by June Leung
Ok… This is it. Hopefully, this will go well.
Despite her body shouting at her, she took in a deep breath, facing the door again. She launched at it, and the magic threw her onto the ground. Nausea stirred inside her. She bent over on the floor, squirming as her body twitched from the strong force.
Gathering all her strength, she pushed herself up again and rammed herself at the door, at his magic, again and again. Her head throbbed with pain, probably the magic would for real knock her out some time soon. She tried to dash at the door, her legs were heavier than she expected, she stumbled.
She closed her eyes as she anticipated the blow from the magic. Instead, she bumped into something with a low thud. She should have bumped into a wall or something, but she felt nothing. She snapped open her eyes. Did I knock off the magic?
Instead, from her still blurry vision, Adrian’s face was in front of her, his eyes filled with guilt and pain. Lia tried to push herself away from him, but she was too weak. He pulled her closer to him, his arms wrapped around her waist.
She opened her mouth to talk, a choking feeling stirred her throat. She coughed, tasting her own blood, before closing her eyes, panting and letting him hold her.
“Lia… What are you doing? Staying here is bad enough that you’d resort to this?” Adrian asked.
In the darkness, she was lifted and set carefully down on the bed. She slowly opened her eyes as the comfy pillow and blanket surrounded her. Both Adrian and Benjamin were looking over her, their faces filled with concern.
The world was still spinning. She shook her head, tears running down her cheek. “I… can’t… I can’t even breathe here. Trapped… suf… focated…” She rolled around, turning her back to them.
“You know I don’t want this for you,” Adrian said.
Benjamin walked over to her with a glass of water and she took it, clearing the taste of blood in her mouth. Benjamin sighed. “It must be scary to be in a dungeon without a glimpse of sunlight… or fresh air.”
“I… know… but…” Adrian shook his head, crossing his arms. Lia grunted, pushing herself from the bed. Adrian pinned her down on her shoulders. She stared at him with blank eyes, barely holding herself together. He had no idea how much she wanted to punch him in the face if she didn’t have to appeal to him. He gulped, averting her gaze.
She closed her eyes again, giving herself the room to breathe. “At least give me a window or something? Waking up to walls and complete darkness is not working for me… Maybe you should tie me up with those chains again. It’s easier than me trying to kill myself with the magic you set up.”
“My King, you still remember the days we hid here? It drove half of us almost crazy. Is it too much to demand Lia to stay?”
“Benjamin, I didn’t ask you here to…” Adrian trailed off as Lia looked into his eyes, tears welling up in hers. “I mean… you know there’s no window underground.”
“You can lock me up in your office? At least there’s a window,” Lia said, her voice shaky.
“I don’t know, it may be more dangerous there.” Adrian frowned deeply, hesitant.
“If you don’t mind, I can keep watch of Lia. I am confident to at least drag on in case someone thinks they can trespass me. You won’t be far away,” Benjamin said, looking between the two of them.
Adrian raised his brows. “You are talking about around the clock?”
Benjamin nodded. “I can do that. I guess that’s the best. I can cast the magic and still get work done in another room. Of course, that’s if you two don’t mind.”
“That’s all fine with me. Just get me a window somewhere and some fresh air.” Lia looked at Benjamin, mouthing a “thank you” and a grin.
Adrian pulled back from the bed, rubbing his chin. “I guess it is for the best then. If something happens to Lia, Ben, you know what will happen.”
“Of course. I know, my King. You can rest your worries. Have I ever failed you?”
Adrian’s voice was cold. “You better keep your record straight.” He reached for Lia’s waist. At the touch, a stream of warmth rushed into her and the throbbing pain subsided. The spinning world came to a stop. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a deep kiss. It would be better for her to not keep annoying him.
“You make it hard to focus on my magic.” He chuckled.
Lia let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I really need a break from this dungeon.”
“Sorry… I should have thought of my office earlier. Ben should be capable of protecting you.” He averted her gaze, staring at the pillow beside her sheepishly. She rubbed his back, stroking his hair. He leaned into her touch, nudging her with his nose. “I hope you aren’t still angry with me?” he whispered.
“You aren’t the brightest, but not that bad, I guess.” She smiled. “Also, you are kind of heavy.”
“Oh! I’m sorry.” He rolled off her onto the other side of the bed before getting up. He helped her out of the bed, wrapping an arm around her waist, guiding her out of the room.
It was then that Lia remembered Benjamin’s existence. She blushed, looking around the room, but he was nowhere to be seen. She raised her eyebrows.
He shrugged. “Ben? He was already outside.”
“Oh, I thought…”
“While I have few problems letting him see us hugging each other, he won’t want to see.”
Lia blushed even more, playfully shoving his chest. Outside the room, Benjamin was a few steps down the corridor. He looked up as they approached, shooting them a knowing look.
The moment they walked out of the dungeon into the warm sunlight, Lia took a deep breath, closing her eyes and taking in the fresh smell of the soil and leaves. The chirping of the birds sounded more pleasant than she ever realised. She spread out her arms, feeling the warmth from the sun. She turned around to find Benjamin and Adrian looking at her with smiles on their faces.
“What? The first time you two see me?”
Adrian let out a relaxed sigh, shaking his head. “I found myself missing your smile so much.”
“I do smile when you actually talk to me and spend time with me.”
“I guess I simply enjoy seeing you happy.” He chuckled, hugging her tightly enough to lift her slightly off the ground.
She hugged him back when Benjamin smirked at her, standing a few steps behind Adrian. She blushed bright red. Benjamin shook his head, looking away from them.
Lia closed her eyes, snuggling into the crook of Adrian’s neck as he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.
They got to Adrian’s car a short distance away from the entrance to the dungeon. They were in a forest, probably quite some distance from the city center. Behind them, the entrance to the dungeon blended in with the surroundings on a larger boulder. A few steps away, she had already lost sight of the door.
Benjamin beat Adrian to the driver’s seat. “How about you two go chill in the back? I am very concerned about everyone’s safety.”
Adrian cleared his throat. “Just to be clear, I have no problem still driving my own car.”
“So, you would rather drive than sit in the back?” Benjamin tilted his head to the side with a teasing smile.
“Fine… If you want to drive, I’ll let you,” Adrian huffed, opening the car door to get in the back with Lia.
She leaned onto Adrian, savoring the warmth from his body. He wrapped his arm across her waist. She closed her eyes, faintly feeling the rise and fall of his chest. Although the damage done by the magic was healed, she was still exhausted. She blinked, her eyelids heavy.
Time for me to take action, finally.
As soon as Adrian opened the door to his penthouse, Lia rushed past him, sticking herself to the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room, staring at the shimmering sea view outside. Her palms on the window, she never thought she would miss the view so much. It felt like ages since she looked through this window.
A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and she shudd
ered. Adrian’s breath warm in her hair, her neck. His body pressed against her. She grinned, rubbing his arms.
“I don’t know, Lia. I may care about you a bit too much,” he whispered.
“Yeah? Too much to lock me up in a dungeon?”
“I can’t risk you. The dungeon is where I find safety, hiding away from the rest of the world. But I guess what works for you is more important.”
“I know you care about me. Lucky me, huh?” She chuckled, leaning back into him.
“Are you still angry?” There was a glint of worry in his voice.
Lia shook her head. “If you had kept me locked up down there, I would be.”
“Great.”
She remained wrapped into his arms, feeling his warmth on her back. Looking at the sea from the window, she could imagine herself inside, swimming in the cool water around her. She closed her eyes, getting lost in the moment. They stood by the window until Benjamin’s voice came from the kitchen together with the smell of cheese.
“Hey, I’m coming out with pizza!”
Slowly Adrian took a step back, his fingers lingering on her waist before he finally let go of her. She turned around, meeting his intense blue eyes. With a smirk, she kissed him gently on the lips. Before he could kiss her back, she pulled away.
His eyes widened, raising his eyebrows at her. “What does that mean?”
“It means I still like you, but I want my pizza first.” She ran off to the kitchen table.
He shouted behind her, “Really? Why must you put all kinds of food before me?”
Lia took a seat by the kitchen table when Benjamin set down the warmed-up pizza. Adrian soon followed, sitting next to her.
Benjamin grinned as he cut the pizza into pieces. “I rescued this poor thing before we left. Luckily it is all freshened up after staying in the oven.”
She took a piece, beaming as the cheese and tomato sauce filled her mouth. She didn’t realise it had been hours since she last ate.
Benjamin tilted his head to the side, winking at them. “Should I go somewhere else so you two can get comfortable?”
“It’s fine, Ben. You can stay here.” Adrian almost choked on his soft drink. Lia laughed at him.
“Great!” Benjamin took a slice for himself, taking a big bite. “You will never know how happy I am to see you finally stop fighting.”
“When I said you could stay here, this is not what I meant.” Adrian rolled his eyes, but the corners of his lips curled up.
“Whatever you want, then. You are the King—it’s your call as always. I will zip my mouth and eat my pizza.” Benjamin gestured to zip up his mouth with his hand, winking at Lia. She averted his gaze as a stream of heat reached her cheeks.
Adrian huffed, chewing down on his slice. Lia shivered as Adrian’s gaze landed on her and she turned to him, carefully making sure the piece of pepperoni didn’t fall from her pizza. His face was serious. “For real, Lia. Don’t try to get out anymore, OK? I will try to be here more. Whatever you need, Ben will get for you. You get your window and your breath of fresh air. Don’t make it difficult on any of us. You’ll be able to go out very soon.”
Lia nodded, snuggling up to him. Except I am still going to do what I need to do… Even though I don’t even know how I can do it… Is there even a way for him to not fight with the Elders? Hopefully, with Helen, we can think of something.
After they finished the food and cleaned up the kitchen table, Adrian and Benjamin went into the office to discuss something. Benjamin cast his magic onto the door, and she was dismissed.
Lia plodded down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, resisting the urge to sneak to the office door to spy on them. Probably they were talking about keeping her in check and maybe continuing their plan to kill the Elders. She wanted to keep them safe, but she had to find a way to also keep Adrian safe.
Maybe she shouldn’t try to listen; she already made Adrian angry by sneaking out of the dungeon and forcing him to let her out on the same day. It wouldn’t be good if she got caught eavesdropping.
At least she had her phone. She let out a sigh of relief, when it connected to the network. Luckily, Benjamin’s magic didn’t affect the signal. Lucky Adrian doesn’t seem to remember I have this.
Her phone buzzed like crazy from all the messages. It lasted so long Lia had to stuff it under the pillow, for fear Adrian would hear something. She didn’t know whether he knew she would find Helen. He better not remember. I can’t even imagine how I would get him to give me back my phone.
After the buzz died down, Lia took a glance at the messages. There were messages from Helen, and as she scrolled through them, her breath caught. Seemingly while Adrian was planning to take out the Elders, they were also actively searching for the dark magicians and trying to take them out.
Slowly, you can think of a way to do it, now just let Helen know she can contact you. You two can work out something. Remember to breathe. It will be fine.
She closed her eyes briefly, pulling the blanket over her head and trying to ground herself. She almost got under control when there was the sound of the doorknob turning. She jumped, sitting up on the bed just in time to see Adrian peeking in with his eyebrows raised.
“You scared me! Learn to knock, will you?” She forced a smile, tucking her phone under the pillow, hoping the blanket concealed her movement.
He seemed to be taken aback. “Oh, sorry about that. Just want to see whether you are feeling better now that you’re not underground anymore.”
She let out a sigh of relief, nodding at the window. “Very much so. Being able to look at the sky is a lot more therapeutic than I imagined.”
“That’s great. I really love to see you happy.” He walked in, sitting by her side. She snuggled to him, leaning on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm across her waist, pulling her close.
They remained wrapped together for another moment before he sighed, rubbing her arm. Lia looked up at him with a light frown on her face. His smile faltered. “I have to go. Soon, we’ll be free to just spend time with each other. I will be back tonight. Due to a certain someone, my schedule for the day is falling behind.”
Lia stuck out her tongue and chuckled. “You are fighting Evelyn already?”
He flinched at the mention, shaking his head. “There are some things to be done before we take care of her.”
“What are they? Can I help?”
His demeanor changed for a split second before he schooled his features. “Nothing to be worried about. I can do it on my own. I’ll let you know when it is done.” He gently squeezed her hand before kissing it.
Of course you aren’t letting me help.
“Just stay safe with whatever you are doing, OK? Without knowing what you are up to, I get worried something will happen to you.”
“I’m not a rookie like you. I will be fine.” He pulled her into a tight hug before standing from the bed and heading to the door. “Ben will be here to keep watch over you and to keep you safe. Let him know if you need anything.”
“Sure!” Lia walked him to the door. He hugged her once again before he left. Was it wrong to feel at ease when he was gone? The door clicked close, not only did it physically separate the two, it seemed to also close something for her. Well, Adrian was never an open book since the beginning.
She turned back to her room. Benjamin was standing nearby, raising his brows. She froze. “Something’s up?”
“Not really. I guess it’s just fun to see you two together. I thought of the time we first met and now. Kind of crazy, isn’t it?”
“I guess so?”
Maybe it would be easier to get something from Ben than from Adrian.
“You know what Adrian is up to? He seems to be really busy?” she asked.
He chuckled, gesturing to the office. “He’s the King. Of course he ought to be busy.”
In Adrian’s office, Lia took a seat on the chair facing the window, where she used to sit when she was in training. Benjamin stood awkwardly on
the side, running a hand through his hair as he sat on the couch by the door frame.
Lia turned the office chair to face him, tilting her head sideways in question. “Why don’t you sit here?” She gestured at the chair behind the desk.
“Well… I don’t dare sit there, just in case. Don’t want to risk pissing the King off.” Benjamin spread out his hands beside him, smirking.
“I didn’t know the rules were that detailed.” Lia eyed Adrian’s empty chair.
“It’s just a habit now. He actually doesn’t care that much now., but I don’t feel comfortable doing that. There’s something you shouldn’t do, just to play safe. But I guess you get plenty of leeway with him.”
“He is the one trying to lock me up. And it feels terrible being underground. Do you think running into his magic is that enjoyable? I have no choice.” Lia frowned.
There was a flash of something in his eyes for a split second. “I know. Things you would do to get him to bend over for you, huh? Maybe you should know he seldom changes his plan. Consider yourself lucky. I also know you are smarter than we may have expected. Please know that we are simply trying to help you.”
“Actually, I am very capable of helping myself.” Her heart hammered in her chest. There’s no way Benjamin knew her intention, right?
“Not with what he—” Benjamin awkwardly cleared his throat. “Not with Evelyn. You’ve never seen something of that scale. Our time before facing her is limited, so we are just trying to get prepared.”
“Can I help?” Lia asked.
The mischievous glint flashed in his eyes again, the hair on the back of Lia’s neck stood.
“We can manage it. You don’t have to worry at all.”
“Is that something I would get angry about?”
He flinched, his smile faltering for a split second before he schooled himself. He shook his head. “I don’t know what he is doing. But I am just researching Evelyn, so nothing you would be angry about.”
“Given how close the two of you are, you have no idea what Adrian is up to?”