I scrambled down the windowsill and into my bedroom. I then turned to Lawliet just outside of the window, holding onto the side of the window.
“I should get going. But I will walk you to the cafeteria tomorrow morning. I will be at your door at seven-thirty.” Lawliet turned away from me and was about to leave when I reached out and took hold of his arm. “What?” He asked.
“Stay… with me please,” I whispered. I gently tugged him into my room. Surprisingly, without any sort of restraint, Lawliet let me bring him into my room.
I led him towards my bed. It was like luring a wild and scattered, almost frightened, animal into eating out of my hands. His golden widened and they darted around my room, conscious of everything he looked at: the desk that I sit at and draw my runes and online shop, to the low bookcase that has books I have read hundreds of times, over and over again and then the dresser that had clothes carelessly stuffed inside because I don’t enjoy folding or using magic to pointlessly fold my clothes. One draw was open, and a black, lace bra hung out. I found amusement when golden eyes darted away and at the bed that I lured him to.
I let go of him and shrugged off my jumper. He stood at the edge of the bed while I crawled along the silk sheets and then underneath. As I laid under, warmth flooded into me, and my fingers tingled. Blood started to circulate and regulate within them. After I was comfortable, I rested my head on the pillow and then flattened the sheets and smoothed them over. As I patted the bed, Lawliet’s head flinched back.
“Come lay down,” I said. Lawliet’s eyes narrowed. “Unless you are afraid of me.
Those golden narrowed eyes curled and lips twitched. Lawliet then laughed and shook his head side to side. He was hesitant at first. His hands touched the silk and his nose crinkled in disdain as he sat upright on the edge of the bed. Stiffly, he leaned back into the wooden bedhead. Lawliet was so far away and so close to the edge that if I breathed, he would tip over and fall off of the bed. That seemed to irritate and amuse me.
“So, you are afraid of me,” I murmured.
“I know what you are doing, Eileen. I am not stupid nor ignorant.”
“What am I doing?” I then asked. From the corner of his eyes, golden eyes glared at me. Lawliet looked as if he was contemplating on entertaining this game that I was playing. Unfortunately, he decided not to and looked ahead and at my door. “It’s locked. No one can enter.”
“Looks similar to mine.”
“I didn’t think that you would mind. Lock runes are similar in style. That’s why they don’t claim them as copyright when a mage puts theirs up for sale.” I then sat upright and pulled the sheets away from me and went to get out of bed. “But I can destroy it now if it bothers you that much.”
I went to slide out when Lawliet leaned over and grabbed hold of my arm. He then hissed a breath and dragged me towards him. “You are still cold. Why didn’t you say anything?”
I was suddenly on his lap and in his arms. They were warmer than any layer of blankets that could ever go over me. As I sat there, his hands rubbed up and down my arms.
It wasn’t until Lawliet said something, but I was shivering. Not outwardly, the curse tends to suppress anything that could seep some sort of emotion out of me. But my throat tensed and my chest was in slight pain, as spasms shook my insides. Goosebumps then started to creep up my arms. They were little bumps that Lawliet tried to remove with his warmth. His warmth made my heart beat faster than usual.
I looked up at him and my sights lowered to his lips.
“Can I kiss you?” I asked. Lawliet stilled, and that hand that rubbed up and down my arm froze and his golden eyes widened. Lawliet turned to me, and he looked utterly bewildered. I felt the warmth turn into fire as the heat burned my cheeks and I knew that I was embarrassed. “Never mind,” I whispered.
I then tried to escape his embrace and hide under the covers and pretend that I was sleeping, but he was like stone. My efforts were useless, considering he still caged me in with his arms. But I needed away out. Again, I blurted out words that I desperately wanted to hold back. I don’t understand why my mouth keeps saying things that should be kept within my mind. I need to explain myself and make it out as if it was some sort of light humour. I hope he understands and doesn’t think that I was a creepy Highborn mage.
A soft and barely audible breath escaped my lips right when Lawliet leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. Golden eyes held firm as he stared at me while we kissed. They did not waver, and they didn’t have sadness with them or turned into melted gold. They looked at me like I have always wanted them to – With adoration.
I closed my eyes and succumbed to the kiss. I let his fiery breath fill my lungs and turn them into charcoal. My hand gently touched his cheek and glided through his soft, white hair. His arms wrapped around me more tightly until I was crushed up against him. Our chests pressed against each other, and our beating hearts clashed against our ribs. We both wanted to beat to the sound of each other’s drums.
“Eileen,” Lawliet then breathed after his lips tore away from me. “I really care for you. More than I have cared for anyone ever before. You are the first human that has looked at me in a way that I can’t… I can’t describe… but what if your idea doesn’t work out? When I turn eighteen, I will become a Guardian. If I get summoned…”
“You won’t be summoned,” I whispered. I bowed my head and let it rest underneath his chin. “You won’t be a Guardian. You will be a mage… my mage. All mine and only mine.”
“You’re so weird.”
Lawliet breathed a laugh. I felt his lips press against my curse and a wave of emotions flooded through me. I desperately wanted to wrap my arms around him more tightly and look up and firmly press my lips against his. I wanted to show him that I was also afraid of losing someone so important to me. Losing not only a friend but someone I consider me more than a friend. It frightens me, and as much as I want to show him with my body how much it scares me to lose him, I can’t. Not in the way that I want.
“What if the Organisation doesn’t listen?” Lawliet asked.
“Then, we will find another way. They can’t force you to be a Guardian. You’re human, too. You age, just like us.”
“How do you know that I age?”
“I am told that Guardian’s don’t have a beating heart. They just grow until they are at the age that they want to be.” I shuffled down and pressed my ear against his chest. I then closed my eyes and listened to the loud, irregular thumping of his heart. “Yours beats.”
“You’re too smart for your own good, Eileen.” His hand touched my hair and stroked downwards. “I don’t want to lose you,” Lawliet whispered.
“You won’t,” I whispered back.
Watched.
The cold, frosty wind chilled my skin. Forced awake by the stiff breeze, I opened my eyes and stared at the window. My arm moved across the silk sheets when I noticed that I was alone. I sat upright and looked around my room. Lawliet was gone, but in his place was a note. I pinched the end and with my thumbnail, curled around the edge of the paper and slipped it open.
Morning, Eileen.
I didn’t want to wake you. You looked content in your sleep. I went home to shower and change.
I will meet you at your door at seven-thirty.
L. Clarintine.
(P.S. Did you know you sleep with your eyes open?)
I could feel the heat burn my cheeks.
I don’t sleep with my eyes open… do I?
Unsure how to feel about Lawliet’s note, I rested the piece of paper on my bedside table and looked over at the clock. I had enough time to shower and dress before Lawliet arrives.
Once I had a shower, brushed my teeth and was dressed, I left the bathroom when I bumped into my brothers. They looked slightly suspicious as they moved into the bathroom. Nixon had an empty jar in his hands, which made me even more suspicious.
Silas was in the kitchen. He must have decided not to cook, which would be ver
y wise when there is no supervision. Instead, he leaned on the counter and glared down at paperwork that was before him. My older brother looked stressed. His brows were knitted together, and he stared at the documents like they were going to score themselves. They do look like homework sheets that students have filed out. I was then curious as to what seemed to be bothering him so much. I leaned over and my heart sunk, and I felt sick. “Your sister is a murderer.” Silas noticed I was beside him and quickly tried to hide the papers by sliding them under his arm, but the damage was done. I looked away and puffed my cheeks.
“Sorry, Eileen. I am going to go straight to Headmage with this and see what he should happen to that student,” Silas promised.
“It’s okay,” I murmured. “It’s nothing to worry about.”
“No. That’s unacceptable. I cannot condone that type of behaviour.”
When my brother is determined and adamant, there is no stopping him. His heart is in the right place, and it is lovely of him to try and prevent any sort of words like that coming back to me, but they still do. As much as I want to tell him that going to Headmage and making this more well-known will put fuel to the fire, I don’t want to worry my brother further. He must believe no one bullies me to my face and that everyone talks about me in secret behind my back and that I am oblivious. Silas is just trying to look out for me. Besides, aside from worrying about an older brother that is only trying to help, I should really worry about the real threat. Someone is trying to hurt me.
“Okay. Thank you, Silas.”
“Eileen!” Donte and Nixon shouted.
They came out of the bathroom and Nixon had a few strands of my hair in his hands. “I thought girls shed a lot more,” Nixon said, pouting.
“I did,” I answered. “But I then cut my hair.”
“Wait?” They both said. They looked utterly confused and bewildered. “You cut your hair?”
Silas sighed and picked the papers up. “I am surrounded by morons,” he said in a strained voice.
He placed the papers in his satchel bag, slung it over his shoulder and walked out of the apartment. I decided that it may also be wise if I do the same. The look in Donte and Nixon’s eyes makes me believe that they wanted privacy to conduct in their potion they so desperately wanted to create with my hair. So, I took hold of my bag and went to the door when I paused. Beside the door is where our boots are stacked on the shoe-rack. There, Donte’s, Nixon’s and Silas’s boots were gone because he left moments ago. Atop of the rack, one lone boot of mine was in the corner of the rack.
Sudden realisation flooded through. Last night, the wind howled and wailed in my ears. Such power and force ripped my boot from my foot, and the boot flew away from me and into the hurricane of wind that had such anger and intensity.
I only had one boot now, and mages rarely keep spares. One set of boots can last a mage a lifetime. Continuous repairs with magic and no mage needed to go through the hassle of creating their runes or another magical essence on their shoes ever again – unless they are me.
On my phone to order new shoes that should come by the end of today, I walked out of the apartment only wearing black socks. As I was about to order the new pair of shoes, I bumped into someone. I felt the heat and immediately knew who it would be before I even looked up. However, when I did, my heart fluttered when Lawliet raised his hand.
“You found it?” I said. Pinched between his thumb and finger was my boot. “Where?”
“Atop of the icy water.” He answered. “Lucky the water was frozen or else that boot would have sunk down, somewhere no one would ever find it.”
He was crazy. But it was also kind of him to go through all of that trouble. I wondered how I could ever repay him for finding my boot when one came to mind. I reached out and took hold of my boot. But I didn’t pull the boot away. Instead, I leaned up and kissed Lawliet on the cheek.
“Thank you.”
“Eileen, I don’t think we should show affection in public… or around anyone, for that matter,” Lawliet said, grimacing. When I didn’t say anything and stared at him blankly, he persisted. “You are a Highborn mage and could possibly be heir to Organisation. If you are found dating someone like me – worse than a Lowborn mage, what do you think the media would do to you? They will tear your life apart and destroy everything you care about.” Lawliet reached up. He wanted to touch me, his hands close to cupping my face when he sighed and stepped away. “I don’t want that to happen to you, Eileen.”
“We are dating?” I asked.
“Well… I assumed with last night and the… the kiss and the weird declaration that we were dating. Am I wrong?”
No, he wasn’t wrong. However, how sudden things progressed within a night, my mind seemed to be spiralling fast. It is lovely that he has confirmed what I had been thinking all this morning. We are exclusive, dating, my partner and or boyfriend. Either one sufficed for me.
“Okay,” I said. The smile I conjured in my head wanted to spread across my face at his words. Instead, I was this blank mask.
“I’m hungry. We should go down to the cafeteria,” I then said.
After I placed my boots on, we went down to the cafeteria. Because of what Lawliet had said upstairs, he didn’t stay at all. He took a bottle of water and a packet sandwich and went up the stairs to the tower. I wanted to take hold of the pancakes and chocolate milk and sit up at the tower and eat with him and talk, the problem was, Charlie called me over to where her, Spencer, Lollie and Kent sat and ate. I decided to stay so that no mage questioned further why I spend so much time with Lawliet.
Charlie was particularly bouncy this morning. She must have had some mage coffee for she was very much alive today.
I listened and ate while she talked adamantly on how there will be no sport because the wind is howling outside. Almost everyone was relieved at the thought of no sports. After that topic, they spoke about going shopping this weekend once again, but for cute swimsuits.
I have never been swimming. Not entirely sure how I feel about having swimming to replace running outside. But then I thought of the pros to swimming inside and in the heated pools than freezing out in the snow. There were a lot – Way much more positives than negatives.
The first two classes went on without a hitch, and I think it was because Rebecca wasn’t in today. I assume that she may be sick – which was terrific news for me. No one in my classes is as daring when Rebecca isn’t around. They don’t bother me as much – or at all, for that matter. I keep to myself, and they do the same.
I went up the same stairs that I usually do go up every recess. I see the same things: the same spider on the wall, in the corner, around the bend of the staircase that led upwards. Its blue back was shiny, like metallic and it had its black legs stretched out. There was a mouse hole at the top of the staircase. Some days I would see a small nose and whiskers twitching as it sniffed the air. But whenever I grow too close, the mouse ducks its head back into the darkness of its hole and out of sight.
Lawliet was not where I assumed that he would be. Instead, he was at the blackboard. He seemed to be concentrating very hard on what he was doing. His brows were furrowed, creating a crinkle between his eyebrows and his jaw tensed, showing off those angular features.
On the board, there were various types of rune designs and drawings of staffs. In the middle, a white chalk line drew down and cut the drawings in half. Atop one side in big letters was written, “Students, or weak adults”, and on the other side it stated, “Teachers.”
Highly curious as to what Lawliet was doing, I stepped forward and folded my arms across my chest.
“Morning,” I murmured. Lawliet turned away from the board when he heard my voice.
He put down the chalk and then dusted his hands. Clouds of white dust puffed in the air. There was a tickle in the back of my throat when I inhaled the dust. A prick that didn’t want to go away. I desperately wanted to sneeze, but that would be too much emotion for my curse to handle.
I scratched my nose with one hand and pointed to the board with my other. “What is that for?” I asked.
Lawliet stepped back and away from the chalkboard and by my side. I could feel his presence. Heat radiated off of him so naturally: an aura of warmth that surrounded him. It felt like standing in a fire without being burnt.
“This, Eileen, is going to tell us who exactly is going to hurt you,” Lawliet declared. “It has to be a student or a teacher at this Academy. There’s no way that a mage in Sorcerer City will, that will be too risky. So, either a student that is a top of their classes in runes. I don’t think someone could design a crystal for that level of magic. Or, it could be a teacher at this Academy as well.”
Lawliet walked over to the chalkboard and touched the wind element rune in the student’s category. “This is the strongest rune a student can create before they can gain a staff. After that, it can be amplified. The runes underneath that can also be as strong as the wind the night before because it was windy. They can manipulate the natural wind to mingle with theirs. But you told me that you felt that wind before in the woods behind the oval and it felt just as strong and wrong.”
He crossed out the ones underneath and then went over to the other side that highlighted teachers. Lawliet drew a circle around the staff. Grains of chalk trickled down the board and littered the floor.
Emotionless (The Emotionless Book 1) Page 27