The Defender (The Elkavians Book 1)

by S. H. Magillian

  Alexis finished eating, brushed her teeth, got her backpack and was on her way to rush Anna when she heard the sound of a horn. She ran to the door and saw Mia waving like a lunatic to her. “My mom lent me her car,” she shouted.

  “Mom! I’m going to school with Mia,” Alexis yelled.

  “What?” Anna was confused.

  “She’s got her mom’s car. I’m going with her, okay?” Alexis was impatient. She wanted to leave, not to explain every tiny detail of the cosmos.

  “Okay. See you later. Be careful.” It was a good thing that Alexis could go to school with Mia. That would give Anna a few more minutes to rest; she was exhausted. She hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night.

  Alexis ran to the car and jumped in. “I can’t believe your mother lent you her car!” The fact that Alicia had lent her car just reinforced Alexis's expectations of having a fantastic day.

  “Me neither! How cool is that?” Mia was euphoric.

  “Today is going to be awesome.” Alexis was confident that only good things would happen that day. She didn’t want to think about her father, the amulet, or anything else. She was determined to have the best day possible. Nothing and no one would get in her way.

  Mia and Alexis talked about their weekend on their way to school. Alexis left few things out because she didn’t want to worry Mia, and she didn’t want to get herself into all that madness of Elkavians and secrets. So, she only talked about the fun parts. Not that there had been many.

  When they got into the classroom, Alexis searched for Ethan. She was disappointed not to find him. She sat behind Mia and got her phone. She was about to text him when he walked into the classroom. Her heart skipped a beat when he looked at her. She didn’t know what to say or do. He was amazingly handsome. He walked in her direction, his eyes fixed on hers, and sat at the desk beside her.

  Mia quickly got her phone. “OMG. There’s a god in class, and he totally checked you out.”

  Alexis felt her phone vibrate. She quickly checked it. She needed something to do besides being there livid almost having a heart attack. She was extremely happy Ethan had done as she suggested and enrolled in school. She smiled at Mia’s message. Ethan was a god; she agreed. His kiss was certainly divine. Alexis bit her lips. She could kiss him at that very same moment without any hesitation. She looked at him and smiled. He smiled back. Everything was perfect until a pink blur got between them.

  “Hi, I’m Margaret,” said Margaret with her annoying pitchy voice.

  “I’m Ethan,” he said politely.

  “Ethan,” she repeated as if that made her his owner. “Wouldn’t you like to sit in the first row? It is easier to pay attention to class, and I can introduce you to the rest of the class,” she smiled.

  “I’ll stay here. Thanks,” he said gently.

  “All right. Uh, I can introduce you to some of your classmates at lunch break. If you want, of course.” Margaret was not used to getting no for an answer. She was uncomfortable having to beg for someone’s attention.

  He could tell that Alexis was not pleased with the situation. He noticed that Margaret had utterly ignored Alexis presence and that had bothered him as well. He couldn’t be an outcast though, and he didn’t want to make any enemies unless he really had to. Going to high school again was definitely not on his bucket list, but as he was there, he would try to make it a good experience. “That’d be nice,” he said flatly.

  “See you at lunch,” she beamed.

  Alexis looked at Ethan and raised her eyebrows. She couldn’t believe that he was going to spend lunchtime with Margaret. It would undoubtedly be the first and the last time. She would make sure that didn’t happen again. Out of nowhere, Mia slapped Alexis’s left leg. When she looked ahead, she saw a new student walking into the classroom. He immediately acknowledged Alexis. His eyes looked familiar to her. She would know if they had met before. He was too gorgeous for her to forget. Brown hair, green eyes, tall, and a devilish smile. A chill ran down her spine. Samil. She looked down. It was him. He was there in her class. She could barely breathe. He sat in the front row beside Margaret who seemed as happy as a clam at high tide having two new targets on a day. Luckily, she would go for Samil once he seemed more open to the kind of person she was. He was already smiling at her and for some reason that displeased Alexis. She looked at Ethan. He didn’t seem happy either. He was tense, and there was a look in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. It was hate.

  Samil glanced at Alexis. He was sure she had recognized him. He was pleased he had made an impression. He could feel Ethan staring at him. Ethan had good reasons to be unhappy with his presence. He was going to make things a lot harder for him. But later, for the moment, he was having too much fun with all the futility coming out of Margaret’s mouth.

  Margaret had no idea where Samil had come from, but one thing was for sure, he would be hers. He had the most magnetic smile she had ever seen. Together they would be the most popular couple in the history of Grasslin. She considered dismissing Ethan, but it would be great if she had both of them interested in her.

  Classes went well as usual, not for Ethan though. He didn’t relax not even for a second. Samil, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying everything little thing that happened. He had even burst into laughter when the Chemistry teacher made a joke. He had such a nice laugh that it made Alexis beam making Ethan even angrier.

  Alexis hoped that Margaret would forget about Ethan and focus on Samil during lunch, but things went in a completely different direction. Ethan left the classroom without saying a word to Alexis. He went after Margaret and Samil. Alexis was shocked; if he continued like that, he would have to date someone else. The last thing she needed was for her potential boyfriend to ignore her just like everyone else did. Everyone, but Mia.

  “What is going on?” asked Mia feeling excited and a bit confused. “His name is Ethan, seriously?” Seeing that Alexis was paying no attention whatsoever to her, Mia grabbed her arm, “Al, look at me. Is that him?”

  The way Mia stared at Alexis was intimidating. “Yes,” she murmured.

  “Gosh… Could he be any more handsome? Gosh. He made me wish I had been attacked too,” said Mia amusingly.

  Alexis couldn’t help laughing. “Mia!”

  “What?!” she laughed. “Come on!” She looked into Alexis’s eyes. “Now, tell me. Are you into him?” Alexis didn’t answer. “That’s a yes. Okey dokey. I’m going for Samil, then.” Mia was taken aback by the sudden change in Alexis’s expression. “You can’t have them all, Al,” she said jokingly, but Alexis didn’t smile. “Do you know him? Are they both here because of you? What is going on?”

  “I hope you realize that’s a bunch of questions. Can we go one at a time? I don’t even remember everything you asked,” she said harshly.

  “Oh, you’re mad. I know why you’re mad. You don’t wanna talk about it. You don’t wanna tell me.” Mia was upset. She wondered if she would always have to argue with Alexis to find out what was happening.

  “That’s not it,” Alexis lied. “I…,” she snorted. “Yes, I know him. I don’t know if Samil is here because of me, but I suppose he is. And I have no idea of what is going on. Apparently, they are at war, and I am caught in the middle of it.”

  “So, they are enemies?” Mia had a bad feeling. Things were getting more complicated, and they were both completely unprepared for whatever was about to come.

  “So, it seems,” Alexis didn’t want that conversation to last one more second. She didn’t want Mia to get involved in any of it. Maybe she should have thought it through a bit more before suggesting that Ethan enrolled in school. Now it would be impossible to keep Mia away from all that madness. “Let’s have lunch,” said Alexis flatly.

  Ethan approached Margaret and Samil. “Hey, Margaret,” he said sweetly.

  “Ethan, hi!” she tried to sound surprised. “Let me introduce you to Samil. He’s new here just like you.”

  “Nice to meet you, Ethan,” said Sa
mil sarcastically.

  Ethan didn’t reply leaving Margaret to assume that the two boys were already fighting for her. “What about having lunch?” she said cheerfully. “I’ll introduce you two to some of my friends.”

  “That would be lovely,” said Samil. He smiled at her; there was so much lust in his eyes that Margaret could barely breathe. She felt her cheeks hot, and for a few seconds, she couldn’t even move. “After you,” he said. The fact that she seemed completely lost in him gave Samil a wicked pleasure. Margaret started walking. Both Samil and Ethan followed her.

  “What are you doing here?” Ethan hissed.

  “The same as you,” Samil said calmly. “Going after the girl,” he worded ambiguously.

  Ethan closed his hand. He wished he could attack Samil, but there were too many people looking at them. He now knew who had attacked him, and he was pretty sure Samil had already talked to Alexis. Why else would Samil attack him near Alexis’s house if not to talk to her? She had kept it a secret and that was driving Ethan crazy. He turned around and started walking his way back to the classroom. Mia and Alexis were going down the hallway, walking in his direction.

  “Can I talk to you?” he asked sharply, ignoring Mia’s presence. He doubted she didn’t know who he was. And if she didn’t, Alexis could explain herself later. He couldn’t care less.

  “Sure,” said Alexis, her voice trembled a bit. He was furious. “I’ll meet you in a few,” she said to Mia.

  “I’m Mia,” she looked at Ethan.

  “Nice to meet you, Mia. I’m Ethan,” he tried to be polite.

  “I know who you are,” she said bitterly. She didn’t like the way he had spoken to Alexis. “You’d better watch yourself, Al. Appearances can be misleading.”

  “Uh…,” Alexis was surprised at Mia’s behavior. She was not used to seeing her confronting other people. “I will,” said Alexis. Mia didn’t deviate her eyes from Ethan’s.

  Ethan quickly looked at Alexis, then at the classroom door. Alexis understood the message. She slowly started walking to the classroom. For the first time since they had first talked, Alexis feared him. There was a cold and enraged look in his eyes. His expression was deformed by anger. She walked into the classroom, but she stayed by the door. She had to consider the possibility that running would be necessary. “Is there anything you would like to tell me?” he asked between his teeth. She was quiet. “Are you hiding anything from me?” She remained quiet. “I’m not playing games here, Alexis,” he growled; his hands closed into a fist.

  She knew she had to say something as quickly as possible if she wanted to avoid having to share everything with him. She didn’t trust that Ethan that was standing right in front of her; that Ethan seemed to be ready to hurt her if needed. “I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time dealing with your behavior right now. Are you going to hit me?” she asked indignantly.

  “What?! Of course not.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Anger had blinded him, and he had conveyed things aggressively. That was not him. He had to control himself. “Al,” he said kindly. “I’d never hurt you. Please, don’t ever say that again.” He caressed her face. “I’m worried, that’s all.” They were both silent. “We cannot have secrets; do you hear me? Lack of communication between us only makes us weak and our enemies stronger,” he said seriously.

  “Ethan, I don’t even know who our enemies are or why they are our enemies. I know nothing,” she said dispiritedly.

  He hesitated. He knew she was right, yet he feared she wouldn’t be able to handle knowing the complete truth. At least, not so soon. He needed to buy some time. “We’ll talk about this later.”

  “You said the same about my father, but I’ve got nothing yet. Why do you seem to be hiding things from me?” she asked defiantly.

  “It’s for your protection, Al,” he said gently.

  “So, ignorance is going to protect me? Is that it?” she asked acidly. She was tired of getting scattered pieces of information from different sources. Someone would have to give her more than that. Unfortunately, she doubted that person would be Ethan or Denise. They both seemed to tell her just what was convenient for them.

  “That’s not what I said. I… I think there’s a right time for everything and this is not it. Right now, I need to know if there’s anything you’d like to tell me,” he insisted.

  “Is there anything you would like to tell me?” she asked firmly. She wouldn't give him what he wanted if he was not willing to answer her questions.

  “Al, please, don’t do this,” he begged. “We need to trust each other.”

  She pondered. She was pretty sure he already knew what she was going to say and that was why he was insisting so much. There was no reason to hide it then. “Samil went to my house,” she said bluntly.

  Ethan's face was contorted in a mixture of pain and rage. He swallowed hard. “What did he want?”

  “He wanted to tell me he could give me the answers you wouldn’t. Can he, Ethan?” she raised her eyebrows.

  “No,” he said firmly. “He can’t give you anything but lies and deception. Do you hear me, Al? Stay away from him.”

  Alexis wondered what was wrong with her. The more she was told to stay away from Samil, the more she wanted to talk to him. “I got it,” she said trying to sound fearful.

  “Are you done?” asked Mia storming into the classroom. “This is taking too long. Lunch will be over, and I’m starving.” She got Alexis’s hand. “We gotta go.” She dragged Alexis out of the classroom to the cafeteria.

  “Mia,” Alexis complained.

  “Seriously, Al. This is wrong. Can’t you see how he’s trying to control you?” she asked harshly.

  “He isn’t. He was angry. That was all,” said Alexis justifying Ethan's behavior.

  “How much do you know? Tell me!” she demanded. “Because I’m guessing you know almost as little as I know. It is reckless to fall for him, Al,” said Mia, reprimanding.

  “I couldn’t help it,” she said shyly.

  “I get it. He is a god: handsome, attractive, he smells great, he saved you, but that doesn’t mean he can be trusted. Who was the man he killed? Do you know? Why was Ethan there when you were attacked? Why was he after you? What is he doing?” Alexis didn’t answer. “You don’t know! As far as I’m concerned, Ethan could be your enemy and you wouldn’t know.” Mia took a deep breath. “We need another source.”

  Alexis was convinced that the other source would be Samil. She would talk to him. If both Denise and Ethan thought he was not trustworthy, maybe he was willing to tell her something neither of them would. She had made her mind. She would take her chances.

  When Mia and Alexis got into the cafeteria, Alexis saw Samil at a table with Margaret and her friends. He seemed to be having a good time. He acknowledged Alexis quite quickly and gave her a conspiratorial wink followed by a smile. She smiled back.

  “For Christ’s sake, Al,” said Mia reprimanding her.

  “What? Don’t you want another source? There it is.” Alexis sat at a table two rows down from Margaret’s. She could feel Samil’s eyes on her. She felt powerful, in control.

  “Are you serious?” Mia asked incredulously.

  “Do you have any other idea?” asked Alexis challengingly.

  “No,” murmured Mia.

  Alexis got her phone. “Meet me after lunch.” She looked at him and pressed send.

  Samil felt his phone vibrate. A huge smile lightened his face. “I don’t know if I should skip class on my very first day. Never thought you would be a bad influence.”

  “After class then, Mr. ‘A’ student.”

  He couldn’t help laughing. Margaret stared at him. “I got a funny text,” he explained himself.

  “Girlfriend?” she asked curiously.

  “I haven’t gotten one yet,” he kept his eyes fixed on hers until she looked away. He had to admit that school was way more fun than he had imagined.

  “Ethan is watching you,” said Mia t
o Alexis. “Why am I under the impression that he doesn’t like Samil very much?”

  “He doesn’t, and that is exactly why Samil going to be our source.” Alexis was confident that she was making a wise decision.

  “I see. Not that I think any of this is prudent, but I guess we don’t have any other choice. I’ll go with you.”

  “No,” said Alexis firmly. She didn’t want Mia with her. She wanted to have the opportunity to filter the information that Mia would get. Seeing that Mia immediately raised her eyebrows, Alexis continued, “He may not say everything he would like to tell me if you are with me. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

  “Alexis…”

  “Trust me, Mia," she asked.

  Mia just shook her head. There were more things going on than she thought would be acceptable at that point. She would have to find a way of knowing more about who those people were and what they wanted. It was crystal clear that Alexis wouldn’t be the one giving her that information. She was quite selective about what she was sharing and even though Mia believed that all Alexis wanted was to protect her, she felt left out.

  The fact that Ethan spent the entire lunchtime paying attention to Alexis's every move made Alexis uncomfortable. Samil glanced at her every now and then, and although she wanted to return the glances, she couldn’t do so because of Ethan. Therefore, she tried to keep her eyes on Mia during lunch. Unfortunately, Mia was not very cooperative and didn’t say much the whole time making it quite hard for Alexis to focus only on her. Getting distracted was inevitable. She looked at Samil; he was staring at her. When their eyes met, he gave her a sweet smile that melted her heart. Damn it, she thought. She looked at Ethan who was two tables to her left. She could tell by the expression on his face that he had noticed the impact of Samil’s smile on her. She left her table and walked to him. For a moment, she didn’t care whether he was telling her everything or not. She just didn’t want to hurt him.