章節 38: Hide and seek

Kiva ran away from Alyssa as fast as she can, concern etched across her face, dragging his brother on a head lock.

Alyssa never asked again, Alyssa never got curious again--- until today.

Kiva became complacent.

'What changed?' Kiva was concerned. 'What made Alyssa curious again or maybe… who?'

Ziloh released himself from Kiva's hold. "How long are you going to pretend with her?"

Kiva stopped on her tracks. "I'm not pretending. You're the one to talk!" She placed a hand on her hip. "You're a better actor than me."

"I never hid my intentions to Alyssa." Ziloh brushed a hand on his hair. "I don't pretend in front of her."

"I'm not the only one keeping a secret." Kiva said, her cheeks puffed in frustration. "You're hiding something from her too." She clutched the book on her side. "Anything else you're hiding…I'll know it soon."

"Right, we're just the same." Ziloh smirked. "Demons in human form."

"I'm not like you!" Kiva stamped on her feet. "It's just that...I feel like my old self when I'm with her. " She fisted her hand at her side. "I forget what I'd become."

"Of course, you're attracted to her, her life force" Ziloh looked at the distance. "she's the only one alive between the three of us after all, but…" He looked at Kiva. "Don't come too close to her, or one day, one of us might suck the life out of her."

"I'll never hurt her!" Kiva declared. "Nor will you, I won't let you."

"Good. I expected that much from you." Ziloh fumbled with her hair. "I know you care about her, maybe more than myself." His eyes traveled on the right corner of the hallway for a second. "Go back to her and explain yourself. Don't leave her alone, she needs you."

"She…Alyssa will hate me if she finds out. That I'm not the best friend that she used to know when we were yo-you-unger anymooooore." Kiva wailed like a baby that got her candy stolen. "I turned into a mo-mo-monster." Her head lowered, her shoulder dejected.

"Kiva." Ziloh placed his hand into his pocket. "You're underestimating Alyssa," He turned his back to Kiva. "Who says she's afraid of monsters?" He turned his head to the side and smirked. "She's fascinated with them."

Ziloh walked away, leaving Kiva behind him.

***

Alyssa was restless on her seat. She was bothered with Kiva's sudden reaction. She was staring at the door, expecting it to open at any moment.

'They will come back any minute now, any minute, any second.' Alyssa was tapping her hand on the table.

A minute had gone by, but they did not come back.

Alyssa's patience was running thin.

She rushed to the door, deciding to follow and confront them, Eli was following behind her.

"Mother brainer," Alyssa was running in the hallway. "how could they---"

Rounding the corner, she saw Kiva and Ziloh talking to each other. She pressed herself on the wall, upon hearing Kiva wailing, her anger slowly subsided. After exhaling deeply, she walked her way back into her room. "They always do that. I know they do."

Eli was silent.

"I bet you do that too." Alyssa's face was tense, controlling her emotion. "I know you do." She found a new target to vent.

"Me?" Eli walked to her side.

"Yes," Alyssa nodded. "talking behind my back. Keeping things from me."

Eli cleared his throat, flustered.

"Do you?" Alyssa turned to him.

Elion was as still as a statue, his eyes quivering.

"I know you do, I'm not stupid." Alyssa turned her head back in front, on her way to her room.

Kiva never returned to Alyssa's room.

Alyssa was tired of being kept in the dark.

'If they won't come back to me…then I'll hunt them down.'

Alyssa decided to chase the truth, no matter what the cause.

***

Alyssa rarely go outside of her room for a snack early in the afternoon--- it makes sense for none of the prepared food suited her taste after all.

"I can go to the kitchen," Eli suggested behind her as they walked towards the mess patio. "to ask a special desert for you." Eli, trying to do his job right.

"No, never mind. I'm not going to eat at all." Alyssa walked with determination. "We're going hunting."

Eli nodded, but suspicion forming due to the Princess' unusual behavior.

'What trouble will the Princess do this time?' Elion realized that it was hard to keep his head on his shoulder inside the palace, he admires Maya for doing this for years. 'Trouble is fine, as long as the Queen is not involved.'

Upon their arrival, Alyssa easily spotted her target.

Kiva was sitting on one of the tables, her back on Alyssa, munching on a platter of fried bat brains.

Alyssa exhaled, she walked slowly towards her best friend, pressing a hand on Kiva's back.

Kiva turned her head to the side---smiling---but her eyes went wide upon seeing who it was. "What," Her mouth hanged open, revealing the food inside. "What the? " She gulped her food down."Yo-You don't come here for snacks."

"You're right, I don't." Alyssa stared at Kiva. "I'm looking for my best friend."

Kiva turned her head back to her plate, while staring at it, she stood up. "I'm sooorrryyyy…" She suddenly ran to the opposite direction of Alyssa, leaving her plate still half full.

"My fault, princess," Cliff took Kiva's plate and placed it atop his empty one. "Should have taught my daughter better manners to finish her meal before leaving the table." He began to eat the leftover of Kiva. "Such a waste of good food." He shook his head as he filled in his mouth. "I would have offered you such precious food but-"

"No, thank you." Alyssa interrupted Cliff.

Alyssa exhaled, fisting her hand on the side. She then knew how serious this was--- Kiva will never leave her food unfinished.

She scanned the area to look for the other person she could freely talk to, but Ziloh was nowhere to be found. Alyssa was disappointed, she could say what she wants to Ziloh---unfiltered---be mad at him, and punch him--- and he would accept it all.

Unsatisfied, she marched out of the mess patio, going to the next place she knew Kiva would hide.

***

Duchess Zenalda was walking her dogs on the main garden. She was holding onto the three leashes as she let one of the dogs--- Beat, the Chihuahua--- take a dump on the grass. "Good booyyy," She cooed. "Good booyyy."

"Look around for Kiva," Alyssa said to Eli. "she's here somewhere." She was scanning the main garden--- it looked more like a maze due to the overgrown trees and bushes.

This was their favorite place to play when they were younger. It looked like wilderness for the little children, it looked more menacing and bigger when Alyssa was younger, but the main garden looked smaller now that Alyssa grew up.

"You go left," Alyssa instructed to Eli. "I go this way." She pointed to her right.

Eli nodded, his brows burrowed, as if given a life and death mission.

They split up to find where Kiva was hiding.

Alyssa walked through the bushes, causing her arms and legs to suffer small bruises, but she did not mind. She looked closer to the bigger trees where Kiva might be hiding behind its trunk. But so far, she found nothing.

Eli, done checking the left side, met halfway with Alyssa as they finished circling the garden.

"Did you find her?" Alyssa asked Eli.

"No," Eli shook his head, disappointed for not completing the task. "no sign of her."

"That's impossible," Alyssa bit the inside of her cheeks. "how did she suddenly become better at hiding?"

Kiva was bad at hiding when they were younger, it was the main reason why Alyssa liked playing with her--- as a young kid, Alyssa was assured that she will not go home alone.

Alyssa suddenly smelled something pungent in the air. "Can you smell something?" She sniffed in the air, walking as she looked for the source.

Eli just stood still, blinking. "The smell of the garden?"

"No, this garden doesn't smell this…organic." Alyssa traced the source of the odor---until she reached Eli. "You." She eyed him.

Eli blinked.

"You smell like dog poo." Alyssa pressed her lips together to hide her smile. "You might have stepped on it."

Eli's eyes widened in realization. He lifted his sole to inspect.

"Oh no," Alyssa covered her mouth, hiding a smile.

There was greenish- brown mush stuck on Eli's left sole.

Elion suddenly walked towards the nearest tree, favoring his right foot. He immediately scraped his left shoe onto the trunk of the tree.

"No, not the tree!" Alyssa can't hide her laughter anymore. "No, don't smear it with that!"

"Healthy." A timid smile formed into Eli's face.

"What?"

"These are healthy for them. I'm giving it fertilizer."

"Right," Alyssa was holding onto her stomach. "This tree will thank you later for... scraping... dog poo on its trunk."

Alyssa felt better--- lighter.

While scraping his left shoe, a twig fell on Eli's head---he brushed if off nonchalantly.

"I think," Alyssa was laughing harder, observing Eli by his side. "It's your lucky day today."

As if on cue, twigs showered down on Elion.

"What's happening! The tree is angry with you Eli," A few hit Alyssa, she covered herself with her hand. "This is unheard of…" She looked upwards, seeing someone sitting on a branch. "Is that… Kiva?"

Kiva was startled to be discovered, making her fall butt first on the ground.

"Kiva!" Alyssa helped Kiva stand up on her feet. "Are you okay?"

Kiva nodded, not looking at Alyssa.

"Kiva, we need to talk."

Kiva was alarmed. She broke free from Alyssa and bolted away from her--- again.

Alyssa sighted, she turned to look at Eli, a smile forming on her face again.

Eli was using a twig to remove the poo on his sole this time, his brows were furrowed in concentration.

"Eli?" Alyssa was laughing at him. "Don't go inside my room with those shoes on, okay?"

Eli stared at the laughing princess for a second before answering.

"Okay." Elion nodded, his checks blushing as a boyish smile formed onto his face.

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