light and blood dropped down from his hands. He had piano hands. At least Annabeth said so. That was a thing she really liked about him. That and that he made her laugh. She said that she had enough of being surrounded by so much death and sorrow and he was a great alternation. Hayden was his name. Leksi would never forget how soft Annbeth’s voice sounded when she said his name. Only because of that Leksi had let her go. Because she knew how much Hayden meant to her. Because she exactly knew what Annbeth thought when she said the shadowhunters ran a black life. She never intended on leaving the shadowhunters but wanted once to not think of any demons. And that was what costed her life. Leksi blamed herself for that. She should have gone with her or at least insisted on her taking a weapon. „How am I supposed to explain that to Hayden?“, she had asked and threw the knife on the carpet in her room. But who could have known that a demon would appear in Jarry Park and kill two innocent teenagers. Leksi didn’t want to believe this was a coincidence. To not know what happened made her that furious.

In this moment she felt how hot tears ran over her cheeks. Her head started spinning and she felt sick. Her stomach cramped, her head pounded. She pressed her temples but the pain didn’t cease. She opened her eyes dazed. Everything was blurry. A cold shiver ran over her back and she fainted. The blood seemed to burn inside her veins. All the sudden she felt really warm, so she tried to open her jacket. The breathed heavily, gasping for air but had the feeling she only got water inside her lungs. Suddenly she started coughing like she was spilling out the water but there wasn’t anything.
„Aleksa, Lex, what is with you?“, Elijah asked worried. He had leaned over her. Her cheekes glowed. She struggled wildly as if she was hallucinating.
When he noticed her fumbling around on her zipper, he opened the jacket for her. He didn’t know what to do and what was actually happening right now.
„Lex! Can you here me? Please talk to me.“
Leksi wheezed. She felt Elijah’s cold hand on her wrist to take her pulse. The burn slowly faded. She tried to concentrate on the black spot but the blackness was everywhere. She didn’t cover it she let it free.
„Listen to me. It can’t do anything to you. It has no power over you.“
Elijah’s words got through to her contorted. Leksi was tired. The dizziness ceased a little but filled her body with a numbing weakness. She felt how she was pulled up. She was gently pushed against Elijah’s shoulder. She recognized the sweet cinnamon scent. She pressed herself against him, believing she would faint again any second. With her last strength she clung into his jacket.

Soughing waves swashed against her body. She felt patter of rain on her skin. Her surrounding was black. Flashing lights glared in her eyes. It was like she was falling. The wind cut her skin. Her lungs pinched like they would explode. Leksi held her breath, didn’t want to breathe. She spluttered blood but the blood was silver. As the metallic secretion touched her skin, it started to subvert it. It burned into her flesh hissingly and rankled over her body. Leksi wanted to scream but she felt how someone buttoned up her lips. She felt a dull jab, two hands grasping her throat. She struggled, looking at her hands only being bones. Now she screamed. She screamed so much that her lips bursted and the caustic blood burned her face.Lex! Wake up. You’re only dreaming.“, a voice sounded in her head. She ripped her eyes open. It was dark around her. She was still in the training room, sparsely lighted by with lights.
„What happened?“, Leksi whispered. Elijah leaned forward. Carefully she tried to sit up. Only now she realized she was laying on a mat.
„You have more anger than I thought. .“, Elijah whispered back. „I am really sorry.“, he added.
Leksi could see his beautiful blue eyes in the dusky light. They gleamed so familiar, Leksi had to smile. Elijah looked down at her confusedly.
„What time is it?“, Leksi wanted to know.
„Too late. You missed dinner.“, Elijah said and made a face.
„Oh no, for how long did I lay here?“
„Are you feeling better now?“, Elijah wanted to know. Leksi nodded. Her head was still hurting but apart from that she didn’t have any pain. She could barely remember anything. The last thing she knew was that she had been trying to stay in the reality by holding on to Elijah’s scent. Then all her memories sunk into deep darkness. 

„Do you think it’s gone now?“, Leksi asked.
„I don’t know.“, Elijah admitted.
„Sorry that I am so exhausting.“, Leksi said. She felt a little embarrassed that she had fainted in front of Elijah and was apparently unconscious for quite a while.
„What is happening here?“, a voice sounded through the hall. Leksi and Elijah starred at the door appalled and saw Nolan standing at the entrance with his eyebrows raised.

„This was so embarrassing.“, Leksi laughed when she and Elijah went trough the corridor to their rooms. Nolan had looked at them confused, but without any more words they ran out of the room, mumbling an apology.
„I hope he won’t talk to us about it in front of the others.“, Elijah added for consideration.
„Oh no, you think he would do such thing?“, Leksi looked at him terrified.
Elijah shrugged his shoulders but his look revealed her that Nolan was known for something like that. Their ways separated at the staircase leading to the girls corridor.
„Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle that.“, Elijah said to comfort Leksi. She nodded.
She was asking herself what Nolan was thinking. They were sort of laying on the mats when he found them. But he wouldn’t believe that they… They had such things as own rooms and after all this was more than weird. Nolan had to know that they actually couldn’t stand each other. Even though that might not be that true anymore, Leksi hoped nobody noticed this. In the end Blake had never said a word.

Leksi had almost overslept the next morning. Elodie shook her out of bed. When Leksi took a look on the watch, she started and rushed through the academy.
„There finally is our second candidate.“, Nolan grinned. Leksi didn’t feel quite awake yet and was almost slayed by the wave of glances and the bright light. She spotted Elijah, who seemed to be annoyed. More in the back she saw Blake. His look was frozen and absent, he looked at the ground, not regarding Leksi. 

„Now I can tell you what I have to say.“, Nolan said overjoyed. „Aleksa come on over here.“, he waved with his hand. She stumbled next to Nolan puzzled. He was a lot taller than her and smelled like he took a bath in his deodorant. Because Leksi hadn’t eaten anything, she was immediately getting sick. She tried to turn her head away from him, to not breathe in his severe scent, but it seemed like the whiff was already spreading through the entire hall. Elijah was quite amused, for what Leksi darted him an angry glance. He apparently knew what her problem was, but was far enough so the whiff hadn’t reached him yet.

„I already told you, that I found Aleksa and Elijah last night in this hall.“, he started. Leksi swallowed. Her worst nightmare became true.
„I find you should follow their example.“
Leksi was ready for greedy looks and snarky comments. But instead she starred into stunned faces. But she was at least as astonished as them. Elijah rose his eyebrows, surveying Nolan curiously. But she didn’t want to believe that this was it and braced herself for a belt.

„I watched them coming here in the afternoon. Only shortly before midnight, I sent them to their rooms. The training room is always open for everybody. But not everybody shows as much commitment as those two.“, he slapped Leksi on the shoulder and smiled over his entire face. The other students seemed annoyed and Leksi couldn’t decide what was worse. The reputation of a wolfish freak, actually having something going on with Elijah, or the dweep, only being here since a few weeks but already sucking up to the professors. She scrunched her nose. Blake was still staring at the ground and Leksi asked herself if that had something to do with her and Elijah. Somehow she had bailed on him for last night’s dinner without even telling him and that wasn’t a nice way. Maybe Blake thought that they had done something else than just training. She bit her lip nervous until Elijah snapped her out of her thoughts.

„That was a near miss.“, he nudged her shoulder and pulled her to the mats where the training was about to start.
„I thought he would tell them something else.“, Leksi admitted.
„Well I think he just couldn’t believe it then.“, Elijah laughed.
„Of course not. I am way too charming to do something with your negative personality.“
„You charming? When?“, he laughed and didn’t let through that Leksi’s comment hurt him. He reaped an angry sideglance from her.

Blake didn’t look at her the entire training. He still seemed to be lost in thoughts, floating in a different world that wasn’t reachable for anyone. When he left the hall to get to his next class, he was outran by Leksi. She consorted with him. From the corners of his eyes he could recognize her by her blonde pony tail. He struggled for a smile, which didn’t came across his lips.
„I am really sorry, that I let you alone for dinner.“, Leksi started, still believing that was the reason him being so dejected.
„It’s okay.“, he said barely hearable. He had deep eye circles, his actual brown and warm skin was pale and ashy. He looked sick and tired. Really tired, exhausted and sapped. Leksi only now noticed this when she was so close to him. They had stopped in front of Blake’s next classroom. 

„What’s wrong with you?“, Leksi asked caring and somehow had a bad conscience.
„Nothing.“, Blake said. He looked straight at the ground.
„You know that you can talk to me, right?!“, she said and ignored his answer. Normally it was the girls saying they were fine while looking like it was the end of the world. Blake nodded barely noticeable. He was about to leave but Leksi grabbed for his wrist.
„Blake please. Talk to me.“, she said urging. The warmth that spread from her touch, sent a shiver over his body. Suddenly he craved for her closeness. He felt like his heart in his chest was pounding faster. It has been only a few days since he was so close to her, but it felt like ages. It stang him that she had been going to Elijah right after. He wasn’t jealous. At least he thought he wasn’t. But he wanted her just for himself. He wanted to be the only one caring for her. At the end of this week, she would be gone and he would be back in Moscow. When he would return, Leksi would be gone and the daily routine would start over without her. But it was actually something else that weighed on him. A deep emptiness surrounded him since this one call from Moscow last night. Blake looked into Leksi’s light eyes. Even though they were as cold as ice, he got lost in them. He relented, pulled Leksi close right into his arms. Leksi was surprised. She stumbled forward. The sudden closeness choked her. She felt the looks of the passing students. When the threw herself into his arms in Alicante, they had been alone. But now they were surrounded by masses. It really felt good to hold her in his arms.
„My aunt just died.“, he whispered. He didn’t even believe he would be able to say those words out loud. The last time he had seen Sarah Pangborn was almost a year ago while last winter break. And that was supposed to be the last time he would have ever seen her. 

„Oh.“, Leksi whispered back. She was overwhelmed by the situation.
Blake loved his aunt. He loved her more than his mother and more than his father. She had been everything for him. Why did she have to die?! When his mother called with her resigned voice from the institute in Moscow, he knew that something bad had happened. She never called. For a moment he thought she was going to tell him that he shouldn’t come during winter break. But then she continued with a harsh voice and told him of Sarah’s death. An unbelievingly anger gripped him and he wanted to yell at his mother. But instead he had asked her for the date of the funeral and hung up. Since then he didn’t sleep for a single second. He had the feeling like someone had cut out a piece of his heart. He saw her smiling, heard her voice in his head and felt her love. He was about to loose hisself and only Leksi held him. He knew that she would understand what he was going through and so he clutched her with all his strength. It hit him when she wasn’t early in Nolan’s class and that he had to hear what she had been up to all night, while he needed her. But he wasn’t mad at her. She didn’t know. He wanted to be strong for her since he couldn’t really help her. He wanted to be a support but now they seemed to switched roles. He knew that his feelings were save with her and the need to be strong vanished when he felt her hug. She held him tightly, sliding her hand to his neck and into his dark hair. They just stood there for a while. Blake forgot everything around them. It was a moment of rest. He was able to let go the anger of her mom being so resigned and forget about it.
„You shouldn’t go into class.“, Leksi whispered. She loosened their hug and pulled him out of the corridor. 

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