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T h e H o l l o w s I n 
O U R F R E E D O M
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When morning came, I woke up frazzled. It usually took me a while to adjust in the morning—if it wasn't just a short nap—but waking up in a random hotel room just made it worse.

I was especially frazzled when I realised what I was pressed against.

Jace.

In the middle of the night, or at some point, I must've rolled over in my sleep, and my head rested on his shoulder as he laid on his back. He rested the side of his face on the top of his head, and, weirdly, his left arm rested around my waist.

Maybe the position wasn't just an accident.
Maybe he woke up in the middle of the night and realised.

Maybe I should stop speculating and get out of bed. And so I did. I slipped out of Jace's hold as carefully as I could, and he seemed to be fine, but I remembered what he had told me last night about him being light sensitive during his sleep. I fretted that he would be the same to movement and sound, but he only turned around.

I watched him for a few moments like a creep. He looked peaceful when he slept, kind of cute too.

With a warm smile, I hauled my hamper with me to the bathroom. I yawned, before I started to get ready for the day.

The most basic of clothes laid waiting for me in the hamper, along with a waterproof light brown coat with built-in thermo material. I would've liked a scarf too, but the black woolly hat would have to do for when we left the hotel.

I reached up to start to weave my hair into a French braid on the back of my head; I felt as though it would be the most practical way to wear my hair. I wouldn't be fighting, but it would come to no surprise if I would have to start doing back flips like some warrior Jedi or something.

As I was finishing up, I heard movement from within the room. I tucked away a few wisps of hair before lifting my less heavy hamper and exiting the bathroom. When I did, I saw Jace hovering by the window, staring out into the distance.

"Have you seen this?" He asked, hearing me come in.

My heart sped up. "What?" I asked, rushing to the window.

Jace didn't seem to notice my worry, however, and instead gestured to the window. "It's snowing." He told me. I frowned, leaning around him to see that it was in fact snowing, and some had already settled. I shivered, seeing my breath on the window. I checked the radiator, only to feel that it was luke warm. Helpful.

"You're ready." Jace observed suddenly.

I hesitated at the change in subject, before turning to look up at him. I nodded, smiling, "good morning to you too." I said, watching him duck his head.

"Sorry, good morning." He said, turning to look back at me.

I grinned. "It's fine." I told him.

He stared at me for a few moments, before he said, "I like your hair like that," my heart expanded. "It's nice, but still practical." He observed, almost reaching out to touch it. Oh boy, I nearly grew wings and flew away.

I shook my head, amazed. "That is literally what I was thinking." I said, smiling.

Jace smiled, opening his mouth to say something, and then the door opened. "Good morning, guys, I hope I'm not interrupting."

Pulled out of my daydream, I reluctantly turned to see who it was. Elle Beaufort.

"Only what Jace was about to say." I shot at her, the fire inside of me warming me up, despite the radiator's futile attempts.

Elle made herself quite at home, sitting down, crossing one leg over the other, on the freshly made bed—which I assumed Jace had done. "He's welcome to continue." She said, outstretching her arm to give him a chance to speak.

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest defensively and walking away from where Jace stood. "Why are you here? And how did you even get in?"

Elle smirked, and then tapped her nose. I eyed her. This woman would be the death of me one day.

"Did you need something?" I asked, being the bigger person and moving past the subject.

She seemed amused by this. "Yes, I did, a private word." She said, standing and beckoning me to the bathroom.

"I needed to go in there." Jace stepped in, making me freeze in my spot.

"Oh, that's fine–" Jace interrupted me.

"—and why can't I be involved?" Jace asked, sounding offended.

Elle grimaced. "I'm sorry, Jace, you're not a Guardian."

I pulled a face at her, before turning to see Jace looking disheartened.

"Oh come on," I spoke up, feeling sorry for him. I knew what it felt like to be shoved in a corner. Being a female Guardian trained from a very young age, I was often misunderstood.

Elle narrowed her eyes at me. "Your guard just fell, Alexi, put it back up and grow up."

I had never felt so shamed in my life.
Usually I took to scoldings like gasoline to fire, but I felt startled and embarrassed. And angry.

"I don't want to punch you, Elle, so I suggest you leave." Nice one. Cool kept, strength asserted, and pleasantries intact.

But she threw it back in my face, as if she wanted me to throw her three miles across the snowy field.

"Abbot, I am your guest." She hurled on me, trying to sound sweet.

"You are fucking devil, and I'm leaving." With that, I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my coat and my woolly hat, and left—and yes, I slammed the door behind me.

Jesus, I just want to kill someone.
Or bed someone.

I have weird reactions to things; sometimes, when I'm angry, I'm very irrational. It's the curse of being so headstrong.

I was walking around aimlessly, until I came across a guy I recognised just wandering around in a spare room.

I leaned against the ledge of the door. It was the hotel receptionist I tried to flirt with when I was last annoyed—so, a few hours ago.

He turned, hearing the door creak as I pushed it open. When he saw me, he froze.

"What're you doing?" I asked him, surprising him slightly. His eyes took me in for a minute. I was mostly used to this kind of male attention.

He cleared his throat, fumbling under my gaze. "I start at nine, so I've got some time to waste." He told me.

I frowned, walking into the room. "So you spend it walking around an empty room?" I asked him, running my index finger along the top of an old sofa, picking up a blanket of dust. I pulled a face and wiped it off, turning to see him nodding at me.

I mustered up a very dangerous look, and he faltered.

"How about you spend it doing something more exciting?" I asked him, running my fingers up his arm. I watched him shiver, before I wrapped my arms around his head and smashed my lips onto his.

Yeah, I'm wild.

We started making out. And it was starting to escalate, when a voice interrupted.

"Well, this is interesting." I pushed the boy away, wiping my lips and huffing.

I smiled sweetly at the poor guy and patted his shoulder. "Thank you." I told him, before leaving him stuck on the spot, and pivoting to see my ex-love standing in the exact same position I had been when I first got here.

Jonah Torrest.

I rolled my eyes at him, fast approaching him, "shouldn't you be making babies with your girlfriend or something?" I asked him, now a metre away from him.

"I'm here!" Sapphire called, coming out from absolutely nowhere.

I jumped in surprise, clutching onto my chest, "Jesus, Sapphire, you gotta watch the jump scares—you might need a nose job if my fist gets scared too."

With that, I shoved past them both, sorting my clothes and hair out.

"Wow, who set your underwear on fire?" Jonah asked, trying to provoke me.

Instead of responding how he probably expected me to, I instead sighed and said, "don't I just wish." Before walking outside into the snow, the frosty temperatures freezing both my hands and my heart.

I guess it would hurt less that way.

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Well
I'm tired

And yeah I know it's not Monday I am wareeee

I just

I got my days mixed up basically like last week when I was planning ahead so I just went with it bc it got late so 👍🏼

Thoughts on Lexi and her urges to make out with random guys?
Thoughts on Jace?
Thoughts on Elle?
Thoughts on Lexi 'letting her guard down'?
Thoughts on Saph and Jonah?

The end

I am so tired

-no

FABULOUS SONGS

Songs that played when I was writing this chapter (in order):
Let Her Go - Passenger
Time Is Dancing - Ben Howard
Fools - Lauren Aquilina
Dead Of Night - Ruelle
War Rages On - Alex Clare
Walk On Fire - RAIGN
Nostalgia (feat Missio) - Said the Sky
Fragments - Jaymes Young
Parachute - Jaymes Young
Northern Lights - Jaymes Young
Falling Away - Glades
Third Eye - Florence + The Machine
watch - Billie Eilish
All My Love - Major Lazer, Ariana Grande
Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine

END OF FABULOUS SONGS

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Next update: Wednesday (I hope)
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CHAPTER NINETEEN SPOILER:

A simple plan, crafted from the heads of our new team of Guardians.

It's also a great help that one of the members has loyalties elsewhere.