The Defender (The Elkavians Book 1)

by S. H. Magillian

  “Could you please stand up?” she asked firmly. Ethan was confused, but he did as she asked. Her eyes went from his eyes to his lips and back to his eyes. Her right hand softly touched the nape of his neck. She knew all eyes were on them. Margaret was probably about to have a heart attack. Alexis bit her lower lips. Ethan reacted by putting his hand on her waist. There was so much passion in his eyes that Alexis could not think of anyone else. She was about to ask him to kiss her when he leaned in and kissed her gently, but passionately right in front of the whole school. All she wanted was for him to know that she was his.

  Mia turned around to look at Samil. She expected to see hate in his eyes, but there wasn't any. He seemed to be expecting that kiss to happen. He looked down for a brief moment as if he were analyzing his options. Noticing that Mia was observing him, he looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. There was a devilish smile on his lips that intrigued her.

  “I guess it’s kissing time,” he said maliciously. He stood up and stretched his hand to Margaret. She held his hand without even blinking. He pulled her close and gave her the best kiss she had ever gotten. His kiss was filled with lust and control. She felt submissive to him, willingly submissive. He kissed her for long enough for Alexis to see it. Margaret was breathless. Samil smiled. He enjoyed having that effect on women. He was satisfied to see that Alexis was bothered. Ethan would have to work really hard if he wanted to keep her. Samil smiled at that thought. Ethan was doomed to fail.

  Ethan held Alexis’s hand. “Let’s go,” he said warmly. “Am I your boyfriend now?” he beamed.

  She held his hand more tightly. “Yes,” she smiled. She gave Mia a shy glance. She knew she was being judged by her. After all, she had kissed Ethan in a full cafeteria. Alexis was relieved to get back to class. No one would talk to her then, and that was all she needed. Some quiet time to think about what she was going to do next.

  “I’m sleeping over tonight,” said Mia as she sat at the desk in front of Alexis.

  “Not tonight, Mia. My mom wants to talk to me. I guess it’s about Morgan. Tomorrow, okay?” She hoped that was not a complete lie. Anna probably wanted to talk to her about something, anything. That would ease the guilt of having lied to Mia. Samil walked into the classroom with Margaret. They were holding hands. Margaret spent the rest of the day gazing at Samil which disgusted Alexis. She closed her eyes for a short while. She had to figure out what was going on inside her. Alexis's phone vibrated. It was a message from Samil. She felt butterflies in her stomach.

  “Not a pleasant feeling, is it? I know how you feel.”

  Alexis was completely taken by anger. He was playing with her feelings. He was mocking her. She was furious. When she thought things couldn't get any worse, she heard a noise and screams.

  “Alexis,” said Ethan cautiously. “Look at me.”

  “What happened?”

  “See for yourself,” he pointed at the windows. Alexis turned and saw the window glasses destroyed. Thousands of small shards of glass covered part of the floor.

  “Is anyone hurt?” She couldn’t believe she had done that, not under those circumstances. Her phone vibrated again.

  “No,” said Ethan calmly. “What happened?” he whispered.

  “I don’t know,” she lied. If she continued lying like that, she would eventually get lost in her lies. She checked her phone. It was Samil again.

  “Strong feelings, strong reactions.”

  She closed her hands in anger. She needed to calm herself down, so she hugged Ethan to feel his smell, the smoothness of his skin, the heat of his body. She couldn’t lose control again. She could have hurt someone. She tried to understand why unlike what had happened when Ethan had hurt her feelings, this time she hadn’t attacked the source of her emotional distress, she had channeled her rage into something else. What if Samil was right and her feelings for him were stronger than she imagined? She shook her head trying to send that thought away. It was not possible that she had for him stronger feelings than she had for Ethan. It was not even possible that she had any feelings at all for Samil. Something was clouding her judgment, she knew it. Maybe Samil was playing tricks with her mind. That was probably it. Perhaps that was why Denise had told her he couldn’t be trusted. He had already played with reality when he altered the way she saw him at her place. He was most likely doing the same with her feelings. “Kiss me,” she whispered to Ethan. She needed him to make her forget everything else. He quickly but gently kissed her lips.

  “I guess there will be no more classes today. I’ll take you home,” he said worriedly. Something had triggered Alexis's offensive skills. He needed to know what.

  Alexis looked around trying to find Mia. “I’m here,” said Mia frightened.

  “Are you okay?” Alexis asked.

  “Yes… What happened, Al? Is this a coincidence?” Mia felt powerless and stupid. She had spent a huge part of the morning thinking that she could do something to help Alexis fight her enemies. She thought that together they were strong. She was wrong. There was nothing she could do to keep them safe from magical creatures. She was just an ordinary person. And that thought made her realize that if those beings were after Alexis that could mean only one thing. Alexis was more like them than like her.

  “It probably is,” Alexis lied again. She had lost track of how many times she had told untruths that day.

  Mia stared at Alexis; she didn’t recognize her. She was lying to her face again. “I don’t know who you are anymore,” she said sadly. Alexis frowned. She had no idea where that came from. “I know you are lying, Al. You are like them. You deceive,” she said bitterly.

  “Mia…”

  “Go home with your boyfriend. You deserve whatever is in store for you,” she said resentfully before leaving the classroom.

  Alexis was devastated. Mia was the only friend she had, and she didn’t want to lose her. She was going after Mia, but Ethan held her.

  “Give her some time. You need to go home, Al,” he said kindly.

  “Stop telling me what I must do,” she rejoined.

  “Al, please. We don’t want another incident.” She stopped walking. He was right. She was clearly out of control. He held her hand. “Let’s go,” he said sweetly. He hated seeing her suffer. As they walked out of school, he noticed that Alexis glanced at Samil. He would have to get rid of him.

  Alexis felt her phone vibrate. She knew it was Samil, so she didn’t check it. She didn’t say a word on her way home. Neither did Ethan. He seemed worried. He parked in front of her house. “What happened, Al? What stirred your emotions like that?” he asked curiously.

  “I don’t know… I… I didn’t even realize what I was doing…” She was again hiding things from him and that made her feel terrible. Unable to face him, she looked down. A tear fell.

  “It’s okay, Al.” He wiped her eyes. “You’ll learn how to control your abilities,” he reassured. “We need to spend more time together so that we can train.”

  “Soon. I need some time,” she murmured.

  “I know. Do I get to see you again today?”

  “I don’t think so,” she opened the door.

  “Maybe… just maybe… I could stop by your room to give you a goodnight kiss,” he gave a lopsided smile.

  “I’ll text you,” she said smiling back at him. She left the car hoping that Anna hadn't seen them. She didn’t look back. Inside she was a mess. All the things that bothered her in the past seemed so small at that moment. Her mother was already home; her car was in the garage. “I’m home,” she said emotionlessly.

  “I’m on my way down!” Anna shouted.

  Alexis got her phone. Now that she was calmer, she was eager to know what Samil had texted her.

  “He cannot give you what you want.”

  She had to hold back her tears. How could Samil know what she wanted? How could she feel so hollow after reading that text? She couldn’t understand what side of her connected to Samil so badly to allow him to have such
an impact on her. Maybe it was just the frustration of not getting any answers from Ethan that made her feel that way.

  “How was school?” asked Anna gleefully.

  “Uh… it was interesting, I guess.”

  Anna was surprised at Alexis’s lack of enthusiasm. She had left home so confident that her day would be awesome that Anna was frustrated to see that school hadn’t met her expectations for the day. “What happened, dear?” she asked sweetly.

  “I… I… I’m…” she snorted. It was hard to share when she had to leave out most of the story, but there was no one better to help her than her mother. “How is what you feel for Morgan different from what you felt for dad?”

  Anna was disconcerted by the question. “Why are you asking me that, Al?”

  “I’ve met someone. Two boys actually, and I’m a little confused,” said Alexis sincerely.

  “Oh, I see. Come here,” she walked to the living room and sat on the couch. “Ok…hmm… I’m not sure I’ll be able to put it in words, but I’ll try, so bear with me.” Anna pondered. She had never compared her feelings for both men before. “Scott was my safe haven. It was a calm and peaceful love. He… he was a lover, a friend, a protector. And Morgan is like a tempest in my heart. A good one,” she smiled. “Everything is intense, and sometimes I am afraid I won’t be able to control myself, and I’ll do something impulsive because he makes it impossible for me to keep both feet on the ground. When we’re together, it’s a different kind of peace. It’s the peace of knowing that I’m with the love of my life.”

  “But don’t you feel safe with him?” asked Alexis, intrigued.

  “I do, but I also feel challenged.” She took a deep breath. “It’s hard to explain. With your father, I felt protected, comfortable where I was. Morgan makes me want to go to different places, try different things. It’s different.”

  “I understand,” said Alexis lost in thought.

  “Was that helpful?” asked Anna curiously.

  “I’m not sure, but thanks, mom. I need to take a shower.” She gave her mother a kiss and went to her room. She couldn’t take her mind off Samil. She could easily relate her mother’s feelings for Scott to her feelings for Ethan, and she desperately hoped that whatever it was that she was feeling for Samil had no similarity with what her mother felt for Morgan. She took a shower, lay down on her bed, got her phone and read Samil’s messages over and over. She had to put her feelings aside and focus on what mattered, knowing more about her father, the amulet, and her enemies. Ethan seemed more concerned about their romance than about any of those. She was going to text Samil, but she gave up. She feared that being around him would lead her to find out that she desired him. Maybe she should stay away from him and find another way of getting the answers she wanted. She could insist with Denise. Alexis heard the doorbell. It was probably Morgan. She didn’t know he would have dinner with them. She was not sure she was ready to spend time with him.

  “Al!” Anna shouted. “It’s for you.”

  At first, Alexis thought it could be Mia, but her mother would tell Mia to go up. She wouldn’t call her. Alexis jumped out of bed. It had to be Ethan. What could he possibly be doing there? “I’m on my way.” She had to change. She was already wearing her pajamas. “Damn it,” she sputtered. She looked at herself in the mirror and combed her hair. Well, Ethan would see her messy eventually. She opened her door and started going down the stairs only to complete freeze in the middle of it, her eyes fixed on the front door.

  “I invited him in, but he is in a hurry,” said Anna raising her eyebrows in a jokingly way as if amused by the situation.

  “Thanks, mom,” said Alexis in a low voice. Alexis left the house and walked to the yard. “What are you doing here?” she asked sharply.

  “I want to give you the answers you seek, Alexis. And I wanted to see you,” said Samil gently, his eyes glued to hers.

  “I don’t know what you want with me, Sam, but whatever it is, there’s one thing I can assure you, you’re not getting it,” she said harshly.

  “We both know that’s not true,” he said seriously. He gave a step forward getting closer to her. She wanted to walk back home, but her legs didn’t obey her. They wanted to stay. “Here. This is for you.” He was holding a book with an old black cover.

  “What is that?” she asked curiously.

  “You’ll find that out for yourself,” he said firmly. “Take it,” he insisted. She hesitated. “Wow… that hurt. No trust whatsoever. Fair enough. Good luck getting the answers you want from your boyfriend,” he said sarcastically. He turned his back and smiled. He silently counted as he started walking, “one, two, three…”

  “Wait!” she said desperately. “I’ll take it.” He didn’t turn around; he simply raised the book to the level of his shoulders. She walked to him and got it.

  “Enjoy.”

  She didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say. She had no idea what he had just given her. She walked back home, tightly holding the book in her hands. She had completely lost her appetite, so she hoped that Morgan would stop by to have dinner with her mother. That would give her more time to take a look at the book. She wondered where Ethan was. He wouldn’t allow Samil to knock on her door if he were there. The truth was that she was glad he wasn’t. When she got in, Anna was anxiously waiting for her.

  “Who was that?” she asked excitedly, eager for answers.

  “Samil. He’s new at school,” said Alexis calmly.

  “Wow. He’s something,” said Anna lightly.

  Alexis smiled. “He is.”

  “Lucky girl,” said Anna jokingly.

  “Mom, stop it,” she said feeling bothered. That was certainly far from being how Alexis felt, lucky. She was cursed, that’s what all that was. “Is Morgan coming over for dinner?” she asked.

  “No. I thought we could have dinner and spend some time together. What do you say?” asked Anna enthusiastically.

  Alexis didn’t want to frustrate her mother’s plans. The book would have to wait. “I’d love that, mom. Let me just leave the book in my room. I’ll be right back.” She ran up the stairs. There was time for a quick look at the first page, at least. It was a diary, but whose? She snorted. She didn’t have time to discover that at that moment. She put the book under her pillow and went down the stairs. The food smelled great.

  “I’ve prepared your favorite. Lasagna!” beamed Anna.

  Alexis tried to show some excitement, “Please, let’s eat now!” Anna opened the oven and got a beautiful lasagna. Alexis’s appetite was back. She could eat everything and have a milkshake for dessert afterward. They sat at the table and savored the most delicious lasagna Anna had ever made. They superficially talked about school, Adam, Denise, and Anna’s work. Alexis ate more than she should, she was stuffed. She doubted she would be able to move in the next couple of hours.

  “Al, there’s something else I’d like to talk to you about,” said Anna, serious.

  “Yes?” Alexis was disappointed to know just by the look on her mom’s face that the moment of relaxation was over. She spotted some serious talk ahead.

  “We have been ignoring what happened and I don’t think that’s healthy,” said Anna calmly.

  Alexis wished she had had the opportunity of ignoring the most recent events of her life, but that was not true. Fortunately, her mom didn’t know any of what was going on. So, she had reasons to be worried. “I’m fine, mom. I understand that we could talk a little about it, but there’s no need. I’m fine,” she reassured.

  “Al, you were attacked. He’s out there, and we’re living our lives as if we were safe.”

  “I haven’t done anything on my own, mom. There’s always someone with me, Adam, Mia, Denise, you. I’ve been taking care of myself.” Alexis didn't want to engage in a more profound conversation, or she would have to lie more than she already had.

  “I know, dear. I know. I’m concerned about your safety, that’s all. I’m also worried about your feeling
s.”

  “Mom, I’m fine. Being attacked was the worst experience I’ve ever had in my life, and sometimes, I still catch myself reliving it in my head, but I… I found a way of coping with it. You have nothing to worry about,” she did the only thing she could, she insisted.

  “You know I’m here for you, right? You can talk to me about anything and everything, Al.” Anna had the unsettling feeling that Alexis was not a hundred percent honest with her, but she didn't want to force her to share things she'd rather keep to herself.

  “I know, mom. And that is one of the things I love the most,” she said sweetly. She had to make a huge effort to stand up, walk to Anna and give her a hug. She wished she had eaten a little bit less.

  “Movie?” asked Anna trying to break the tension.

  “Yep,” she smiled. She hoped Anna had believed her. She didn’t want her to worry about her too much. That would take away some of her happiness, and that was not something Alexis wanted. They sat on the couch, stretched their legs on the center table and relaxed. Alexis hadn’t realized how tired she was until that moment. In less than ten minutes, she was already sleeping. Anna kissed Alexis’s forehead and let her sleep.

  X

  Samil walked down the street. He was satisfied that Alexis had gotten the diary. She deserved to know more about the amulet and the Elkavians, and he was happy to be the one to provide her that.

  “Well, well, well. These streets aren’t as safe as they were a few days ago,” said Phillip sarcastically.