15 Chapter 15

Clara was terrified. She recognized the voice of a girl who had tormented her, both physically and mentally. Clara remembered the girls name as being Tammy but her identity must have changed. "Avery, I don't know what to do."

"Shhh, it's okay," Avery whispered in her ear. He rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her down. "We have to hide you though Clara. She can't see you."

"I can't move.." Clara had started trembling and froze in place. She was getting flashbacks of the pain Tammy caused. "She was a horrible, awful person," she whispered so quiet. It was like she wasn't talking to anyone but herself.

"She can't hurt you Clara. No one can hurt you again with me here," he murmured while he pulled Clara into a hug. "Let's go outside and come back later."

"Okay," was all Clara could say.

Avery had to stay behind Clara to block Tammy's view of her. Clara had continued to shake as the memories replayed in her mind over and over. "Who was that Clara?" Avery asked once out of the library.

"Her name was Tammy. She was a popular girl that went to my school. Tammy hated me and made that very clear.." Clara paused and took a deep breath to stop shaking as she explained. "She made fun of me. Called me names and tripped me. She had the locker next to mine and would hit me with her locker door whenever she could. One time though she walked buy and slammed my locker door on my wrist and it broke in two places," Clara rubbed the wrist Tammy broke as she spoke about it.

"Humans are horrible," Avery wrapped his arms around Clara's shoulders and pulled her close to him. "No one will ever do that again or they'll deal with both Emmett and I."

"No one can harm me for too long anyways. I can heal myself pretty fast and I typically have my guards. Speaking of which I'm never gonna hear the end of it when I get home. Sneaking off during the night," she smiled a little but was still shaking slightly.

"Hey, Sachell will understand and Galor is just protective is all. Especially with the ring and when you wouldn't wake up for a month because of it.. " his voice had trailed off at the end. No one had talked about that day and everything that happened. Not even after Clara woke up, they went straight to getting it off.

"I am sorry I wasn't waking up or staying awake. My mind gave up and the ring made it feel so heavy," Clara shivered when she remembered the feelings and looked at her finger. The finger that had the ring was slightly darker than the others.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Clara. I hardly knew you and I'm still getting to know you but what happened with the ring wasn't your fault," Avery grabbed her hand and held onto it.

"So um," Clara was a little flustered when Avery took her hand. "Maybe you could go to the library and grab the books?"

"Okay but we stay in a link the whole time. I want to know if some things going on with you okay?" Avery's other hand went up and touched Clara's cheek. It stayed there but it wasn't fully on her cheek.

"Um okay," Clara's heart raced at the touch and it kept racing, never slowing down. She didn't entirely understand why he acted like that. She didn't think he would possible like her, not with everyone wanting to be with him and chasing after him.

"I'll be quick. Can you send me the picture of the book?" he still hadn't moved his figures, they just stayed there longer.

"Yeah. I'm not very good at it though so give me a minute to remember how to do it," she gave a nervous smile as she reached to touch his forehead. Clara did her best to send over the image as fast as possible.

"Okay I'll be right back. Stay here and wait," he finally took his fingers off her cheek and let go of her hand.

"I will," Clara sat on the edge of a lower stone wall. She created a link with Avery and he could hear her thoughts and she could hear his I'd she focused.

It was maybe ten minutes after A very had left when a man approached Clara. He looked in thirties maybe even forties. So she talked to Avery on the link. "Hey there's a guy approaching me. Don't worry though I should be able to handle it."

"Okay. Be careful and don't use your obvious abilities and skills. You tend to rely on them a lot in situations. I am not trying to be mean." Avery added the last part because he could feel the eye roll from Clara. "I am almost done."

"Okay, I will be waiting and hopefully this guy is gone by then," her mental voice was like a whisper as the man began to talk to her.

"Hey sweetheart, I am Alec." He had say uncomfortably close to Clara and smelled terrible. It was too much alcohol which made no sense, it was barely three in the afternoon.

"Um hi sir. What can I help you with?" Clara was speaking quiet which might have been a mistake. No one would hear their conversation unless she was loud but she assumed Avery was listening.

"Well I couldn't help but notice you from all the way over there in the crowd. You are very pretty and your bright green eyes stand out amongst the rest," he was now leaning too close and Clara hated that smell of alcohol. Neither of her human parents had been alcoholics or even kept drinks in the house so it was rather unusual.

"Thanks I guess. I'm waiting for my boyfriend so could you leave me alone? I'd rather wait alone for him," Clara stood up to get away from the man and backed up a little into the crowd.

"Dear just ditch him. He isn't even here. Letting you wait all by yourself in a busy city isn't very gentlemanly of him," Alec was now standing too and wouldn't give Clara any personal space. It was like a bubble had been popped.

"I already said leave me alone sir. I don't know who you are," Clara spoke much loud and got the attention of people but that didn't slow him down. He was being smart for how drunk he was.

"Sweetheart don't make a scene and involve other people in an argument," his voice had turned so sweet and it was gross to Clara. The way he smiled to coax her to comply with what he was doing and even manipulating the crowd into thinking it was a lovers spat.

He got closer and was about to grab her when an arm went around her shoulder. All of a sudden Avery's voice filled her head saying she's safe. "Dude, back off. Honestly can't believe some people," Avery's voice was so dark and harmful. It was quite scary to Clara but she kept quiet.

Avery guided her away from Alec but his face was still full of anger. Finally he turned around to face her. "Why didn't you say you needed help through the link? I was listening but you didn't sound scared."

"I wasn't scared Avery. I was using the crowd as protection. He wouldn't do anything if I didn't leave or go anywhere and he wouldn't dare grab me," Clara gave a soft smile but the crease between Avery's eyebrows still didn't move.

"He was drunk Clara. He would have done anything. You didn't have that under control and you worried me half to death! We don't have that issue in our world but here. Here it could mean your mind shatters from it Clara or you go into such grief from it. It doesn't happen for us in our world and I don't know what I would have done if it had happened to you," he wasn't angry anymore. Halfway through his expression softened. Avery grabbed Clara's hand.

"Avery it's okay. Nothing would have happened to me and nothing did. It's the reality of what I grew up with and I lived through it everyday but I'm okay. I will always do my best to be okay," she squeezed his hand and he smiled this time.

She took out her device and called Brento to open a portal. He did pretty fast and they went through just as fast. Neither wanted to spend another minute in a world so broken but Clara figures it might not be the last time she has to visit.

Brento didn't ask or say much while Clara and Avery get changed. It was a long day for both of them.

"Clara, just so you know Galor is gonna lecture you all the way until morning," Brento said but he was smiling at that.

"It's not funny. Can't you give me a lecture free pass?" Clara sighed as she grabbed the books and put them into her cap pocket. No one could see them.

"Ah but where's the fun in that?" Brento chuckled and walked them out. "Just let him get it out. He was very worried when you weren't waking up... he was tempted to storm over here and drag us there to take it off but he knew it would cause issues."

"I know. It's okay though. I have it off now and you all will think twice before trying that again with me," Clara smiled at him being light hearted but Brento's face went dark.

"Did it really cause permanent damage? I have never heard of anything like that happening before," he whispered the question as if it scared him.

"Yes it did," Clara was flat with the truth even though he was the nicest council member and one of her few supporters.

"I am so sorry..." Brento's head sagged a little and he looked at the ground. "I should have done more to stop that."

"Hey don't blame yourself okay? Guilt is a powerful thing in our world and I would hate for it to happen to you Councilman. You did your best to save me and that's what matters okay?" Clara smiled at him even though he wasn't looking.

"Okay Clara. Have a good night and see you at some point," he looked up at Clara and Avery before walking inside.

"He has a lot of guilt about that ring which isn't good," Avery whispered beside Clara and she nodded.

"Let's just go home.." Clara whispered back and Avery took her home.

Once there it was chaotic. Her parents, guards, Emmett and even Elijah were there and arguing about what to do. It was Galor who noticed her first. "Clara where have you been! You've been gone almost two hours and didn't tell anyone."

"Uh well sorry. I had some memories coming back so I went for a walk. I lost track of time and ran into Avery along the way. I didn't mean to worry everyone," she rubbed the back of her head trying to make it believable.

"You need to tell me if you are going somewhere and you need to take me or Sachell with you!" he yelled and then turned to Avery. "You should have brought her back here as soon as you realized she didn't have her guards. It is dangerous for her here."

"I protected her Galor. I kept her in sight but she wasn't in the mood to have a big ogre following her around. She didn't even want me there," Avery had a hint of irritation in his voice and it was an easy lie. Emmett wasn't picking up on her emotions or he wasn't saying anything about it.

"Well next time tell me at least Clara," Galor stomped off and then she got checked by Elijah just in case.

"Why is there human pollution noticeable in your cells?" he whispered very quietly so only Clara would hear him.

"I visited the other world with Avery for reasons. Councilman Brento opened the portal for us but I can't talk about why. Please don't tell anyone Elijah," Clara whispered just as softly and he nodded.

Clara let out a sigh of relief and waited patiently. He gave two elixirs to help saying it was for the damage from the ring. After the check up it was back to the lectures and everyone talking at once so finally Clara yelled, "just stop!"

"Woah Clara calm down before you inflict okay?" Emmett said with caution as he moved next to her to help.

"I'm not going to inflict on accident but if everyone keeps going I will on purpose. I am tired and had a long day of feeling down on myself so this isn't helping," she gestured to everyone before beginning to walk away. "I am going to sleep. Goodnight."

So she stormed off to her room and shut the door. Clara was annoyed at how protective they were being. No one could kill her because it would be too much. She could get injuries but that wasn't a big issue to her. Clara went to sleep and had nightmares the whole night, constantly waking in a panic.