Kapitel 23: CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: CONFLICT OF INTEREST
[©Lynnifer Ice – February 21, 2023]
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"Yes. No. Maybe? I don't know…" I sighed in frustration, perhaps a little too dramatically, staring at the ceiling.
"You are undecided then," the headmaster nodded in approval. "How about you two go back to the dormitory for today." He continued, getting ready to stand.
"What about pictures for Student IDs? I still need to-," I tried to oppose the idea before the headmaster cut me off.
"I'll send a photographer that you're already acquainted with to your dorm to help you out with that," the headmaster mentioned as he stood, waving his hand in dismissal at my failed attempt at a protest. "Go home," he told us before he nodded to Doctor Kim in acknowledgment before he left the medical bay.
Home?
"Tomorrow, classes start, don't they?" I asked out loud to nobody in particular as I stared ahead, my hands lying loosely in my lap. I probably looked a little disheveled, maybe even disheartened.
"They do, yes. Do you have your schedule in order?" Doctor Kim asked me while Xinith nodded along.
It was hard to read Xinith's expression. One might have suggested that he looked angry, and perhaps another would argue that he looked like he was sulking. The way he was trying so hard to avoid eye contact with me made me think that maybe he didn't know how to feel about everything. Then, I realized I had told him to shut up just before… That was probably not the brightest idea on my part.
"Yeah, for the most part, I think," I replied before swallowing my pride as I turned to look at Xinith. I could already feel how awkward it was going to be to ask him for a favor. This was going to be a blow to my ego, "Hey, uhm, Xinith?" I cringed at how meager I sounded.
"Yeah.. ?" Xinith cautiously replied, his body and gaze slowly turning to me.
Perhaps it may have been my imagination, but I could have sworn I saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes. I dug my nails into the palm of my right hand to keep me from backing out, though he may have noticed since his eyes flew to said hand before returning to gaze at my face. I tried to give a small smile, but it kept faltering.
"Could you…," I inhaled deeply, finding it more challenging to ask than I had initially thought it would be, but then I exhaled slowly, "do me a favor…?"
"Name it," Xinith gently and genuinely smiled at me, and for a brief moment, I felt butterflies in my stomach. "Whatever you want, Alex."
This warm and fuzzy feeling is so NOT me. It has to be because of the mark.
"Can you help me up to the dorm? I don't think I'll be able to walk just yet." I bit the inside of my bottom lip, feeling nervous for a reason I couldn't explain. I could only think that perhaps it was another side-effect of the mark.
"I'd be more than happy to," he stated as he stood up, practically standing right against the edge of the bed. "Does this mean we're talking again?" Xinith inquired as he bent down with his hands sliding underneath my thighs and lower back.
Oh, sweet pepperoni… I forgot carrying involves touching. Why is my heart beating so rapidly? Get ahold of yourself, Alex! You don't like him! It's impossible… I mean, it's hard to believe a demon being with a human. This is all too weird.
I was about to answer him when my eyes landed on his torso and noticed that the deep cuts that had once littered his upper body had vanished completely. Just some dried blood on his skin remained. I didn't even have to think about let alone voice out my question, when my eyes darted to his in shock.
"I'm a demon, remember?" Xinith just smiled calmly at me as he lifted my body from the medical bed. "I heal pretty quick."
My body stiffened in his hold, a weird electric shock coursing through my veins when he held me against his torso. I had felt this before, and I still felt just as confused by it. It was apparent Xinith had felt that because he pecked the top of my head, and I didn't flinch. Yes, you read that correctly… I didn't withdraw, and I didn't feel annoyed or angry. Wait, who am I talking to? What is happening to me? Now, I'm talking to an invisible audience? I must be losing my mind.
"Xinith," Doctor Kim softly called, standing from his chair. "Don't forget to take responsibility for your actions."
"Yes, Sir," Xinith said before carrying me off.
I closed my eyes, allowing myself to relax against Xinith's body. I had so many unanswered questions about today, and I doubted Xinith would know the answer unless it was something pertaining to him. I also felt disturbed by the fact that my body physically felt like it was healing faster just by being held by him.
"Are you going to stay quiet the rest of the way?" Xinith curiously asked me, walking in what I hoped was the dormitory's direction.
"What do you want me to say? Thanks for hurting me?" I sarcastically asked him, not really knowing what to talk about.
I felt Xinith halt in his steps before I felt him clasp a hand over my mouth. My eyes shot open, mouth ready to go off on him but I stalled when I saw how serious his expression was when he kept looking back and forth over his shoulders. I let my eyes wander, noting how it looked like we were in the wooded area on campus.
Why are we here instead of on one of the many sidewalks on campus? Did he not want to be seen? What is he looking for?
Then, I heard a guttural growl, but I couldn't tell from what direction. Xinith curled my body in on his own. He looked alert. Meanwhile, I was panicking about a potential wild bear in the area. A vile scent wafted through the air; it made me nauseous, but Xinith looked unaffected. For some reason, I hadn't realized that the moon was out.
That's odd.
Then, I heard a sharp hiss followed by Xinith quickly swooping down to dodge some flying object that otherwise would have hit him or me in the head. Now, I was plain freaking out. What happened to the headmaster saying he could almost guarantee my safety on campus?
The next thing I knew, Xinith was sprinting through the foliage, weaving in and out of trees, dodging low and overgrown branches. I never felt a single branch against me; Xinith blocked anything from grazing against my body. I was beginning to wonder how long this small wooded area was before suddenly it felt like we were racing at lightspeed. The door for the dormitory building was quickly coming into sight, and outside of it, standing by a security guard, was… Liam?
Why is Liam standing there, and why does he look like some monster is chasing us? Is he… running toward or away from us?
Everything was happening too fast for me to understand. I saw Liam run around in a circle before doing something that made the security guard fall…unconscious…before throwing him into the building?! The only thing I can process next is hearing Xinith breathing heavily as he's suddenly handing me off to Liam, neither letting me see what's happening around us.
"Get her out of here," Xinith breathed raspy, shoving me into Liam's cold arms before grabbing one of Liam's hands and putting it over my eyes like some blindfold. I could hear his retreating footsteps, followed by a grunt and another growl.
"What the hell about you?! YOU'RE NOT INDESTRUCTIBLE!" Liam shouted back, holding tightly onto me. I could feel him walking backward.
"JUST GO!" I heard Xinith yell back over another growl.
"Fucking idiot, always trying to be a hero," Liam grumbled before hastily taking me into the building, only letting me see once we were in the staircase. He smiled nervously down at me. "Funny meeting you here, Alex," he awkwardly laughed before looking off to the side.
"What just happened?" I stared at Liam with a straight face, not even caring that I was being carried up flights of stairs.
"Whatever do you mean?" Liam nervously chuckled, avoiding eye contact while continuing to ascend the stairs.
"Are you going to put me down? I think I can walk on my own now," I slightly changed the topic.
"Are you going to run away if I put you down?" Liam stopped on the second flight of stairs, finally looking at me.
"No?" I answered, slightly bewildered that he may have known my strategy because I was honestly distressed with the current situation and wanted to know what was going on and where Xinith had gone.
"You're lying," Liam smiled before continuing up the stairs.
"Wha-," I gasped, "I am not!"
"Are too. Your pulse skips a beat when lying," Liam shook his head with an amused smile as if he thought it was funny that I had tried lying to him.
"This is some world-class bullshit. Tell me what's going on, Liam!" I scowled, trying to wiggle out of the vampire's inhuman strength hold. Though, I soon gave up on the idea of escaping.
"I'm not the right person to be asking that," Liam shrugged, opening a door that led to our hallway. Then he strutted down until he got to my dorm, only to turn away and take me into his dorm before shutting the door behind us.
"There better be a good reason I'm smelling human-," I heard Sasi bark as he rounded the corner before freezing in his spot seeing us, his draw dropping.
"Erm, is everyone here, Sasi?" Liam asked, still not setting me down as if he didn't trust me to not run back out the door we just came in through.
"Well, yeah, but they're uh…showering, right now. HOWEVER, YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU'RE HOLDING A HUMAN THAT XINITH MARKED! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH OR SOMETHING?!" Sasi suddenly panicked, rushing toward us.
"Will you calm down?!" Liam tried to hush Sasi, "Xinith handed her to me before he rushed off after-," he stopped himself when I looked at him suspiciously.
"Rushed after what?" I tried to pry, "Go on then. Do share." Then I saw Sasi make an "O" shape with his mouth before prying me from Liam, placing me on my feet before he put a hand on my back, trying to lead me into the dorm.
"Come on in, Alex. Tell me all about your day!" Sasi laughed to try to dissolve some of the tension in the air, getting me to sit down at their kitchen table. "Uh, hungry? Maybe I could offer you a drink?"
"How about you tell me why we're changing the subject? What is such a big secret?" My mouth twisted in irritation. I didn't like feeling like an outsider.
- End of Chapter Twenty-Three -
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