Chapter 161

Chapter 162
Allie:

It took a week for the fighting to stop. 

Much to our surprise and chagrin, Salazar was actually very good at leading the troops during this false attack. The longer the days went, the more people started to realize that my prophecy was correct. 

They never tried to breach the walls fully, all they tried to do was pester and annoy. Try and draw us out, try and keep us…entertained. It looked like it was one big song and dance, and we couldn’t figure out why. 

They never tried to attack any of the other gates. They never tried to use their distraction for anything. Always the North gate, always a meager attack, and they always left by the time the moon was at its peak. None of it made sense, which was all the more concerning. 

“We located their base camp about 10 miles out. It looks like everything’s been ripped up and they’re gone,” Green told me I heavy sigh on both of our lips. 

“ I don’t get it. Why waste the bullets and the manpower on such a long siege? What was the point?” I asked him. 

“I can’t tell you. We’re having a land looked over to see if maybe they placed any booby traps, bombs, or cameras. Maybe they tried to weaken our wall somewhere. All I can tell you is that it looks like they were just here to be here,” he mused. 

They had fallen back in the dead of night last night. We only realized that they had made a full retreat when there wasn’t any siren waking everybody up this morning. We thought perhaps it was a trap, trying to lure us into a false sense of security, but no attack ever came. When a recon team went out to investigate, all they found was the remnants of a large camp, as Green had just informed me. 

Everyone was exhausted, a full week of battle and keeping a weary eye on everything, making sure that there wasn’t any way for them to sneak in. All the warriors were drained, and the clinic staff was running on fumes. We decided it was best to give everyone a break for a day or two. 

It might be the high season, and we need all the farming done, especially to provide food for everybody, but nobody was in any shape right now to go and harvest peppers. 

“My fingers are numb,” Jess collapsed onto the couch beside me as I sat there stumped as to why the Coven had done this, what had they gotten out of it?

“You were amazing, I heard,” I hated the jealous tone in my voice, but I couldn’t get rid of it. 

The whole week long, Jess had been at Fallon's side, helping her with the most wounded. Saving lies and earning the respect and trust of everyone. 

Meanwhile, Green and I were hiding away in our offices. 

I knew no one thought that, and I knew my sister was just trying to do her best to help. She was doing this for me. She wanted to help ease the burden. Not only that, but I think she wanted a place here so that maybe someday she could stay. I loved her for it, and I love that she wasn’t just abandoning me to handle all of these problems on my own. This worry-filled, anxious week had left me in a horrible mental state, and I couldn’t shake it.

“Ugh. Need. Sleep,” she ignored my biting remark and lay her head down on my lap. 

I patted her hair as I thought of what horrible scheme was being cooked up by our enemy. 

We had to remain on high alert, something was being done right underneath our noses, and we couldn’t let up for even a second. 

My hands clenched into fists at the redundancy of my “powers” sometimes. I was given glimpses of the future, but nothing ever solid or concrete enough to truly help us. Instead, all I was given were glimpses that might lead us in the right direction, everyone thought of me as this saint. This great weapon to use against the coven or Denver. How could I be of any help when I can’t even decipher my own visions?

As I sat there stewing in my self-loathing, Green entered the apartment. I perked up at the sight of him, hopeful that the search teams found something. 

“Nothing,” his face crumpled. 

“Ugh!” I huffed, and Jess whined, turning over on my lap. 

“They might not have planted something, but we will still be sure to keep our eyes open. We know something is up, we just don’t know what,” he did his best to reassure me. 

I was still livid, though I wanted to be able to do more. I couldn’t fight hand-to-hand as he could, I couldn’t lead troops like Salazar, and I couldn’t be in the clinic like my sister. All I had was this stupid gift that everybody kept going on about it and now even that was failing us.

“Don’t be like that,” he begged. “You’ve done a lot to help. I know it’s hard sometimes, stepping back and letting others take the reins. Especially when we feel responsible, but we have to keep reminding ourselves that everybody’s here their own free will, and we’re doing our best to protect them all,” he came over, sitting beside me. 

I wondered how many more pep talks we were going to have to give each other to get through this.  Still, I couldn’t help the surge of thankfulness I had that he sat down beside me, holding my hand. 

“We know something is up. We’ll figure it out. Your vision has done a lot to help us, whether you see it or not,” he kissed my head. 

Jess popped up from my lap. “ I wouldn’t wanna interrupt this,” she sighed lazily, heading off to her room. 

I shook my head with a squinted gaze as she left the room. She was all too invested in my love life. I remembered the quick kiss Charlie had given her and reminded myself to tease her about it later. 

“Do you have any idea why they could’ve done all this?” I asked Green for the millionth time.  

Defeated, he only shook his head in response. “ I wish I knew. I wish we had found something. We just have to be careful,” he told me with a shrug of his shoulders. 

I hated that we were just lying here waiting for something bad to happen. I didn’t want to be careful. I wanted to be sure I wanted to be safe.

I growled to myself, slumping into the couch next to him. It has been forever since something had gone my way. What was a little while more. It didn’t matter that whatever they had planned could hurt thousands of people, or even just the person I cared about the most. 

I did my best to push the thought of Green being hurt or injured from my head. I won’t let anything happen to him. I’ll do my best to keep him safe. I vowed this to myself as I brushed some hair out of his face and kissed his cheek. His eyes closed as he was content by my side. 

I’ll figure it out.