The Defender (The Elkavians Book 1)

by S. H. Magillian

“That’s a very limiting way of thinking, Denise, and I won’t take it. I’ll try with all my forces to put an end to this. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, or what I have to sacrifice to achieve it. One thing is for sure; it ends with me one way or another,” she said firmly.

  Denise was going to counterpose wish and reality, but it was to her advantage that Alexis was determined to free herself from her duties. She didn’t say anything. She knew that was the moment she had been waiting for. The moment to guide Alexis to do what Dorians needed her to do. “There is a way.” Denise could feel Alexis’s eyes on her. “Destroy the amulet and with it the bond that connects you to it. Free yourself.” Denise could feel the tension arise.

  “And what would be your interest in that?” asked Alexis sharply. She felt her trust in Denise vanish. Ethan had already told her that the amulet held great power, so destroying it sounded reckless.

  “I’m sorry, Al. I don’t get why you’d think that I’m taking advantage here. I’m your friend. I was your father’s friend, and I know he didn’t want any of this neither for him nor for you, but if you believe my advice is mischievous, I think you should leave.” Denise knew she was risking everything that mattered to her by telling Alexis to go. However, she could not be quiet after being accused of being ill-intentioned.

  Alexis reflected on what to do. Walking away didn’t seem to be a clever option. Neither did staying. The fact that Denise had a picture with her father didn’t mean they were friends. Despite that, being cold-blooded and trying to deal with the situation in a more concealed way seemed to be a better course of action than leaving. “I apologize.” Denise slightly nodded. “Why is everyone after the amulet?”

  “Who’s everyone?” she asked curiously.

  “Uh… I mean, I was attacked at the park, then Ethan showed up, then you…”

  “I’m not after the amulet and I doubt Ethan is. I’m here because you became the last Elkavian alive and I knew your father would want me to help you,” she said kindly.

  “How can you help me, Denise?” Alexis asked, intrigued. All she’d got up to that moment was a lot of talking, but nothing practical. Nothing besides what Ethan had done to unleash her skills.

  “I can help you understand yourself better, Al.” Denise gave special thought to her next words. “Give me your hand.”

  Alexis smiled. It was ridiculous how many times she had been asked for her hand in the past twenty-four hours. She stretched it to Denise. She wondered what would happen that time. Her hand had already taken her to a hidden place in her mind; it had been a phonebook for Samil; she had no idea of what else could be done with it.

  Denise touched the palm of Alexis’s left hand with the tip of her fingers. A golden line appeared on Alexis’s palm. Denise quickly let go of Alexis’s hand. Something had startled her. She was paperwhite.

  “What is it?” asked Alexis worriedly.

  “When did you meet him?” Denise’s voice trembled.

  “Ethan?” Alexis was confused.

  “Samil,” murmured Denise as if she were afraid someone might hear them. Alexis didn’t answer. It was too creepy that Denise discovered that she had met Samil just by touching her hand. She felt vulnerable and completely exposed. She was no longer allowed to have secrets. “Alexis, he cannot be trusted. Do you hear me?” There was urgency in Denise’s voice. “Stay away from him.”

  Alexis was quiet. If Denise wanted to scare her, she had succeeded. She had also made her even more curious about Samil. One thing was for sure, Ethan could not know she had met him. Based on Denise's reaction, Alexis could only believe that Ethan would freak out if he found out that she had talked to Samil.

  “Alexis?” asked Denise sounding more serious than ever before.

  “It’s okay, D. I should get going. I need to get things ready for school tomorrow,” she lied. She wanted to text Samil as soon as possible, albeit that was probably not the wisest thing to do. Curiosity consumed her.

  “Oh, sure. Al,” Denise grabbed her hand, “please, if you don’t believe me, ask Ethan about Samil. He’ll tell you to be careful as well. I’m sure.” Denise was about to beg Alexis to stay away from Samil. If there were someone who could ruin everything that person was Samil. However, she was eager to be alone so that she could call Phillip. Therefore, she let Alexis leave without saying anything else. Phillip would have to get rid of Samil before he gave Alexis too much information.

  “I’ll be fine. Thanks for the warning. I appreciate it.” Alexis walked to the door. “See you tomorrow after class.” She opened the door and left. The minute she got to the sidewalk, she got her phone and started texting. “Can we meet?” she typed, but she didn’t send. Maybe she should wait until she developed her skills a bit more, so she could defend herself if needed. She deleted the text and walked home. She had a lot to think about.

  Denise was about to get the phone to call Phillip when he walked in. “How was it?” he asked nicely.

  “Samil is here,” she said, her voice full of despair. Phillip got a knife. “No! Not in my house. Damn it. In town. He’s in town,” she hissed.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. She has met him, Phil. We gotta do something.”

  “I’m on it.” He walked to her and touched her shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him,” he said gently.

  “Now,” she said angrily. He understood her concern. They shared the same opinion about Samil. Even though he knew that tracking Samil down was nearly impossible, he had to try. He stroked Denise's shoulder and left.

  Alexis was glad to arrive home and read Anna’s message saying that she had gone to the movies with Morgan. It was great to be alone for a while. Not for long though. She got her phone and texted Ethan inviting him over. She wanted to work on her skills. She needed them to be fully in control of her life, to decide her next move with confidence. Besides that, she wanted to see Ethan. She craved him. She went to the kitchen and waited. Luckily, it wouldn’t take him long to arrive. In less than two minutes, Ethan knocked on the door. She opened it and kept her eyes fixed on his. It was a relief to attest that it was indeed Ethan who stood in front of her and not Samil.

  “Come on in,” she smiled. “We’re alone.” She held his hand and took him to her bedroom. There they would be safe in case her mother arrived earlier than expected. She locked the door. Ethan was surprised at her enthusiasm. Her eyes went back and forth from his eyes to his lips. “I think we should finish what we started last night,” she said sensually.

  Ethan was bewildered. He expected to see Alexis worried, not lascivious. He was uncertain whether she was talking about continuing training or talking about their feelings, though the second seemed more likely. At least that’s what he wanted to believe, so he would behave as he pleased. He put his left hand on her waist, his right hand on the back of her neck and pulled her close. “We must,” he whispered. He leaned in and gently kissed her lips.

  Alexis thought her heart would jump out of her chest any second. She felt her body tremble as he kissed her. There was more desire running through her veins than she ever thought possible. She would definitely have to control herself not to rush into things.

  Ethan opened his eyes and caressed her hair. “Al,” he murmured. “I can call you Al now, right?” he joked.

  “Not yet. Only when you become my boyfriend,” she giggled.

  “I’m counting the days.” He gave her the sexy lopsided smile she loved so much.

  “Now, back to work.” She was no longer smiling. She could not lose focus. Even though she wanted to spend days, weeks, months, perhaps even years, kissing Ethan, there were more important things to take care of at that moment. “I have to be trained,” she stated.

  “Can kissing be part of the training?” he asked salaciously.

  “I don’t think so. It can be a way of ending the day, I guess,” she winked.

  “Well, okay. So, let’s try something easy. How about breaking your lamp?”

  “Are
you kidding me?” she asked incredulously. He shook his head. “By the way, how’s your wrist?”

  “Uh, almost healed.”

  “I don’t want to know how that’s possible. Where were you last night when I texted you?” she asked curiously. The fact that Ethan hadn’t shown up, but Samil had, gave Alexis only two possibilities: either they were working together to drive her crazy, or Samil had found a way of keeping Ethan away from her so that he could approach.

  “Something came up. Uh, did anything happen? Did you need anything?”

  “You… but you were absent. I had to deal with a huge amount of frustration for a while,” she said, lighthearted.

  He walked to her. “It won’t happen again.” He got her into his arms and kissed her passionately. When Alexis realized, her hands were already under his shirt caressing his back, feeling the smoothness of his skin. She bit his lips. “We won’t practice your skills like this,” he whispered as he bit her earlobe.

  “Right,” she said as she escaped from his arms. “That lamp?” she pointed to the lamp by the window. He nodded. Alexis gave a quick look at it, and they both watched it shred into pieces.

  “That was quick,” he said surprised. Her power was more latent than what he would consider normal for someone who had no idea of what she could do. And certainly much more under control than expected. “Fix it,” he ordered. Alexis simply looked at it, and there the lamp was, back to the place it had always been.

  “You seem surprised, but not in a good way. Didn’t I just do what you asked me?” she was intrigued by the look on his face. She was proud of herself, and she expected him to be proud as well.

  “You did. I… I…” he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how she would react, so he tried to find the right words. “I thought you would need more time, that’s all. Let’s try something harder.”

  “Shh,” she hissed. “My mom is back.”

  “Wow, that’s early.”

  “I know.” Alexis pulled him by his shirt and kissed him. “See you tomorrow.” She bit his lips driving him crazy.

  “Not tonight?” he asked disappointedly.

  “Nope. I have to get things ready for tomorrow, and we don’t want to take any risks, do we? If my mother sees you here, I’ll never be able to date you. Now, go.” She opened the window. Ethan was frustrated. He deeply wanted to see her later that day.

  Denise was a bit anxious to see Adam. He was always so complimentary and polite. She could use some niceness in her life. All that she had at that moment were worries and fears. Adam arrived on time, not even a minute late. When Denise opened the door, she felt his perfume invading her house.

  “Good evening, Denise. You look gorgeous,” he said sweetly. Denise was a fine woman, and Adam felt profoundly attracted to her.

  “Thanks.” She couldn’t help blushing. She felt a bit childish. “Come on in. Let me show you the house.”

  “I’m glad Alexis helped you find a place. Although I must admit that I miss having you at the institution,” he said warmly.

  “I miss being there as well. I love the house, but I feel lonely sometimes.” She didn’t want to tell Adam, but since Jack died, she felt lonely almost all the time.

  “It is a great house, Denise. You can call me when you feel lonely. I’ll pick you up. You know there’s always something to do in the institution. I can also keep you company here if you don’t feel like going there.”

  “Thanks, Adam. That’s very sweet of you,” she said gently. “Please, have a seat,” she said showing the dinner table.

  “Let me help you, D.” Adam went to the kitchen and got the silverware that was on the kitchen island. “Why don’t you have a seat and let me take care of that?”

  “Adam…” Denise was not used to being pampered.

  “I insist. Let me be a gentleman,” he smiled. She chuckled. Adam set the table. He was intrigued that Denise seemed to be following his every move with her eyes as if she could see him. He sat opposite her. “The food smells delicious. Did you cook?”

  “Oh, you wish. Although Martha’s food is delicious, I am a better cook. Maybe one day, who knows?” She smiled.

  “Sure. I can help you with that,” said Adam nicely. He wanted to make sure she understood that he would like to spend more time with her.

  She had to bite her tongue not to ask him what else he could help her with. “I’d appreciate that and so would you, I’m sure,” she smiled sensually. Dinner went better than she had predicted. They were both flirtatious and witty. They had a very similar sense of humor which made dinner light and funny. They talked about Grasslin, their childhood, places they had already visited. She was comfortable enough to talk about her past love experiences, and so was he. She was surprised to know that Adam was a romantic man. His stories were full of passion and emotion, and that made her sad. If she ever engaged in a relationship with him, all he would get would be trouble and darkness. The smiled on her face became faint. She could not give him any hopes. She didn’t want to hurt him.

  “Denise?” he asked worriedly. She had gotten too quiet. He wondered if he had said anything stupid.

  “I’m sorry, Adam. I’m a little tired,” she said flatly.

  “Well, it’s late. I’d better get going. Let me just help you with the dishes.” He left the table and took the dishes to the kitchen.

  Denise could sense that he was slightly disappointed, but she had already destroyed Jack’s life when she thought she could have a normal relationship. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again. It was better to be disappointed than dead. Adam didn't know, but he was winning. She went to the kitchen. "Thanks," she said emotionlessly.

  “No problem. Thank you for having me over. I had a great time,” he said calmly. He walked to her. She was standing by the kitchen island, her dark hair falling on her left shoulder leaving the right side of her neck uncovered. The red dress she was wearing incited lust. He wanted to make a move, but she didn’t seem to be open for that, even though her body language said the opposite. “Have a good night, Denise.” He passed by her and walked to the front door. She followed him. He didn’t want the evening to end like that. “Maybe we could do something together tomorrow. What do you think?”

  She knew that that was her chance to make clear that she didn’t want to engage in a relationship with him. All she had to do was to say no, but she couldn’t. Deep inside she wanted to spend more time with him. He made her feel good. The inner conflict was so huge that she couldn’t say a word. She kept looking ahead, her mouth slightly open as if she were about to say something.

  “Okay, maybe not,” he said sadly. “Uh… see you around, I guess.” He opened the door and left.

  She was heartbroken. She couldn’t let him leave like that. He didn’t deserve to be treated that way. “Adam, wait,” she said quickly. “I’d love to do something together,” she gave a brief pause, “tomorrow.”

  He smiled. Whatever was troubling her, he would try his best to make it go away. She was worth it. “I’ll pick you up at nine if you’re free in the morning.”

  “I am,” she beamed. “See you tomorrow.” She closed the door. Spending more time with him was reckless, she knew it. She thought of Phillip. She wished they could spend some time together as she had just done with Adam. A noise in the back door startled her.

  “It’s me,” said Phillip coldly.

  “Phillip… What are you doing here? Did you find Samil?”

  “No,” he said sharply. “What are you doing?” he asked harshly.

  “Excuse me?” she knew what he was asking about, but she hoped he would change his mind and leave it alone.

  “You’re not a fool, Denise. You know what I’m talking about. What was he doing here?” Phillip was furious. He couldn't believe that despite everything that was going on, Denise had time to flirt with a stranger. He felt betrayed.

  “We had dinner. That’s all,” she said apologetically.

  “You had dinner… Are you…” he w
anted to finish the sentence, but words didn’t come out. He remembered the day they had dinner together and how he was forced to sacrifice any future with her for the sake of the ones they loved. “Are you in love with him?” he asked apprehensively.

  She got close to him and touched his chest. “Would it bother you if I were?”

  “There is no room for romance, Denise. You should know that by now.” He could see that his words hurt her like a sharp blade penetrating her skin. He caressed her hair. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.

  There were many things she would like to tell him, but she knew none of them would make him reconsider the decision he had made in the past. “You don’t care, Phil.” A tear ran down her face.

  “I do care. I care more than you will ever know,” he said firmly.

  “I hope you realize those are empty words.” She pushed him. “They mean nothing just like I mean nothing to you.” The scars of his indifference were too deep. “My love life does not concern you,” she shouted. “And I don’t want you walking into my house without my permission. Now leave,” she hissed.

  He obeyed. He left without saying anything else. He knew that words could not change what he had done, but he couldn’t give her actions to prove her that what he felt was real. He would have to come to terms with the possibility of her falling in love with someone else.

  IX

  Alexis woke up more excited to go to school than she ever considered possible. She had high hopes Ethan would be there and that soon they would be dating. She smiled at that thought. She got dressed and went to the kitchen. Anna was already awake.

  “Good morning,” said Alexis excitedly.

  “Wow. I don’t remember seeing you this excited to go to school ever before,” said Anna intrigued.

  “I have the feeling that today is going to be a great day!”

  “Hopefully,” Anna beamed.

  “Where’s Morgan?” As soon as she finished the question, she realized that she shouldn’t have asked.

  Anna blushed. She thought Alexis didn’t know that Morgan had spent the night there. They had made no noise. “He went to work.” She could not even control herself not to smile. Being with him brought her a kind of happiness and fulfillment that had been unknown to her until that moment. “I made pancakes,” she said trying to change the subject. She watched Alexis get some pancakes and put syrup on top of them. She wanted to ask how Alexis was feeling about the attack, but she didn’t want to spoil the moment. It had only been a week, but it seemed like a distant event in their past. They didn’t talk about it anymore. They pretended it hadn’t happened and that concerned Anna. She doubted that not talking about it was the best way to deal with it. She decided that she would try to talk to Alexis about it later that day.