by June Leung
“More likely late tonight.” Benjamin kept his eyes on the road while Lia kept her gaze outside of the window. At least it would be easier with Adrian away. It is tonight or never…
Chapter 34
Lia
For the rest of the afternoon, Lia rolled around on her bed. It would be better to wait till after sunset for her plan to work, but the anticipation made her stomach churn. She tried to ground herself by reading a book, but she couldn’t focus on the words. When she read the same sentence for the sixth time and still couldn’t register it right, she gave up, resorting to her bed.
From time to time, she kept an eye on Benjamin. He seemed to be in a good mood, staying in Adrian’s office, often humming a song or two. There was no sign Adrian would be back soon. Lia took that as good news.
Around late afternoon, the time she agreed with Helen quickly approached. Time felt to be moving slowly when it was far away, but rushing to her when it got close. Lia headed into the kitchen with the vial in her pocket, peeking into the office to see Benjamin with his head down in his laptop, sitting on the couch by the door.
Lia stood in front of the cupboard, eyeing Adrian’s selection of beverages. He had good taste, and all the money he wanted to spend on drinks. She traced her outfit with her hands, running her finger along the hem of her t-shirt. Just act normal, will you? Ben wouldn’t know if you don’t shout with odd gestures. Breathe in, breathe out… You can do it!
She closed her eyes briefly, convincing herself it was the only way forward. She took a bottle of scotch that was already opened, pouring it into two glasses. Her hand shook slightly, luckily not enough to spill the drink. After she poured it, she looked toward the office again. Faintly there was the sound of keyboard smashing inside, Benjamin should be busy. She retreated into the kitchen, breathing so quickly and shallowly she could faint at any time.
C’mon, you are doing it anyways, let’s get going!
Lia’s eyes narrowed with determination as she took another second listening to noises from the office. There wasn’t anything worth noting. She pulled out the vial from her pocket. If only she could come up with another plan. Hopefully Benjamin wouldn’t be too mad when he woke up from this.
She unplugged the vial, adding all of its contents into one glass. She stared at the glass as the potion dispersed. It soon disappeared completely, mixing with the drink. She fanned the air above the glass; it smelled like how scorch should be. Benjamin would be no wiser.
She took the two glasses out, setting them on the coffee table before knocking on the door to the office. Benjamin’s head poked out from the door, he raised his brows. “I thought we already had tea and we agreed on a late dinner?”
“I just wanted a drink. Wanna join me?” She smiled, despite her heart racing. She hoped he wouldn’t hear her heartbeat.
“That’s kind of random.” He tilted his head to the side.
“I guess I am too happy with going out today, I think we deserve a celebratory drink? You said your only job is to keep an eye on me, right?” She rubbed his shoulder, putting on her best cute face.
“Um… I still have something to do…” He frowned, shaking his head. “Maybe later?”
Lia’s face fell, she looked down. “Are you also too busy to keep me occupied?” She snaked her arm around his waist, and he flinched. She moved closer to him, leaning on his shoulder. “It’s just one drink.”
He swallowed. “What drink do you get?”
“Just a scotch.” She shrugged, turning away. “When Adrian decided to lock me up here, he should have been ready to part with some of his drinks. I really hope to have a tiny celebration for the two of us, you know? Before he is back, since he won’t like what happened.”
He chuckled. “Fine. I can still work under a glass, but one only.”
Lia’s heart skipped a beat as they went to the living room, taking a seat on the couch. She made sure she handed him the right glass. She tried her best to put up a genuine smile and kept herself from staring at the glass too much.
They lifted their glass for a toast. Lia beamed. “Thank you for letting me have some outdoor time.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
They downed the drinks. Lia kept her eyes locked on him as he set down his empty glass. His face twisted slightly, and he snapped his head at her. Lia leapt backwards, her eyes wide.
Helen said the potion had no taste and would knock him down quick?
He raised to his full height, glaring at her. “What did you add?” He jumped forward to grab her, but Lia was one step quicker. She escaped his first attempt, hiding behind the couch, away from his gaze. Benjamin’s eyes turned red.
“I don’t know what you are talking about. I just poured it out. Is something wrong?” As her limbs began tensing up, she threw a cushion at him, interrupting his hold on her. She put more distance between them, heading to the kitchen. Her heart was thundering, her legs felt weak, almost rooted to the ground. Running away from his reach became difficult.
Wait, is the potion not working for dark magicians?
He growled, leaping for her, wincing. There was a strong wave of magical power in the air that made her shiver. He stumbled, bumping against the kitchen table. With a low thud, he fell on the floor.
Lia’s breath caught. Instinctively she wanted to check whether he was alright, but what if he was faking defeat? She couldn’t risk it. She rushed into her room, picking up her phone and pulling on her sneakers before heading to the door, wishing putting Benjamin down could really knock out the magic.
Having past experience with the magic, her heart skipped a beat as she reached for the doorknob, anticipating a shock, but there was nothing stopping her. She grinned, sneaking out, running towards the elevator while sending Helen a message alongside with the social media post she already prepared.
Chapter 35
Helen
Helen got the message from Lia, her heart skipped a beat. Yes, the potion worked! She grabbed the items she’d already packed, rushing to William’s office. She barely slowed down by his door, knocking rapidly. Her heart raced, hoping William was inside and wouldn’t ask too many questions while hoping the plan Lia came up with would work.
“Come in,” he said, the sound muffled by the door.
Helen slammed the door open and rushed in. He was typing something on his computer, but he stopped to look up at her. Helen waved her phone at him. “Lia seems to be out there!”
He shot up from his chair, staring at her. “What?”
She pointed at her phone, showing him Lia’s post. “There’s something from Lia! Maybe she escaped from whoever captured her!”
Without a glance, he waved Helen off from her phone. “Whatever that is, let’s get going.” He grabbed his jacket, leaping to the door. “Where is she?”
“I’m not sure, but I can see the sign of the park where we fought the monsters, where I…” She trailed off at the reminder of the attack, her hand instinctively went up to her chest, although she couldn’t feel the scar over her clothes. She followed William, who was rushing down the stairs, not bothering to wait for the elevator.
“Let’s go there. Try to call her,” he said. They ran out of the building, getting into his car.
Helen dialled for Lia as William speeded along the road. The traffic was slightly sparse for a weekday. All she could see was the road ahead and how William ignored the red light as long as there wasn’t a car coming from the other side.
“She didn’t pick up…” Helen lowered her phone, looking to William. He groaned, shaking his head, his eyes trained to the road.
“Never mind. We will find her,” he said.
“Maybe she’s busy hiding,” Helen said, looking out of the window, making sure William couldn’t see her face. He hummed in agreement, flying through another red light.
Chapter 36
Adrian
Adrian snapped his head up as he lost track of Benjamin in his mind. He frowned deeply, barging out of his office
in the dungeon. Benjamin didn’t call him the King for no reason; he could always tell what his people were feeling, especially if they became unconscious. When he wasn’t with Lia, he had part of his mind on Benjamin, tracking him closely in case the two of them needed help.
He got into his car, speeding along. His mind raced as he stomped the pedal, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
No way Benjamin is going down without a fight. Did Evelyn come early? Dammit! I shouldn’t have thought she would hold her promise.
“Can this damn car go any slower?” he shouted as the car in front of him seemed to snail along the road. He punched on the horn, honking at the car, but it seemed to have no effect on the driver.
Adrian peeked to the other side of the road; no cars were coming. He cut over, speeding past the car in front. The bright headlights of an oncoming vehicle shone through his windshield. He moved back over just in time to avoid a crash.
He got out of his car, barely remembering to lock the car doors before running up the stairs into the corridors heading to his penthouse. The door was unlocked, wide open. He gritted his teeth, heading inside.
“Lia! Benjamin!” He scowled at the faint smell of the scotch. Did that dummy knock himself down with alcohol? Dammit, Benjamin doesn’t even drink much… He’s smarter than that. He glanced at the two glasses on the coffee table. One was empty and the other still half-full. The cushions were scattered on the ground and the couch was out of place. A fire of rage simmered in his chest. He took a few steps in and could feel Benjamin’s presence nearby.
“BENJAMIN!” Adrian rushed into his office, but nobody was there. He scanned his desk—there was no sign of someone searching his place. If he saw Benjamin later, that jerk wasn’t seeing the sun for another day. He rushed out, catching a glimpse of something on the floor heading to the kitchen.
“Ben…” Adrian’s heart skipped a beat, his jaw tight. He leaped over the cushions. Benjamin was lying on the floor, face down with his hand outstretched as if trying to catch something. There was no sign of a fight other than the messed-up cushions and couch, and no trace of magic nor the smell of blood.
Adrian turned Benjamin around, feeling for his breath and his heartbeat on his neck. He let out a sigh of relief that Benjamin was still alive. He looked around once more, his chest tight at the absence of the attacker. No way Benjamin had gone down without a fight, his warrior wasn’t that bad at the job.
He took a glass of water from the sink, pouring it down on Benjamin, but he had no reaction to it. Adrian winced, hopping over to the coffee table, picking up the two empty glasses. As he sniffed at both of them, something clicked in his mind. Gritting his teeth, he stormed out of the apartment.
Dammit Lia! Must you go this far to run away? Do you have any idea of how many out there are seeking your life?
Chapter 37
Lia
Getting out of the building, Lia headed for a bike parked nearby. She cracked the lock with an ice shard, mouthing a sorry to the owner. There wasn’t a better way to get to Central Park, where Helen would meet her and they would stay until their plan was completed. Adrian lived too far away to walk there.
She was panting as her legs fought to carry her forward. William would be driving, and so would Adrian. She better be quick so that Helen wouldn’t get into too much trouble.
In the streets, at a corner, a strong heat came from her side, approaching quickly. She put up an ice wall at once. There was a loud crash as steam hissed from the ice wall. Deep within the alley, she couldn’t see who shot at her. She jumped off the bike, shoving it to the wall nearby.
She held her hands to the side, wielding her. “Who are you? Come out!”
Another fireball shot at her. She blocked it off with an ice blast. Someone in a hood emerged from the alley, running towards her. Lia dashed off, heading for a spacious place to get a better view. She ran down to the bank of the riverside, the nullah for water drainage.
She turned to the man once there was enough room for a fight. She shot ice shards at him and he dodged, sending a few fireballs in return. She took a step to the side, shooting at him again while closing their distance.
Who is this guy? Did Evelyn send him?
Lia took a closer look as his hood came off, revealing his face as he moved away from her blast. He was a man looking to be around Lia’s age. She frowned, unable to shake the feeling that she had seen him before.
They took shots at each other and it seemed to be a standoff. Lia gritted her teeth; she had no time to waste. Helen would have called William and Adrian would soon know of her prank on Benjamin. Before she got caught by either side, she had to be in the right place.
“Who are you? Did Evelyn send you?” she shouted.
He answered with a hoarse voice, weaker than she expected. “I don’t know anyone called Evelyn. How about you just surrender to end this mess?”
“Then who sent you? I don’t have time to waste on a rando!” Lia focused her power; she didn’t wish a painful death on anyone, but it seemed the strange dark magic she used in the gang’s base would work.
“I’m no rando. I’m sorry you didn’t kill me in the hotel. I’m not going down without trying.” The man shot fireballs at Lia again, and she dodged. Her breath caught at the mention, faintly remembering the showdown with the gang. It seemed a few magicians had escaped while she was busy stopping Adrian from drinking every drop of the fallen men’s blood.
Lia rolled her eyes. “If I were you, I would hide far away. What makes you think you will win on your own when your whole gang failed.”
“You left me no choice,” the man shouted, launching a fire blast at her. Lia pulled up an ice shield, blocking its power. “Because you killed Bob, the other branches are here to pick the rest of us off. Maybe your little life would earn me safety. Even not, it would be satisfying to get revenge.”
So he doesn’t really care about killing me, but his own life, huh? I really don’t have the time to waste.
Lia stared at him, summoning the dark power inside her. As she focused, she seemed to stare through the ice wall, feeling the man’s limbs connect to her will. She gritted her teeth as she threw the man backwards, groaning as he landed. Lia rose to her full height, staring down at him.
Maybe we could use some information about Bob and the gang. Adrian seemed to not know about them a lot.
“How about I give you a counter plan for your little life?” Lia said. The man’s eyes widened in shock. “How about you do what I say and I promise you a better chance to live?”
He snorted. “Why would I take it and why would I trust you?” He tried to shoot at her, but Lia locked his arm with her glare. It was a strange feeling like when she first learned to ride a bike on her own, and like how she first used the dark magic herself in The Orbit. This psychic force thing is easier than I expected.
“One, you can’t defeat me. Two, you really think the gang would spare your life if you killed me and wouldn’t claim it for themselves? If I were the other branch, I would kill you regardless.”
The man groaned, he stopped fighting Lia’s hold on his arm. He turned to the side, seemingly in agreement.
“How about you help me so I can appeal to the man himself? Maybe he will spare your life.”
Of course, my plan will work… It has to work… Just take my offer, will you?
The man rolled his eyes. “Why would I agree to that?”
“I could have ended you here, but there’s something I want from you. If you want to stay alive, you better do as I say. You’ve seen the man who trashed your little boss’s operation. Whether you can kill me or not, he would be coming after you. You need a reminder on what he is capable of doing?” She glared at him, daring him to say anything. She glanced at her watch, who knew how long she still had…
The man gulped. “What do you want from me?”
Lia took a step back and the man stood, fixing his hair as he stared at the ground. She crossed her arms. “You better not scr
ew up to keep your little life safe. I am heading to Central Park. You know where that is?”
“How can I not know where it is? C’mon.”
“Make sure I arrive there safely.” When Lia ran off, the man followed her.
“Why are we going there? And who else is after you?”
“You will know by the time we get there. Stop asking questions.” Lia kept running through the streets, not looking back. At least the park was close enough she didn’t need to steal another bike. She took a peek at her watch again. Probably the traffic won’t slow them enough…
Lia’s heart raced, both from running at top speed and from worrying about her plan. Her heart was also heavy as she regretted keeping a random fire magician that threatened to kill her. There’s no promise he wouldn’t try that again. While she had no doubt Adrian would go after the man should anything happen to her, maybe she shouldn’t draw the conclusion too early. After tonight, who knew what Adrian would be thinking about. Her breath caught at the thought.
At a crossroad, something caught her eye in a side alley. Before she could turn and look, someone grabbed her waist, pulling her into the alley. She lost her balance, falling back on whoever grabbed her.
Adrian! Her eyes widened; she couldn’t get caught here. “No!” She gripped his arm, trying to free herself.
Adrian’s familiar voice echoed in her ear as he hissed, “What do you think—?” Before he could finish, he screeched in pain and jerked his arms away. They were on fire. Lia elbowed him in the abdomen, putting distance between them.
He glared at the fire magician, shooting an ice blast at him. Before it landed, Lia raised an ice shield, blocking it off while shooting a beam at Adrian’s knee. His still-burning arms must have slowed him. She managed to freeze his leg. He lost balance and fell to the wall with a grunt.