Chapter Eighty-Four: A vow
Clair closed the door of her trunk and hung her sports back over her shoulder, walking out of the 'parking lot' if that's what they could call it.
To be honest, it was more of a grass lacking spot off the road that had been used as a parking spot for Anna and the rest of the people attending the trip. To her surprise, there were only three vehicles. This meant not everyone had arrived yet. A taste of disappointment rolled off Clair's tongue. This meant she couldn't have the satisfaction of being late in front of everyone, late enough to ruffle Anna's feathers.
Clair's laid-back attitude changed in a matter of seconds. She wasn't here as Clair Angle Yves. This was nothing but a fact.
She and everyone else who would attend today knew it well. They were here as their true selves. They had become friends by their true nature, not the attitudes they showed the world and not how they acted around other people close to them.
Clair was here as Ainara Soles, the assassin who had been assumed dead. She was sure many of the guests had not seen or heard of her since she was announced dead.
Nobody would miss the chance to come here and meet the previous, most dangerous assassin the world had faced. But only a few had the guts. Despite not asking for it and refusing it many times, Clair was aware Anna had made sure none of the people present at the trip would question her regarding her past or her current life. Nor would they have ulterior motives.
Despite not admitting it, Anna was quite protective of her. And Clair was too. Anna had been a teacher once, a teacher she had overthrown, of course. Who else could beat the teacher other than the student?
Finally entering the forest, Clair looked around for any signs. She looked up and saw smoke coming not too far from her. She immediately headed that way. It's not like Anna had sent a map or descriptive instructions.
She had only said they would depart on Friday the 27th and leave on Sunday the 30th.
It didn't take over ten minutes for Clair to reach the others.
Two women were seated in one enormous trunk, while a man sat alone on a log. All surrounding the bonfire in the middle and talking amongst themselves with a can of beer in each of their hands.
Meanwhile, Anna was nowhere to be seen.
"Well... look who we have here." A low raspy voice entered her ears and Clair flinched. She took a step back from the man and rolled her eyes.
"Of all people, I should have assumed you would accompany your wife."
"Yes, she'll be here soon. It's good to see you Ainara... alive and well." He raised an eyebrow, observing her.
Clair averted her eyes, not knowing how to act around him. After all, it had been a long since she had met Damon. Seen actually not properly met. They had brief conversations, and he had witnessed Anna and her discussing things, but they had not properly introduced each other.
Or well- she had not properly introduced herself. After all, Clair had witnessed their wedding, she had been there in their hardest times and she watched from the sidelines as they fought for their happiness and the happy family they have now. There had only been one occasion in which she directly helped, and it was only because it benefited her.
"I kinda regret not killing-" You.
Before finishing her sentence Clair was interrupted by Anna clearing her throat, appearing behind them with another woman behind her.
A woman is a little too familiar.
"No way." The woman opened and closed her mouth in surprise.
"Ainara?"
"Christine?" Clair furrowed her eyebrows and looked back at the man sitting on the log. "Then that must be Jack!"
"Yup!" She nodded her head and fell into a fit of laughter.
"Ah, I can't believe this. What an awesome reunion. Good job!" Christine patted Anna's shoulder and smiled at Clair before walking towards Jack, her brother.
The famous twins.
Ah, they were quite the legend in the underworld—celebrities even.
Anna shook her head and turned her head back to Ainara. "I'm glad you made it. Early if I may add. Others came late or come in tomorrow, most of them from Damon's part. Though, I'm not surprised since his friends are…. peculiar." she explained, hiding irritation in her smile.
Damon brought her closer, with his arm around her waist to appease her.
"Alright, what are the plans?" Claire asked, trying to shrug off the fact that Damon would never stop the PDA.
Their PDA was one of Clair's pet peeves. She absolutely detested affection, especially between couples.
And it so happens that their love language was touch—gross.
"Ah, well since everyone is late or missing we'll just explore the area and spend the night getting used to each other. I have more fun preparing for the next two days!" Anna winked her excitement a bit too obvious.
"Great, I'll go settle in. Do you have anything other than beer?" They both walked towards the bonfire again.
"Water, coke, and sprite," Damon answered her, leaving a kiss on Anna's forehead before walking into a small wooden cabin. He came back with a cooler and then placed it down on top of a log.
"Go on, I'll be right back. I'm still trying to get in contact with the rest." Anna assured her.
Feeling a bit out-of-place, Clair sighed and walked towards Damon, picking out a coke, and took her seat on one of the empty logs, her bag on her lap.
"What did she bribe you here with?" One girl from the trunk turned to her.
Her blonde hair tied in a bun was a tattoo of a Scorpio on the left side of her neck, reaching below her earlobe. Her skin white and pale, wearing a white crop top and a pair of shorts.
"Peer pressure," Clair replied.
"I think I know you from somewhere." She rubbed her chin as she continued to think.
"That's Jazmin, I'm Dola." The girl beside her turned to Clair, introducing herself and her companion.
Olive skin, a pair fierce of light brown double eyelid eyes. A relaxed position but not an aura to be taken easy. Wearing a grey oversized t-shirt covering her shorts. An earing chain connecting from her helix to her earlobe and another on her upper lobe.
A knife was hidden somewhere beneath that shirt.
Dangerous.
And skilled.
That was Clair's conclusion. She had never met this woman, but she was surely going to be interesting.
"I'm Cl- Ainara." The name bitterly rolled off Clair's tongue. She had not imagined calling herself by such a name. A beautiful name both her father and mother had chosen, but a name that had dragged nothing but tragedy and misery behind it.
"Nice to meet you."
"Oh! Wait... WHERE do I know you from?" Jazmin narrowed her eyes observing Clair.
"Jazmin," Clair whispered to herself.
Jazmin!
As a short memory plate in her mind, Clair smirked. "Should I refresh your memory?"
"No no no, I want to think of it myself."
"Do you want a hint?"
"Okay, a hint will do!" She nodded excitedly.
Ah, another dangerous woman.
An innocent-looking girl and fragile by appearance and surface attitude. But Clair knew this person was different underneath.
"I remember you vowing to your father not to date a man until you turned twenty-five."
"Hell no!" Jazmin straightened her back as she did a refresh on the tab of her memories. She covered her mouth and turned to Dola.
"God, I really want to dig a hole and bury myself in it." She whispered to Dola.
Dola chuckled and wrapped her shoulder over Jazmin.
"Whoa, you look so different. I remember you introducing yourself as Tania? Was that a fake name?" She asked.
"Hmm." Clair nodded in response.
"That was an awesome experience. I hope we can bomb another building in the future."
"I don't know about that, but our last encounter was fun." Clair smiled.
Jazmin nodded furiously and drank the last bits of beer left in her can, holding back her excitement.
"Well, since we are catching up now…"
"Did you break the vow?" Clair asked instantly.
It had been 6 years since they met. Which meant Jazmin was 27 now.
"I did not, but he's still sour about it." Jazmin grinned and lifted Dola's chin, pecking her lips and then giggling.
Clair lifted her eyebrows in surprise.
"Welp, can't say you broke it. After all, he said 'man'. Never talked about women."
"You get me!" Jazmin burst out laughing and gave Dola a wink.
Dola shook her head and turned to Clair.
"I'll leave you two to catch up while I get more drinks." She said and left Jazmin and Clair to themselves.