章節 21: Do as I said

Despite hitting the wall hard with his side, Storm landed with his two feet and palms flat on the ground, his face, hidden from view as his hair, which had fallen forward, covered his face.

By the time he lifted his head to look at Elfin, his eyes were no longer dark gray. They were, instead, a deep shade of red, and openly dancing in them was malice and anger.

In a blink of an eye, he disappeared from that position and appeared before Elfin. His fingers moved in a flash to Elfin's neck, wrapping around it tightly until blood dripped from both sides where his sharp claws pierced.

"What? What do you want to do?" Elfin probed in a calm voice, his face, void of the anger flashing in them a moment ago. He now looked like he didn't just throw someone a few meters away from his bed, and neither did he look like he was bothered about the blood running down the sides of his neck from the sharp nails lodged deep into his skin. His eyes looked straight into Storm's pair in a challenging manner.

"For your sake, Elfin, do not provoke me," Storm spoke with gritted teeth. "Do well to keep your nose out of my business."

Silence reigned in the room for a while letting their eyes do the talking. A while later, Storm released Elfin's neck, then turned around and grabbed his jacket.

"Since you like the room so much, you can keep it," Storm commented, then started walking out after putting on the jacket. He was just about to step out when Elfin's voice made him halt.

"You seem to have forgotten who you are dealing with. Remember how and why Lydia ceased to exist."

A devilish smirk curved on Storm's lips when he heard what Elfin said.

"I did forget. But I believe it's no news to you that all those memories returned tonight. So yes. I know that you are that same Elfin."

"I'm glad you are still aware, and I hope you don't make the same mistake. Don't forget I can make it happen again." Elfin threatened in a serious tone, but Storm's smirk turned even more menacing.

"I dare you, Elfin." Storm finally turned around to look at him. "Much as you're still the same, you know I am not that Storm of yesterday. As it stands, you have a lot more to lose. So I dare you, Elfin. I dare you to touch even a single hair on any of their heads."

After saying this, Storm walked out of the room, leaving behind an infuriated Elfin.

A sardonic chuckle escaped Elfin's lips the moment Storm exited the room. His eyes held a promise that only his heart could understand perfectly.

A short while later, he went completely silent before disappearing from the room. He appeared in the room where Nicholas and Seth were, right beside the bed, fixing his eyes on the young boy.

Seth stood alert, his attention focused on Elfin. The level of calm he was exuding was alarming, especially after his arguments with Storm.

And worse, Storm dared him. So Seth feared what Elfin would do to the boy or his sister.

Seconds ticked by but Elfin remained in the same position, as if he was studying something intricate on the boy's face. When he finally shifted his concentration from the boy to Seth, the latter needed no one to interpret the look he received.

The threat still stands, and he was still on Elfin's list of people to be punished for absolutely no fault of theirs. That was not a nice list for anyone's name to be in.

A sigh, not one of relief, escaped Seth's lips when Elfin finally disappeared from the room without a word. He shifted his eyes to Nicholas, and just then, regretted ever bothering Storm with that CCTV footage. If he had just let it be, these two wouldn't have been brought to the palace, and his life would still be a little peaceful.

***

Back at the lab, Ellie was still held down on the chair. It's been a while since Storm left, but they still had not made any move to release her or take her away from there.

At first, her mind didn't register what was happening there because she was worrying about Nicholas. But after a while when nobody moved toward her and the chair didn't release her wrists and ankles, she finally returned to the present.

Her brows flew up when she saw the look the man with the syringe was giving her.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that? And why aren't you letting me go? What else do you want from me?" Ellie queried, gaining a little confidence now that Storm was away from there. From what just happened, and from the way Asaph addressed Storm, Ellie decoded that he was the boss.

Also, these ones, though all scary looking and bulky in size, didn't emit half the intimidating aura that Storm did.

All traces of emotion faded from Asaph's face at her questions and the tone she used in asking them.

"I don't know what you think you are, but your charms won't work on me. The only way for you to survive here is if you don't anger me. But I don't even see that happening with that leaking mouth of yours." Asaph responded, then moved his gaze to the one who was supposed to take her away.

"Make sure she doesn't get food for three days." Asaph threw an order and the guy he was giving the command to knitted his brows.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked, obviously not agreeing with what Asaph said.

"Do as I said." Asaph insisted, and no further opposition was heard. He pressed a button on a small remote he held, and the chair released Ellie.

She was immediately dragged up from the chair and she smirked at Asaph before she was dragged away.

However, before they reached the door, Ellie felt a prick at the back of her neck, and before she could turn around to check what just happened, her vision turned black and she collapsed after losing all of her strength.