by June Leung
He let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair. “You are very brave to fight the King’s decision. But his patience is limited. Don’t try to work behind his back again. While he loves you a lot now, he is still pissed.”
“But the two of you are also working behind my back… You know how important William is to me.” Lia rubbed her feet together. It would be very unfair if they thought they were the ones that could do that and she couldn’t.
“It will take some time for you to understand what the two of them mean to us… In all honesty, I am with Parker when it comes to your two Elders. I don’t really approve of it. You better make it a good decision.”
Lia’s breath caught as Benjamin looked a bit more serious than usual. She averted his gaze, staring at the floor.
Benjamin sighed, shaking his head. “Whatever, we will go with the choice, now that you’ve convinced Adrian anyway. Just to put it up front, when I don’t agree with you down the road, it is nothing personal. While I don’t see every one of the others eye-to-eye, we fought alongside each other for too long for me to ignore their feelings. Try to convince them both breaking the pact for you and letting the Elements live are good deals.”
“The pact Adrian had with Evelyn that they would kill all origins and not to go to each other’s land?”
“Yes.” Benjamin’s voice was a bit too cold for her liking. She nodded, leaning back on the wall of the corridor as she stared at the heavy wooden door.
After a while, the door squeaked open and Adrian walked out, the frown on his face dissolving as he met Lia’s eyes. He laced his fingers with hers with a warm smile on his face, nudging her to go with him. As they turned away, Lia stole a glance over his shoulder. In the room, Parker remained in her seat, hunched over on the desk, burying her face in her hands, shaking. Lia was too far away to hear a sound from her.
Chapter 44
Lia
The next morning, Adrian drove with Lia to the clan, pulled over in the parking lot. He turned off the engine. Lia waited for him to get out of the car, but he remained still. He was staring out of the window in front of him, his body tense.
Lia followed his gaze, the outside was perfectly fine. The warm sunlight scattered on the road. The parking lot was undisturbed, silent in the early morning hours. A bird hopped around on the bare branches of trees on the roadside. Things outside probably weren’t bothering him.
Now that the music was now off, Lia could hear her own breath. Her hands were glued to her lap; even the rustling of her jacket would disturb the silence. His gaze distant, part of him seemed to be elsewhere. He slumped down into the leather seat. His breath quickened as the minutes went by.
Lia bit the inside of her mouth, she stroked his arm. He flinched. She asked, “Hey, what are you waiting for?”
His eyes flicked to her, a pained look flashed through them. He sighed, resting his head on the steering wheel, burying himself in his arms. The tension in his body was visible.
She asked, “Anxious, aren’t we?”
She rubbed his stomach as he flinched in her arms. He turned, their eyes met, his blue eyes stormy. He rested his head onto her shoulder, the tension in him dissipating. He pecked a small kiss on her neck before he sat up in his seat. Lia rested her head in the crook of his shoulder, holding his hand. He held hers as if his life depended on it.
“Adrian’s anxious. This is a rare scene. How lucky am I to be able to witness this.” Lia kissed his cheek, but he kept staring out the windshield.
“I… wonder why I agreed in the first place.”
“Thank you for what you did for me.”
“Things you are doing to me…”
“Is the clan making you nervous? I guess you’ve never been there? It being the heart of the Elements, I can see why.” Lia rubbed his side, trying to comfort him.
He cupped her chin, looking into her eyes with a smirk. “You are expecting a ‘yes, I’ve never been there’?” Lia nodded. “In theory, I was never there. But theories don’t always work in real life.”
“What!” Lia pulled back, her eyes wide. “No way! The day we got the meteorite from the collector, you didn’t even want to get close to the block! And you are telling me you’ve been there? Inside? And the Elders had no idea?”
Seeing how hard Adrian tried to avoid the Elders, and how dangerous he claimed it would be, he’d actually set foot in the clan? The Elders were keeping the place confidential and safely undercover. There was no way he could sneak in without them knowing and there seemed to be no reason for him to do that. Was he simply making it up to impress her?
He shrugged and laughed. “I can’t help they didn’t find out. I am that good with my craft. I feel bad for them.”
So he really went in?
Lia tilted her head to the side, amused. “Still, why did you? You weren’t in for a stroll, right?”
“Actually…” He ran his hand through her long brown hair, giving her a sheepish smile. “I went in the night your shoulder was injured.” He averted her eyes, blushing hard.
“The monsters? Oh… I wasn’t expecting that. I was trying to avoid you, in case you wanted to shut my mouth forever. I stayed there.” The memory rushed back to her, it felt like ages ago. She still couldn’t believe how the man next to her ended up here with her.
“Not far from my guess. You had me worried. I went to your place, but you weren’t there. Then I figured you would be in the clan.”
“You simply waltzed in and out as you wish?” she asked with a glint of amusement in her eyes.
“I guess I needed to. Not as easy as that, but I managed. You look cute when you’re asleep,” Adrian chuckled.
“You are super creepy when you stalk me like crazy.” Lia deadpanned him, but soon burst into laughter, shaking her head.
“If you let me check on your wound, I wouldn’t have to. So it’s your fault I have to sneak around.” Adrian gently punched her shoulder.
“Guilty as charged, King Kelsey!” Lia threw her hands up. “I guess you were already head over heels for me then. No wonder I healed up that fast.” She searched his eyes for a reaction and got it. Adrian blushed brightly with a coy smile. He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Right. You are a bit too cute to get injured. And I don’t need you to be in more danger because of the wound.”
Lia kissed him, but soon raised her brows. “It seems that’s not your prime concern at this moment, then?”
Adrian’s smile faltered. He looked back to the window and sighed.
“You think William will ambush you?” Lia frowned. The last time in their war, their meeting probably didn’t end well. Lia had no details; Adrian refused to tell her, but seeing his pained look when she asked, she didn’t push for an explanation.
“I… I don’t know. While I have no problem fighting both of them and getting out unscratched, but it… it still…” He winced, trailing off.
In her hand, his palm sweaty, his breath rapid and shallow. Lia gently guided his chin to her, resting her forehead on his. “Adrian, look at me. Slow your breath… You can do it. I’ll always be with you.”
Adrian met her eyes, his blue eyes filled with worry. The gaze was charged, and neither were able to pull away. His husky breath on her lips. As the worry in his eyes faded, his eyes darkened with longing. Time seemed to freeze between them. They moved closer to each other until their lips met.
First it was tender, then it turned into a fire, engulfing both of them. She closed her eyes, kissing him like there was no tomorrow, immersing in the sensation, in his scent. Her hand found the back of his head, pulling him closer. He kissed her with equal force. He wrapped his arms across her waist, almost pulling her over the center console.
His eyes remained closed for a few more seconds after the kiss. Lia grinned, running her fingers along his jaw.
He’s so cute when he gets soft.
“If they dare put a finger on my man, they can have a taste of my wrath. You have plenty of experience wi
th that, right?”
Adrian rolled his eyes.
“Let’s go, get in, and get out. You are Adrian. There’s nothing you can’t do. You are a grown man.” Lia winked at him, planting a brief kiss on his lips. She nudged him to the car door and got out on her side. He remained seated for another second, but followed her regardless. Outside of the car, he eyed her with a glint of amusement. Lia raised her brows at him. He shrugged, following Lia into the clan, their fingers lacing together.
“You really are looking good, Adrian…” Eric glared at Adrian as they walked into the meeting room, his eyes flicking briefly to their joined hands.
The meeting room was brightly lit with white light, making everything in the room pale. It was by far the room Lia liked the least. Not to mention the clock always seemed to be louder in there. As if magic, every second would feel like years. Lia shivered as she sensed the heated gaze from Eric on her hand, her grip on Adrian’s hand tightened, he squeezed back.
“I’ll take that as a compliment, I guess, Eric…” Adrian glared back, his body tensing. The two of them took a seat, facing William and Eric across the table. Lia reached to his thigh, stroking him gently. The tension in him eased up.
William nodded to both of them. “Let’s get to work. On our part, most of us have no objection to teaming up with you guys. But we want more details on what we are facing.”
Adrian smirked humorlessly, seating back and crossing his arms over his chest. “Maybe I didn’t make it clear enough last time we met. We are not teaming up. You two are going under my leadership. For your people, you two take care of them. I don’t care as long as they don’t cause me trouble.”
Lia gulped. While she didn’t hear what they discussed in the cafe that night, this didn’t sound right.
William seemed to be as surprised as she was. His eyes widened, staring at Adrian. “What? This isn’t what we talked about.”
“You wanted to help and I agreed. This is how you will help.” Adrian’s eyes narrowed, daring Eric and William to object.
Eric scowled, his body poised, slamming his fist on the table. “You want us to surrender without putting up a fight? Dream on!” Lia flinched, her eyes flicking between Eric and Adrian, then to William. She swallowed dryly.
Please don’t fight…
“Do you think I want to settle when I can destroy you two?” Adrian’s eyes flicked to Lia for a brief moment, then back to Eric. “I don’t think a fight is in your favor. If you weren’t sure before, may I further convince you?”
The air around turned denser as his magical power spread through the room, sending the air crackling, intimidating. Lia turned to him with a worried look. He squeezed her hand gently, keeping his gaze straight at Eric. Eric stared back, pushing back with his power. Lia and William exchanged a look, both of them frowning.
The power was running strong in the room. The hair on the back of Lia’s neck stood, her stomach twisting. The magical power inside her turned up, rushing, threatening to escape her. She squirmed in her seat, resisting the urge to run out of the room, far away from the suffocating contest of their power. Every hair on her skin stood, she shivered. When she gripped Adrian’s hand tight, it was strangely hot. A pain in her head creeped up, she winced, her other hand squeezing her thigh. William’s eyes widened, but he too didn’t know what to do to interrupt the fight.
The low humming sound of the air conditioner in the room grew numb to her ears and her vision began to blur as her power trickled out from her hands. Feeling light-headed, Lia hunched over on the table, resting her head on her arm, gasping. The world spun in front of her. She closed her eyes, but the void seemed to also be dancing.
Probably a minute later, or shorter, or longer, Lia had no idea. She stirred at a gentle rub on her back, a warm breath on her hair, ticklish. Her eyelids were almost too heavy to lift, but she struggled to open them. Adrian’s shiny blue eyes stared back at her, his face filled with concern. She could see her own reflection in them.
Slowly her breath levelled as the discomfort slowly faded, her senses coming back to her. She blinked at him with a relaxed smile. He sighed in relief. The frown on his handsome face disappeared. She was still in the meeting room. Probably she wasn’t down for long.
Lia sat up and leaned on Adrian. William was staring at her, his eyes filled with concern. Next to William, Eric was nowhere to be seen.
Her heart skipped a beat. Adrian hadn’t killed Eric, right? Probably not, otherwise, William wouldn’t be sitting still.
She raised her brows, looking further away. A squeak of the chair turned her head to where Eric was getting up from the floor, gasping for air.
“Eric… any objection?” Adrian glared at him.
He was back on his feet, his shoulders slumped, shaking his head.
“Amazing. My people will be delighted.” Adrian’s voice was cold. Lia shivered.
The rest of their meeting went well. They didn’t fight each other and managed to talk about stuff. Lia was nervous when she knew Evelyn was very keen to get rid of her. With how the Origin could gain power with more acquaintances under their bond, Evelyn didn’t want anyone to have the same power as she and Adrian did.
Adrian was very insistent to get William and Eric under his command. William seemed to be fine with it, but Eric absolutely hated it. Despite that, he agreed with the deal. Lia rubbed her temple, pretty certain Eric tolerated all the demands because of William, or maybe herself. With how Adrian could push his agenda, she was proud of herself for making him agree to keep Terry alive.
“It’s great meeting you two. Get your people ready. Either they hide safely or get ready for the fight. Don’t cause me any problems.” Adrian nodded to the two of them and stood. He reached for Lia’s hand and they headed towards the door.
“I suppose you beat Eric? I guess you are pretty strong?” Lia whispered as they got further away from the Elders.
“Pretty strong, really? Wait till you see more of me.” He winked at her.
She chuckled, pressing her voice low. “Is there anything of you I haven’t seen yet?” He blushed, groaning loud enough for her to hear.
They pushed the door of the meeting room open, Patrick was standing next to the door. He jumped out of the way, his eyes wide with shock as a glint of fear flashed through them. Adrian tensed, glaring at him. Lia’s held onto Adrian’s hand tight, gently pulling him back.
Lia slipped a step forward, half-blocking Adrian from Patrick. “What are you doing here? I thought you were training with Helen?”
“I… I was walking through the hallway and noticed the power inside. I got curious… and…” He sheepishly glanced down.
“What do you want?” Adrian stared at Patrick, moving to grab him. Lia spread her arms out, stopping him.
“Who… who are you? I suppose William called you here?” Patrick took half a step back.
Adrian glared at him. “William doesn’t get to call me here.”
Lia shot Adrian a pointed look and told Patrick, “He is with us to deal with whoever is trying to kill me.”
Patrick nodded. “I see. I… I know the strong power was from you. Can you teach me?” Patrick’s eyes lit up. Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.
“My magic is not something you can handle. Get lost. Don’t eavesdrop anymore. If I see you doing that once more, you are done.”
“But I can try, I can do whatever—”
“No! I’ll tell you what. You don’t get to choose what power you have, go work with what you get. Stop daydreaming.” Adrian turned away, tugging Lia along. She followed, stealing a peek at Patrick. He was glaring at Adrian’s back, muttering something she couldn’t pick up.
Lia made sure they walked far enough from Patrick before she whispered to Adrian, “Hey, were you a bit too harsh on him?”
“Rookie, he’s the one stalking you. I don’t like that.”
“Oh yeah. Only you can follow me around?”
“Of course. You are mine. A
ny more questions?” He glared at her, his lips curled up. Turning a corner, he pushed Lia up against the wall, kissing her forcefully. Lia hugged him closer, their bodies flush against each other. Her hand trailed along his chest, stroking his back. His lips were warm and soft, burning with fiery passion, stealing the breath out of her lungs. She closed her eyes, immersing herself in the kiss. As they parted, Lia nibbled his lower lip. He groaned, his blue eyes dangerously dark with lust.
He hissed, “You better stop that. Otherwise we aren’t getting out of here.”
“You stole my line, big boy. You are the one who started this.” Lia smacked his chest gently. Her hand travelled down, stroking his abdomen, feeling the muscle under his shirt. He rolled his eyes, pulling back.
Lia asked, “Can I go to the arena? I think Helen’s there.”
Adrian nodded. “Wherever you want. You aren’t getting away from me.”
“Touché.” Lia smiled, pulling him to the left turn.
Chapter 45
Lia
Lia pushed the door into the arena, waving and calling out to Helen, who was sitting on the floor, panting after her training. Helen jumped up on the shout and ran to Lia, giving her a bone-crushing embrace. “I was worried about you! How did the meeting go?”
“It was fine, I guess. They didn’t end up fighting each other in a major way, and they agreed to work together. Although a certain someone insisted on continuing to be the King.” Lia laughed, hugging Helen back, winking at her.
Helen looked at Adrian, who was eyeing her, crossing his arms. Helen smirked. “What? King Kelsey, I believe that’s something you will do, very you.”
He snorted, with a glint of amusement in his eyes, tilting his head. He reached for Lia’s arm.
Helen pulled Lia to the side, turning her away from him. “Stop being so possessive, OK? Can’t I have your girl for a minute?” Helen hugged Lia closer, looking over Lia’s shoulder and sticking her tongue out at him.
