And maybe because I stop suddenly, someone bumps into me. I turn around and see it is Mathew. I falter slightly, and he grabs me around my hips and waist. It is for show, because we both know I wasn't going to fall. I feel his fingers slip into the back pocket of my denims. Slyly. My eyes widen just as he does it. His eyes are screaming for me to understand and not create a scene. I give an almost imperceptible nod. He exhales slightly, moves back and continues on his way. The five guys outside follow him.
Are they gonna hurt him? Oh damn! He is like us.. He remembers!
I have always let my feelings guide me. And right now, I don't feel any dread or urgency. As I turn around and look after Mathew, I decide he must be safe.
I start to move towards Vince and my eyes land on Victory trying to tilt Vince’s face towards her.
God. What is she? 15?
I look at Vince and find his eyes screaming fury. Jaw locked tight, looking after Mathew. When he sees me looking at him his gaze softens slightly.
I let my eyes move to Victory who is giving me death glares now.
Wait… isn't she not supposed to do this? Or does she always do this? I have never found Vince outside my class before. But then I hadn't been looking.
Confusion must be clear on my face and my faltering steps, because Vince snaps out of whatever fury or thoughts he is in, shoving Victory aside. He strides towards me and pulls me in his arms. My head reaches his shoulders. His one hand cups the back of my head and another circles my waist. Putting his face to my hair, he takes a deep breath in.
“You okay? What happened?” he asks
I pull away, because this is way too intimate.
“How is Victory doing this?” I whisper.
“She is a part of the Lust sect. Don't mind her. She has always fancied me and now they seem to have some bet going on. I don't know why. Let's go.. We're going home?”
Lust God.
Sects
Time God kidnapped.
For a moment I had forgotten about all of that, standing here in his arms.
“Yeah. Let’s go. Can we take the longer route?”
Remembering my back pocket, I casually slip my hands in it and feel a folded piece of paper. Excitement bubbles up inside me.
“Come on,” I tell Vince and start walking the way Mathew had gone.
“Vince! I am waiting to talk to you.” I turn around and find Victory shooting daggers at me, again.
“I am leaving. I don't want to talk to you Victory. You are wasting your time.”
He starts moving towards me. But she pulls her top down showing her ample cleavage and smirks at me. Lightening fast she holds Vince’s hand and forces him to pivot around.
“Come on babe. Let’s go and play strip football,” she smirks at him.
I know I shouldn't feel anything, I know I should laugh it off. But something murderous is taking hold of me and I don't like this feeling at all.
I want to go and rip her hands off Vince and kiss him and show everyone that he is mine.
What. The. Actual. Fuck.
I rapidly blink my eyes and look at them and find Vince harshly telling her off. But it doesn’t affect her. Instead, she pulls him down forcefully and latches her lips to his.
Oh God! I think I am going to throw up.
What the fuck in all the realms is happening to me!?
I turn around and start walking alone towards the exit Mathew had taken. Students are all around me, so moving is slow. Some part of me hopes that Vince will shove her and come with me in seconds. But as I turn the corner and Vince still hasn’t caught up to me, I try and shake this weird sensation off.
Don’t fucking get caught up.
Just as I am to come out in the parking lot, I hear a muffled voice and what feels like a body hitting the ground.
Senses alert, I creep forward and peep from behind the wall.
Mathew is on the ground. Blood dripping from his nose.
His eyes land on me and widens. The five guys have their back to me and don't notice his movements or eyes.
“Where is it?” one of the five ask.
Mathew subtly shakes his head and motions for me to leave.
“Where is it, asshole! We know you know!” Another one says.
One of them bends down to pull Mathew to his feet and I catch a glimpse of a tattoo, or a design on the guy's wrist. In his other hand is a dagger, shimmering in the sunlight. Its hilt is artistic and studded with gems. But what moves me out of the hiding place is the blue tip on the dagger.
Something is not right.
Without even thinking I am moving towards them. I am thinking on the fly and decide that going ahead with shock and surprise is the best and safest bet right now. I unbutton my shirt’s top two buttons and fluff my hair. Being a bimbo. Nobody takes a bimbo seriously.
“What are you all doing? Oh my God, is that blood? Is that a dagger in your hand…” I heave my chest and bring faux terror in my eyes. Putting one hand on my mouth, I almost scream. “Oh my God… I am going to call the cops, you psychos. Let him go…. Oh my God, Oh my God, oh my God..” I repeat unnecessarily, while fumbling for my phone.
The five guys look at each other and at me.
But they give a final warning glare to Mathew, shove him towards me and run outside.
I hold out my hand for Mathew and catch him.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he hisses as soon as the five are out of sight. “Dont ever do stupid shit like that again..”
“They could have killed you. Their dagger wasn’t a normal one, right?”
“Maybe so. But you are you and you just painted a target on your back. Have you looked at it yet?” he asks, jerking his chin towards my denims.
“No. I will. I promise. Now, is your home safe for you to go, or do you want to come with me?”
He takes a step back. “I am not coming with you. Go back to your place and read that. It is important.”
“Wait. Mathew. You are bleeding.”
He gives me a smile. “I will come to you but now is not the time. Read that. I will see you soon.”
“Mathew! Please be safe! Wait, take my number…..”
He hugs me and says, “I will be safe Kazi. My sword and life is yours. Thank you for saving me. I will meet you soon.”
“Ada!” I hear Vince’s shout from behind me.
But my mind is on the word Mathew uttered. Kazi.
I have this urge to go with him, but I cannot. One minute, he is running away. And then, he isn’t. One minute here, and now gone. Poof.
I look around and find no trace of him. Maybe that is why he was confident that he would be safe. As if by magic, he can just vanish.
Magic! Powers. The guys. Their powers were blocked.
Baby girl we all have powers, magic. Dad’s words come gushing.
“Ada! Bloody hell. I had asked you to stay with me! What the fuck Ada!?” Vince seethes.
I turn around to face him, still bewildered at what just happened. “Did you see that? You have to tell me about the magic thing. Mathew said-” I am stopped by Vince digging his fingers into my arms and shaking me. He is trembling with anger. For what?
“What the fuck! You ran away? Despite my telling you specifically to stay with me!” he roars. Literally, roars.
He is angry at me? What is he? On hallucinogens?
“Vince, not the important point. Did you se-”
He shakes me, again. “Why the fuck could you not wait!” he seethes. “You just walked away!”
I see red.
“Oh I am sorry.. Was I supposed to wait for you to finish making out with Victory? What am I? A wall?”
“What? No.. I didn't make out with her. I was telling her off..”
“For twenty fucking minutes?” I ask him, angry and furious. That it took him this much time to come find me. Some protector he proved to be.
“Are you seriously jealous right now Ada?” he asks indignantly.
“At one point I thought I was. But I am not.
I have more important things and people to think about.”
“And Mathew is one of them?” he says, digging his fingers even more.
In practised movements I shove him off me. “Listen to me Vincent and listen bloody fucking well. You were busy. I didn't feel needed. And so I left. And on the way I found some things, and encountered some people.” The colour drains from his face. “I was more than excited to share it all with you. But after seeing how you are behaving, I am not so inclined. Consider yourself warned Vincent,” I emphasise and step towards him. “If you ever, again, raise your voice at me and tell me that I am at fucking fault for not waiting on you, or to even think that you could in your wildest dreams order me, then think a trillion fucking times again.”
“That is not how a team works..”
“And how does a team work exactly Vince? Huh? By giving into lust and expecting the world to stop moving around them? Guess what, Einstein? The world has stopped moving. So please go and enjoy a good summer siesta with the Lust team over there, and leave me the fuck alone.”
With that I turn around and start jogging outside. No cabs. I remember. So I continue running.
“Ada! What the hell..!?”
I turn around to look at him. Whatever is on my face must be enough to warn him. He stops abruptly and his eyes widen. “If you follow me, it won't be my father who guts you.” I am shaking with anger. How the fuck dare he! I point a finger at him and say, “Stay away, do not fucking follow me, and leave me the fuck alone!” I shout at him, pivot around and start running.
I am furious that I am clueless about so much, that Mathew almost endangered his life to get something to me, and that Vince has the fucking audacity to tell me that I should have waited on him.
And I also know that I need to calm the fuck down before I run into someone else. So I run to the one place I know to be my sanctuary. My home.
Chapter 18
Vince
What the fuck!?
I think for the millionth time as I unfreeze from the spot where Ada had pinned me with her stare. Quite literally. A hand closes around my wrist and I recoil.
It is Victory. And everything that Ada said comes back to me. It took me twenty minutes to shove Vicky off me? What could have happened to Ada in this time? My stomach twists just thinking about it.
“Enough! I told you I am not interested. If your fucking bet just cost me the one woman I crave, then know this Victory, I will make life a living hell for you!”
I push her away from me and start running in the direction I’d seen Ada go. She’s on foot. She won’t call a cab.
I make a mad dash for my car and get in. As soon as I start driving, my phone starts ringing.
Enzo.
Oh God not now. Fuck, fuck, fuck. He will lose his shit.
I hit the steering wheel with all my might and drive out. Trying to look for Ada.
Somewhere I will find her. Her beautiful raven hair and haunting body will be here somewhere, I keep telling myself.
Enzo calls again and I know I have to take this
“Yeah?” I speak.
“You guys on your way home?” he asks. Agitated.
What is he agitated about?
“No. Not straight away, have to do something-”
“Vince, what do you have to do? Get back home now. You know Ada’s safety is paramount. We cannot have her out just like that.” He sounds so worried that my stomach twists again.
“I am looking for Ada.”
Silence. Fuck.
‘What did you say?”
“I am looking for Ada.” It is a whisper but he hears it.
“WHAT?” he roars over the phone.
“Calm down. She took off running and and I am in my car catching up with her-”
“What the fuck do you mean she took off running!? Where the fuck were you?”
“Enzo, I am looking for her, I need to find her and you shouting in my ears isn’t helping.”
“Where the fuck were you.” That one question makes me almost hit the brakes. Almost. Not a question. Not shouting. Delivered in the exact way like Pa does. Cold, furious and raging.
“I was trying to ward off Victory,” I tell him resignedly.
“Are you telling me that while the most precious thing in all our lives was under your protection, you let yourself get distracted by someone and let her run away?”
Cold. Furious. Raging.
Fuck!
“I didn’t let her get away. She felt she was too important to wait for me.”
“She is too important to wait while you make out with someone.”
“Enzo, I need to focus on looking for her. I am keeping the phone-”
“You are coming back home. Lexie is stepping out to find Ada.”
Indignation sweeps through me in spades.
“What the fuck Enzo? I said I would look for her and I-”
“You failed Vince. You failed to keep her safe, and with you. I don't care what other titles are given to her. I don't care about her prowess, about her background, about anything. She is Ada. My Ada. Our Ada. The little girl who saved us all those years ago just as we were running out of food. The one who saved Lexie from going into her shell. And you let her run away in this dangerous time. In front of the Lust people. Get. Back. Home. And pray like hell that none of the Lust guys got to her.”
I hadn't even thought of that. For the second time in my life, I am sweating and panicking.
“You have fifteen minutes.” With that he disconnects.
I realise I am parked on the side of the road. And it feels like everything is slipping from my fingers. My brother’s support. My sense of self. And Ada. My Ada.
FUCK!
====
Enzo
“Lexie! I am coming with you!” I call out running after her.
She is fuming. And rightly so.
“If anything happens to her, I swear Voldey, your brother will have to face me and my powers!” She slams the car door.
I get in the passenger seat and curse myself again for not putting one of our tracking softwares in her phone.
“Before you, he will have to face me,” I tell her. She sees the rage on my face because the next moment her hand clasps my shoulder and gives it a squeeze.
As we drive out the gate, she asks “so how are we doing it? We cannot track her technologically,” she says referring to what I was thinking.
“Then we use our technology..”
She nods. Connecting my phone to the car bluetooth I dial Ryan, all the while cursing Vince. What the fuck was he even thinking? If anything happens to Ada, I swear I will … I dont know what I will do. But -
“Yeah,” Ryan says.
“I need you to see Ada.”
Silence.
“Ry?”
“What do you mean? Ask Vince. I don’t think she would appreciate it if I tried to see her. She doesn't even know about all this yet,” he says.
I take a deep breath while rubbing my face. “Ada ran off somewhere. Vince got busy with Victory. I don’t know the whole story but Lexie and I are out looking for her.”
“Vince did what? Is he a fucking moron?”
I could hear agitated pacing over the speaker.
“Ry, listen to me. We can all freak out later. We know that she can take care of herself. But first we need to see if she is okay. Can you see her?”
“Yeah. Will you be on line? Or shall I call you back?”
“We will be online,” Lexie says, gritting her teeth.
“Okay. Hang on.”
We both wait for him while Lexie drives out towards the Uni. The tinted windows of our car helps keep the prying and curious eyes away.
Lexie and I maintain the silence, lest we disturb Ry. After five minutes of waiting and driving, Lexie gives me a worried look.
I show her two fingers, motioning to wait for two minutes. Hopefully he will give us something concrete after that time.
Before the two minutes are over,
Ry comes back, “I cannot.”
“What do you mean?” My heart is hammering with the possibility that there is something or someone that he couldn't see.
“I cannot. I cannot access her. Nothing exists. Fuck!” he screams, frustrated and dejected.
“Can you try seeing if the birds or others saw something? Which way she went? If any cabbie saw her, anything at all?”
“What do you think I am a kid? Of course I tried. I cannot!”
This is worrying. “What do you mean, Ry? The birds and the animals can show you things they see, right? You can access them. So wh-”
“Are you fucking deaf Enzo!?” Ryan roars. So sudden is his anger that Lexie almost jerks the car away from the road. “I know what I can and cannot do. Her magic is still blocked. So technically, even if she is more powerful than me I should be able to see her before that. But I cannot. The animals absolutely refused to give me a glimpse. It's the first time they have refused me…. FUCK!”
“Ry, calm down. We'll see what we can do. Let me check with Ash, in case he can help….”
“I am going to go look for her. Maybe someone saw something … I will check.”
“Ry, stay inside brother. If you haven't heard from us in the next hour then go out. But for now, stay inside please.”
Nobody has forgotten what had happened a few months back. He is still recovering. And for his sake, I hope we can find Ada soon.
Without even saying bye or anything, he disconnects. And this too is the first time he has done that.
“So what do we do? Where do we go?” Lexie asks, tears in her eyes.
“We will find her. Let’s go towards the college and from there we will see.”
Just then her phone rings and she takes it out of her back pocket.
“It's Ada!” she exclaims, turning her bluetooth on.
“Babe, where are you?” she asks urgently.
I have disconnected my phone from the car bluetooth and hers automatically gets connected.
“Hey. Lex, I am not with Vince. I have come home. Don’t worry about me, if you were wondering or worrying,” Ada’s sweet voice says.
“Why would we not be worried? And why did you run away? Enzo and I are out looking for you.”
Circle of Time: An urban fantasy (The Kazi Chronicles Book 1) Page 9