78
LYRIC
My eyes grew large, shining as brightly as the sun.
My world came spinning, crashing down and building up again just to crash even more painfully.
All this happened in seconds.
I opened my mouth to speak, but no words formed. I couldn’t get my head straight.
“Siphon,” he repeated, crystal clear this time.
“I-” I tried to swallow, but the ball of nerves was too much in my throat. I couldn’t gulp.
I inhaled deeply and tried again. “I’ll get someone to check on you.”
It wasn’t until I tried to run that I realized he was still holding my hand. Now that he was awake, the man was strong.
I panicked, my eyes darting to the door and back.
“Let me go.” It was a plea. “Please.”
He finally did, his eyes growing soft.
He breathed deeply, closing his eyes.
“Siphon,” he repeated, even as it seemed like he was going back to sleep.
I didn’t wait around to hear more. I sprinted out of the room, my heart pounding against my ribs.
I didn’t stop until I was in the nearest restroom and shut the door.
Damn it. Damn it. Damn it!
I pulled at the root of my shirt, pacing the small room.
He knew what I was. But how… How could he easily tell? Did I make a mistake saving him?
Jace was right. I shouldn’t have cared about saving anyone. I should’ve kept it hidden like I planned.
I spent a long time in the restroom, too scared to go out. What if he was already screaming my secret to everyone?
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A knock on my door startled me.
What the hell?
“Use the other rooms!” I shouted in frustration.
“Lyric.”
I froze. Geez, it was Marta. What did she want?
My eyes rounded. Oh, no. What if she knows?
I quickly opened the door, eager to know if my life was doomed or not.
She regarded me coldly, like I was dirt in her way. “You’ve been there for too long. What’re you doing?”
Okay. It didn’t seem like she knew.
I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.
“Why are you monitoring me?” I frowned.
Did she see me run out of the man’s room? Please tell me she didn’t.
“Anyway, you can be dying for all I care. I came here to pass an important information across.
She crossed her arms over her chest, and there she was–the bitchy Marta I knew.
She looked like a mean doctor in her lab coat.
“Tell your friend to steer clear from me. I don’t know what his problem is, and I really don’t
care. Just tell him not to rub it off on me.”
My mind drifted to the issue she had with Jace. Oh, right. She was in a shitty position right
now.
“If you have an issue with Jace, you should settle it with him. What does that have to do with me?” I frowned.
Her expression turned into something else. Her eyes became darker, like a serpent about to spit out venom.
“You don’t understand, do you?” Her voice was dangerously low. “You don’t understand the implications, do you?”
This was a different side of Marta. I’d never seen her this vile before her.
Before I could brace myself for what to do next, she slapped me hard across the face.
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My head reeled to the side, a gasp slipping past my throat as I put a hand over my mouth.
I was beyond shocked. Marta slapped me!
Her eyes were as wide and burning as that of a mad woman. Who would’ve thought that the issue with the kids would be enough to make Marta lose her mind?
“I’ll ruin you, Lyric.” She pointed an angry finger at me. “You and your worthless friend. I’ll take you both to the ground and bury you so deep if you don’t stay away from me and my family. My kids are my family, and I’ll never let you jeopardize that. Let it sink!”
Before I could think better of it, my hands flew to her hair, roughly pulling at her roots. But despite the rage in my chest, I was still held back by the fact that this was a professional ground. We shouldn’t be doing this here. Marta, however, didn’t seem to care, and she used how reluctant my hold was to push me off.
“Don’t ever lay your filthy hands on me,” she snarled.
“Same goes for you, Marta!” I half–yelleld. “This should be the first and last time you ever think of hitting me. What do you think I am, stupid? If we weren’t in TCH right now, I promise, you’d have been on the floor by now.”
“Oh, spare me,” she snorted. “This is only a little warning. You can be sure to expect more if you and your asshole of a friend don’t stay away from my
business.”
She turned around to leave, but I grabbed her hand, bringing her back.
I let her see the seriousness in my eyes when I spoke to her. “Like I said, if you have an issue with Jace, go settle it with him. Don’t expect me to keep quiet when he’s trying to uncover an important truth.” I tilted my head to the side. “Or isn’t that the truth, Marta? Do you think he’s lying?”
Her eyes turned to icicles. But I couldn’t care less.
I released her wrist and walked away, still hating the fact that she had the nerves to slap me and I wasn’t able to do much about it.
*********+.
JARIS
I was at the office, reviewing some files with my CMO when Kael walked in.
His presence was thrilling and enough to make me dismiss the CMO in front of me.
“I believe you have the package?” I asked eagerly as he came to take the seat the CMO had just been spitting on.
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He gave me that reluctant look before slipping his hand into his pocket and returning with a small pack of pills.
He dropped it on the table.
“Went through a lot of trouble to get this. You know it’s forbidden.”
I felt a cold sensation as I picked up the pack, observing the pack like it was a pack of gold.
“If it was truly forbidden, it’d stop being produced,” I muttered without looking at him. “What
about the second stuff?”
Again, he sighed, as if being reluctant with his answer. “It’s in the car.”
I nodded, satisfaction brimming inside me. “Go get the car ready, then. We’re heading home.”
He stood up and was about to open the door when he paused and looked at me. “You know you don’t have to do this, right? It’s not exactly… noble.”
I was almost tempted to roll my eyes, bored with the conversation. “When have I ever been noble? You must be confusing my status for nobility.”
“Come on, J. You know what I’m talking about.
“No, I don’t, and I don’t even want to know. Now, get going.”
Kael wasn’t a nice man. He’d done a lot of pretty bad things in his life. Yet, here he was, counselling me like some grandfather.
Laughable.
Using my landline, I called my assistant to come to the office. In seconds, she was there. I asked her to pack up my things and follow me to the car.
As soon as we reached Darkspire, I took the things from Kael and went into Lyric’s room. Of course, I’d have a spare key with me.
It took me an hour to set up the first stuff, then dropped a single pill and a note on her dresser.
I stood with my hands in my pockets, staring at the pill.
I tried. The Moon knows I tried for it not to come to this. Kael was right. This was wrong. But I couldn’t bring myself to care anymore. I’ve never been a good man. No. I’ve done a lot of bad things that doesn’t give me the privilege to be called good.
You could say I’m a good leader, but not a good man.
And maybe, Lyric deserved this for messing with my head.
