"Oh, is Mom here?"
"No. She's busy, but she'll come as soon as she can." The door opened and we were finally free to go. I let out a breath of relief, wiping beads of sweat off my forehead. This had been close.
Chapter 04
"That was insane!" Michael whispered to me as we were being led to our rooms through nicely ornamented halls with rich red carpet. This building was actually more like an expensive hotel than anything else. I kind of liked that.
"Tell me about it." I still wasn't exactly sure why my father was okay with me dating Michael. Ok, I wasn't really dating him anymore, but my father didn't know that. But his hatred for magic disease carriers seemed so strong that I wasn't sure why he approved of me dating someone with another element. Maybe it was because Michael's element was pure, but how was he sure Michael and I wouldn't have our own kids who might as well develop the disease, even if the chances were low? Or maybe, the little voice at the back of my mind was saying, he just knew his daughter so well that he was sure she'd only do something stupid if he told her not to do it.
"Miss Milanez, your room." The black-haired servant in his mid-twenties dressed in a black suit opened the door to one room, motioning for me to go inside.
"I guess I'll see you later." I waved at Michael and went inside, snatching the room keycard out of the servant's outstretched hand.
"Unfortunately," Michael muttered under his breath and let the servant lead him down the hall. Of course, my father didn't want our rooms to be too close. I firmly closed the door behind me, locked it and threw myself onto the huge double bed with white covers. Ugh, I was starting to hate white, but damn, the bed was so soft that I immediately closed my eyes and sighed. I could sleep forever on this. But there was no time for that. I sat up and looked around me.
This room was as twice as big as my room back at the university. The walls were some pale yellow color with golden ornaments. There was a large plasma TV on the wall and a bunch of devices underneath it, probably a DVD player, a radio and things like that. A huge soft beige closet with a mirror covering most part of it was on my left, near the door which must be leading into the bathroom. Wait, the TV! I had to see what the news were saying, if they were saying anything, about Adrian! If only I could find the damn remote.
I finally spotted it on the nightstand and grabbed it, trying to find the right button. It took me a few moments to find a news channel. The reporter was talking about the death of some, apparently famous, politician, but I had no idea who the guy was, so I started reading what was on the news bar. Pretty soon I got bored because there was absolutely nothing that mentioned Adrian. And I was sure Adrian was famous enough to get into the news. Besides, when the police was hunting a magic disease carrier it was their way to report it to the news so the world could see who they were looking for.
I chewed on my lip, thinking what all of this could possibly mean. Alan had said the police was looking for Adrian, yet there had been no police going after his car or greeting me here except the usual Council's guards. And the police didn't offer a bounty for Adrian's head... which meant there was no police involved in this at all! Who knew if there had actually been a murder as Alan had claimed? Of course he had lied, but that meant my father and his men were looking for Adrian, and probably didn't want him dead, or this story would have made the press for sure.
Were they after him now because Adrian and I had been near the Pandora's Box? But my father would have asked me about it already if he suspected something. No, that couldn't be it. Wait, Alan had been so happy to find out Adrian had a sub-element, and right after that... this all mess had started. That was it! Alan had been happy not because of Adrian, but because he had had a reason to contact the Council and my father to tell them about it. He had known they would want Adrian back! That calculated, irritating bastard! He had sold Adrian out just like I'd thought.
And he had most likely carefully planned it, so that was why he had drugged me and threatened to shoot Adrian and me. I should have known he wouldn't really shoot me. Besides... My mobile phone rang, startling me. It was Paula. In my shock at the way my father had treated me and the search for something about Adrian I had totally forgotten about her. What a good friend I was!
"It's safe for you to come," I said, wondering if there was some kind of an eavesdropping device hidden somewhere in the room. It wouldn't really surprise me. Gee, I was becoming as paranoid as my brother, or maybe I was just getting smart. Yeah, right.
"Ok, tell me how to get there," Paula said, her voice strained. I gave her the directions as accurately as I could.
"Just call me if you get lost."
"Sure, thanks. Hey, I've been listening to the radio, and no one mentions Adrian at all. That's weird if they are really looking for him."
"I know. There's nothing on the news either. I have a theory about that, but I'm not talking about it over the phone," I whispered. "We'll talk when you get here."
"Ok. See you." She hung up, and I was left staring at my phone. To call my brother or not? Was it safe to call him from here? Well, I was about to find out. His phone rang for a few times and I was already thinking he wasn't going to pick up, when I heard his voice.
"Sis," he breathed. He must be covering his mouth or the phone with his hand.
"I found Dad," I said. "Not sure if it's safe to talk."
"It is. They do not bother listening in on their own, and our line is safe for now."
"Is Adrian still with you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even. If he had done something to hurt Adrian, our little chat wasn't going to be pleasant.
"Yeah, don't worry about him. I'll send him to you soon enough," Oliver said. "But listen, tonight is Dad's press conference. Be there with your boyfriend, the water guy. It's important they take a picture of the new president's daughter with her boyfriend."
"Ok," I said cautiously. "But how did you know when to take Adrian away from the university?"
"I overheard Alan when he was in the hall talking to someone over the phone about the police and everything. He thought he was alone."
"But the police isn't involved in this!" I hissed. "There's absolutely nothing on the news! No one is looking for Adrian, except maybe our dad's forces. And do you know what I think?"
"Tell me, little sis." Oliver sounded amused.
"Someone at the laboratory where Adrian was being held must have suspected he had a sub-element, but they couldn't make him use it in front of them to prove it. That might be why they let him go to the university... so he would snap, and either show the disease symptoms or the sub-element. After too much time had passed, Alan decided to act. And when he found out the truth, he immediately contacted our dad so they could get back to doing experiments on Adrian. Alan only needed to invent a story for us and other students if any questions were asked." I was nearly breathless when I finished talking. "Oliver, they might know some of us can keep an element!"
"Fuck!" He sounded upset. "But there is still a chance they don't know about people like us. They might think Adrian's case is an isolated one."
"I think that's why they want him back. Maybe they think he will lose the sub-element soon because of magic disease, so they want to observe him."
"Yeah, but they already know he has the symptoms of the disease. This is not good, Ria."
True, it wasn't good if you called me Ria and not sis, or something as annoying as that. "Do you think they'll assume this is just for sub-elements?" I didn't even want to imagine what a discovery that people with the disease could keep their elements would do to the world... and to me.
"I have no idea. But I don't want them looking for me again. Let's hope no one finds out about the Pandora's Box too soon, since you kids were stupid enough to get caught sniffing around," Oliver said disapprovingly.
"Well, how the hell were we supposed to know there was a freakin' tracker on the car?" I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see me. "I still don't know what Alan thinks we were doing there."
&nbs
p; "Things are getting complicated," Oliver said like it wasn't obvious.
"Umm, I wanted to ask you something. Why is Dad's organization called the Element Preservers? Didn't you call us element preservers?" I said. "Is that related somehow?"
"Actually, I decided to call people like us element preservers because that's what we are. We preserve the elements in our bodies, and not that stupid organization which makes people believe they are preserving elements by killing magic disease carriers and putting only people with pure elements in charge of everything," he said bitterly.
"So how exactly will it help that everyone sees I'm dating Michael?"
"Oh, you're asking too many questions, sis." Oliver chuckled. "You're even more annoying than your lover."
"Just tell me you didn't do something to him to shut him up," I said, exasperated.
"I may or may not have sent him into the world of unconsciousness."
"Oliver!"
"Relax, sis. He'll be fine."
"He better be."
"Aww, is my baby sister in love?" Oliver said in his sweetest, annoying voice. I considered telling him to shut up, but that would probably only amuse him more.
"So, do you have a plan?" I was sure he had one, but whether he would share it with me was highly questionable.
"Of course! But I have to go now. Byeeee."
Typical. He just hung up on me, so I didn't have to bother saying goodbye to him. But he had said that he'd send Adrian to me. I just didn't know how he could do that with all the security.
"Your dad actually did that?" Paula's eyes widened in disbelief when I finished retelling her how Michael and I had been received earlier today. She hadn't had any trouble finding this place, and after she had settled in her room, she had come to talk to me.
"Yep. It was scary. For a second there I thought he knew everything." I sighed. "I have no idea what would have happened if he really knew."
"So." Paula carefully inspected my face. "You do know where Adrian is."
"I... " There was no point in lying to her. "My brother has him, but I don't know where they are."
"Your brother?" Paula's eyebrows shot upward. "How did Adrian get involved with your brother?"
"Fate, I guess." I laughed, but stopped when I saw the look on Paula's face. "What?"
"I talked to Michael before I got here," she said, looking down at her hands in her lap. "He told me something... and I'm not sure whether it's true or you just told him that to push him away from you. I really thought you loved him. What happened?"
"If you mean what I told him about Adrian and me. Yeah, it's true." I so didn't want to have this conversation. Not now, not ever.
"But you can't just stop loving someone!" Paula looked up at me, her eyes filling with tears, but she was trying to push them back. She probably still loved Adrian, and I had no idea why. But then again, maybe I was just being a hypocrite.
"Well, no. I still care about Michael. I just realized that I didn't love him enough, not like he deserves. I tried to stay with him to see how I felt about everything, but that was only hurting him." I took a deep breath. "If I truly loved him, I guess I wouldn't have done what I did."
"Ria, it's all Adrian's fault, can't you see? He likes to do this! Tear people's lives into pieces! You'd be happy with Michael if it wasn't for him. I saw it too late, but you can still get away from Adrian. Can't you see what he's doing? He spent another night with you just because one wasn't enough to break you and Michael apart!" She was a little bit flustered as she finished speaking.
"What?" I stared at her in shock, but the worm of doubt was already finding its way into my mind. Damn it. What if she was right? "Why would he want to ruin my life? Even if he did break the hearts of many girls to get revenge for the way people treated him because of the disease, why would he do it to me? I have the disease too. It doesn't make sense."
"But you still have your old life because no one knows you have the disease."
"Look, if he wanted to really hurt me, he would have exposed me to the world." I crossed my arms in front of me. I was defending Adrian. Yeah, that was really messed up.
"Well, didn't he almost expose you? Everyone knows you slept with him, and even your dad suspected you might have the disease. Think about it, Ria. Don't make the same mistake that I did." Paula gave me a pleading look.
"Yeah, ok. Whatever. But I haven't confirmed Adrian's claims about him sleeping with me, and people might talk about it, yet no one can fully trust a magic disease carrier's story. Other girls practically bragged about sleeping with him, so everyone believed them since both the girls and Adrian affirmed it. And no one knows I broke up with Michael." I tried to give her a reassuring smile. "We have a bigger problem than Adrian. We actually have to find out what this Element Preservers is exactly and what they know about people like Adrian and me."
"I have a new theory about the disease, but I'll need more time to research everything." Her face brightened almost instantly. God, she really lived for her research. If even half of the scientists were as dedicated and as selfless as her, maybe we'd already have a cure for the damn disease.
"Wait, you haven't even completely seen all those papers and you already have an idea?" I grinned. "Perfect! If only we could find you a place where you can do the research."
"I know! That's the problem. Now I can't even go back to the university, let alone use the lab. Besides, the summer holidays are coming in two weeks. It's not like I'd have a reason to stay there anyway."
"Maybe I could ask my father to give you some sort of a summer job here. Then you might be able to find out what the scientists know."
"Umm, do you really think he'd do that for you?" She let the skepticism show in her voice.
"Sure! You have the best grades, you are interested in the field... and weren't they giving some sort of recognition to those who supported young scientists? It would certainly make my father look better in the press." I could already see the titles in the newspapers, and my father's wide grin in the pictures and his hand on Paula's shoulder. Yep, I could totally convince him to do this.
"Just I don't think they would let me anywhere near serious research. I'd probably be in some super-protected area far away from anything interesting."
"Well, that doesn't mean you can't get lost and end up... in a more interesting area." I innocently batted my eyelashes at her.
"Yeah, I could probably try that." The corners of Paula's lips went up.
"Now, let's leave business aside." I got up from the bed, barely containing myself from grinning at her in excitement. "Let's find a nice shop around here. We need some new dresses!"
"I haven't exactly seen any shops of that kind in this town." Paula frowned. "Actually, I haven't even seen a supermarket."
"Oh, don't worry. This town might seem like it's all business and research, but there is one huuuuuge mall just south from here. You couldn't have seen it since we came from the other side. What do you think would politicians' women do while their husbands and boyfriends are in meetings?"
"But some of the politicians are women, and not everyone likes shopping!" Paula shook her head at me in disapproval.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I shrugged. "So, will you or will you not come with me?"
"I will." She sighed. "But tell me something first."
"What?" I eyed her suspiciously. If she was going to ask me about Adrian again, I was going to freak out.
"Can we go in my car?" There was something in her blue-green eyes that made her look a few years older than she was; some strange wariness.
"Sure."
Chapter 05
"Maybe we shouldn't consider this only from the scientific point of view," Michael said. He was sitting on my bed next to Paula, trying hard not to wrinkle his black suit. We had only a few minutes before my father's press conference started, so we had gathered in my room to discuss what we should do.
"What else is there to consider?" I turned around to face him after I had finished applying
another layer of the red cherry lip gloss to my already dry lips.
"The old stories about God of Magic," he said, his warm green eyes meeting mine. I felt a rush of warmth spreading inside of me, and I quickly looked away. Yeah, he was still beyond gorgeous and I still remembered too well what it was like to kiss him.
"You can't be serious!" Paula actually laughed, tucking a curl of her beautiful blond hair behind her ear. She was wearing a long tight blue dress which accented the blue in her eyes just perfectly.
"But why would there be anything useful?" I frowned.
"Well, what if there was some truth in these stories?" Michael said, then glanced at Paula. "Maybe that is why we still can't find a cure."
"So you're saying that scientists are inventing things when they say it's all in our genetic code? Oh, please!" Paula actually looked offended. "I don't think we'd be having these weird mutations just because God of Magic decided to play with people again."
"No, I didn't mean it like that," Michael said, looking uncomfortable under Paula's angry glare. Yeah, Paula could actually look scary when she wanted it.
"Then what did you mean?" I said, smoothing my knee-length red dress, which had black stripes.
"Maybe if we compared those stories with the discoveries the scientists published to the world, we could actually find things that appear in them that are related to the hidden discoveries." Michael looked at me and then at Paula, almost like he was trying to get us to agree with him.
"I have no idea what you just said." I smiled, rubbing my neck where Adrian's necklace had been. I'd decided to take it off because it only seemed to unnerve people around me. Besides, there would be pictures of me everywhere after tonight. You never knew who could find them and recognize the necklace, no matter how unlikely that seemed.
"The story of God of Magic is the oldest, but only the one about him giving us elements. Other stories appeared later as a way to explain to people what was happening to them. What I'm trying to say is that there might be something we're not seeing in these stories. Something that was invented and mixed with the truth to stop people from asking questions."
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