“I’m glad you admit that your presence is a threat to this town,” Samil smiled.
“Witty as usual,” said Phillip bitterly.
“Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment. What can I do for you, Phil?”
“Leave,” said Phillip sharply.
“Not happening. Is there anything else?” Samil enjoyed seeing Phil unsure of his next move. He knew that his chances of winning a fight with Samil were low, so even though he wanted to strike, he stayed still. “Nothing? What a shame,” Samil made an upset face and started walking again.
Phil pondered. If Samil were not going to leave town, they would be better off getting his help. “We have a common enemy.”
“I’m listening,” Samil turned around to look at Phil.
“I suggest that we join forces to defeat him,” said Phil seriously. He couldn't screw things up. As it would probably be impossible to get Alexis to help them if Samil didn't want her to, Samil had to be convinced that things would be easier for him if they worked together.
“I don’t see how that would work, Phil. Please, enlighten me.” Samil frowned.
“The girl doesn’t trust you as we both could see. I have a friend who has some influence on her. I can get her to question Ethan's character. Since she’s lost, and she needs someone to rely on, she would eventually run to you." Phillip hoped he had wisely chosen his words.
“What do you want in return?” He was certain that such a great offer had to come with a high price.
“No interference from you in her decisions regarding the amulet,” said Phillip firmly.
“Hmm… and how would you make sure that I say nothing to influence her?” Samil was intrigued.
“Blood pact bonding us by magic. If you say anything related to the amulet, I’ll know it.”
Samil laughed out loud. That was the most absurd thing he had ever heard. “I don’t make blood pacts, Phil. You know that. Nice try though.”
“We’ll make sure she sees you as the devil you are, Sam. Trust me, she won’t be able to look at you without feeling disgusted.”
Samil ran to Phillip and hit him hard enough to throw him a few meters away.
“Killing me won’t change that. I’m not alone in this,” said Phil as he got up. He hated that Samil was that powerful. He wished he could crush him like an ant.
Samil closed his hands. He would break every single bone of that Oren. There was a killer look in Samil’s eyes. Phillip tried to get into his head, but it was useless. His mind was impenetrable. “You need us,” said Phil trying to sound calm despite his fear of imminent death.
“I need no one,” said Samil between his teeth.
“You need her. And to have her, you need us.” Phil knew that if Samil didn’t change his mind at that very moment, he would be a dead man.
“My word. That’s all I’ll give you. You have my word that I won’t interfere in her decisions regarding the amulet. That should suffice,” he hissed.
Phil was not happy with the counteroffer, but he had no option, but to accept it. “Honor your word, Sam. You don’t want to make an enemy of us.”
“You are too cocky for someone about to die,” said Samil threateningly. “Lucky you, I admire that. And just so you know, I always honor my word. You’ve got yourself a deal,” he stretched his hand. Phillip shook it. “Have a good night and send my regards to Denise.”
Phillip felt his blood freeze. No one was supposed to know she was in town. She was not recognizable.
“See, you not even bothered to use a fake name. I know she looks different, but, come on, it is the same name!” Samil shook his head in disapproval. He snorted. “Now that we are allies, I feel that I must tell you that you could have done better than that. Keeping her name was a very amateur move." Samil enjoyed the despair in Phillip's eyes. He had given them something else to worry about. "Well, I gotta go. See you around, Phil,” said Samil maliciously. He was pleased with himself for having planted the seed of fear.
The sunlight woke Alexis up. “Damn it,” she snarled. She would have to wait a whole day to read the diary now. She checked her phone. There was a message from Ethan, but nothing from Samil.
“Can I stop by?” Alexis guessed her lack of response had answered Ethan’s question. If he knew Samil had stopped by, he would probably have insisted on seeing her. Having received only one message from him was a good sign then.
“Hey, you’re finally up,” beamed Anna.
“I gotta hurry, mom.” Alexis was almost running late.
“I know. Would you mind spending the night at Mia’s?” Anna asked curiously.
Alexis was pretty sure Mia wouldn’t like that idea. Their friendship had been quite shaken up by the events of the day before.
Seeing that Alexis was pondering, Anna explained her request. “I want to go to Morgan’s tonight, but I don’t want you to be alone in the house.”
“Do you mind if I sleep at Denise’s?” Alexis felt an adrenaline rush. Staying at Denise's would give her the chance to try to know more about her father, the amulet and herself.
Anna was not comfortable with Alexis spending the night at a stranger’s house. “Al, I’d rather not. I don’t know who Denise is.”
“Adam does. Why don’t you give him a call?”
“What is wrong with spending the night at Mia’s?” That was the first time Alexis had ever said no to the opportunity to have a sleepover at Mia’s. Anna was intrigued.
“We had a misunderstanding yesterday, and I think it will take time to get things between us back to normal. I wouldn’t like to go to her house,” said Alexis sincerely.
“I see…” Anna murmured. She was extremely anxious to go to Morgan’s that night. He had insisted for her to go and she was dying to know what his plans were. She didn’t want to cancel with him. “I’ll call Adam, and I’ll let you know. Anyway, you’d better check with Denise if staying at her house is a real possibility.”
“I’ll do that.” The thought of spending the night at Denise’s was exciting and frustrating at the same time. In the one hand, she would have to postpone reading the diary for another day. On the other hand, she would be able to talk to Denise and perhaps discover something new. She went to her bedroom, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and got ready for school. Anna was already waiting for her when she got down the stairs.
It was weird but expected to arrive at school and not see Mia waiting for her. She was hurt, Alexis understood that. Even though she really wanted to talk to Mia and make things right between them, she doubted it was the right time. She knew she would keep lying to Mia for her own safety, so, it was probably better to keep a distance. Alexis looked around and saw Ethan looking at her. He was standing by the school front door. He had a naughty smile on his lips. Alexis couldn’t help smiling back.
“I didn’t get a goodnight kiss last night,” he said sadly.
“I guess I can make up for that,” she said lasciviously as she leaned in to give him a long kiss.
“I can skip a goodnight kiss a few times if this is how you’re going to make up for it,” he smiled.
“We’ll see.” She bit her lip, held his hand, and walked into school. She felt her heart beating faster as they got closer to the classroom. She didn’t want to admit it, but she knew that it was because of Samil. She expected to see him. She held Ethan’s hand more tightly. She loathed herself for being that fickle or undecided, at least. On top of that, Samil was not making things any easier for her. He was kissing Margaret right in front of everyone. His eyes were closed; he was enjoying that kiss. Alexis closed her eyes for a second in an attempt to control herself not to hurt someone, but perhaps that was the wrong kind of thought. Maybe all she had to do was channel all her anger to the right person. She sat down and waited for Samil to get to his desk. When he sat, each and every thought of hers was directed at hurting him, but instead of inflicting him any pain, all she got was a terrible headache followed by a debilitating stomachache. Samil glanced at
her. There was disapproval in his eyes. Alexis looked down. She felt ashamed of herself for trying to hurt him out of jealousy.
She felt even worse when she realized that she had been so concentrated on getting back at Samil that it had taken her almost twenty minutes to notice that Mia was absent. She got her phone and texted her. “Is everything okay?”
It was almost lunchtime, and the fact that Mia hadn’t replied was driving Alexis crazy. She would call during the break. She feared that something had happened to Mia and her family. When the bell rang, Alexis dialed Mia’s number.
Mia got her phone, but she didn't answer. She was not ready to talk to Alexis. She hadn’t figure out yet whether she should keep a distance or stay close and pretend to believe everything Alexis told her. When Alexis gave up, she texted her. “I’m fine. Talk to you tomorrow.” That should be enough to make Alexis give up trying to contact her.
Alexis was frustrated that Mia had clearly refused to talk to her. That had never happened before. Alexis took a deep breath. She would have to deal with that later.
“Is everything all right?” asked Ethan sweetly.
“I’m worried about Mia. She is avoiding me.” She tried to conceal her sadness, but her voice was horrible.
“Why do you think that is?” Ethan knew the answer to that question, but he wanted to hear Alexis say it. Since she didn’t seem to be willing to answer, he continued, “Haven’t you been honest with her?”
“How honest do you think I should be exactly?” Alexis gave Ethan a killer look.
“Completely honest. She’s your best friend after all,” he said calmly. “Why so hostile, Al?” He frowned. He was bothered by her constant defensive behavior.
“I’m sorry. I’ll think about it, okay?” She wanted that conversation to be over. The last thing she needed was for Ethan to judge her. He simply nodded. There was not much he could say. He held her hand, and they left the classroom to the cafeteria. Alexis didn’t want to see Samil, so she sat at a table by the door. Samil was probably drowning in Margaret’s saliva.
“Are you excited about prom?” asked Ethan curiously. Alexis was taken by surprise. She didn’t expect him to ask her about prom. “You are going with me, right?” He winked.
“I guess I don’t have a choice,” she said sarcastically. “I’ll make the sacrifice of having your company for prom,” she smiled. “If I got to go, obviously.”
“Why wouldn’t you?” He was intrigued.
“Well, let me see… Apparently, there are people out there who would like to see me six-feet under, there’s an amulet I must protect and a bunch of other things I don’t know yet. While we all know that death may arrive any minute, in my case, odds are stacked against my surviving this year.”
“Don’t you ever say that again,” said Ethan, reprimanding. “Nothing will happen to you. Not this year, not next year, not the year after that, not in the next decade, not in the decades after that. Do you hear me?” he asked firmly.
Alexis was not expecting that reaction from him. “I was joking,” she said in a low voice. One more lie to her list. She appreciated his concern though.
“Enjoy your life, Al,” he said gently.
She had nothing to say to that. Enjoying was certainly not even close to what she was doing. Most of the times she felt hollow, lost and confused. She instinctively looked around, and her eyes only stopped searching when she saw Samil. He was talking to Margaret’s friends. All Alexis could see was his back. She looked down.
“Hey,” said Ethan gently. “You’re not alone. You have me, Al,” he said warmly.
She got up and sat beside him. “I know,” she whispered. She kissed him slowly. Her hand caressed his hair. Whenever they were that close, she felt an immense love for him that consumed her in a way that no other feeling had ever done.
When lunchtime was over, they went back to the classroom. The rest of the classes went well despite Alexis’s lack of interest in them. She had too much in her mind to care about chemistry or history. When classes were over, she kissed Ethan goodbye and went to the police station to meet Marianne. Before going inside, she called Denise.
“Hello?” answered Denise.
It was comforting to hear her voice. She inspired trust as usual. “Hey, Denise. It’s me, Alexis.”
“Al! It’s great to hear from you. How are things?” Denise was pleased that Alexis had called her. The more she ran to her, the easier it would be for Denise to get her on their side.
“Everything’s fine. I was wondering if you would mind if I spent the night there tonight.” Alexis felt a bit uncomfortable inviting herself over.
“I’d love that, Al,” said Denise excitedly.
Even though the thrill in Denise’s voice sent Alexis’s discomfort away, she tried to justify her request. “My mom is going out, and she is afraid that someone might attack me if I stay home alone.”
“Oh, I see. We can’t blame her for that. It will be a pleasure to have you over. By the way, I haven’t gone out at night yet. What do you think?”
Denise definitely knew how to make someone appreciated. “That sounds great!! Dinner?”
“Dinner. What time?”
“I’ll get there around 6. Is that good?”
“Perfect. See you then.” Denise hung up. After the stupid deal that Phillip had made with Samil, it would be good to meet Alexis. She would guarantee that they had an awesome time together.
Alexis got into the station. Marianne was probably already waiting for her. She predicted a bunch of lies coming out of her mouth once more. Marianne’s office door was open.
“Come on in,” said Marianne kindly. “How are you doing today, Al?”
“I’m fine,” she said calmly. She didn’t want to show any signs of concern or tension.
“How’s school? I’ve heard that there was an incident with your classroom windows.”
“Yeah. Apart from that, everything’s fine.” Alexis had to sit there for half an hour and answer tons of questions about her classmates, Mia, her mother, the attack, her feelings, and pot. She tried not to be monosyllabic, but it was hard to expatiate on subjects when she had to lie in almost every single answer. After what felt like an eternity, she was free to leave the station and go home. It was no surprise to see that Anna when eagerly waiting for her.
“How was school?” she asked.
“All good. I talked to Denise, and I’ll sleep over. Did you talk to Adam?” Alexis hoped there would be no objection to her sleeping at Denise.
“I did. He said great things about her. I’d like to meet her later.”
“Today?” Alexis asked stridently.
“Would that be a problem?” asked Anna suspiciously. Alexis’s tone of voice intrigued her.
“Of course not. I just need to let Denise know.” Alexis was sick and tired of being treated like a child. She could take care of herself; more than her mother could imagine and luckily more effectively than she knew. She got her phone and called Denise who seemed to be making an effort to sound pleased to meet Anna. For the first time since they had met, Alexis found Denise fake. She wondered if she had had any involvement with her dad and that thought gave her the creeps. It would be awful to introduce her mother to her father’s mistress. She sent that thought away. It was all in her imagination. She took a shower and got ready to go to Denise’s.
“You can find me on my cell phone. If you need me, don’t hesitate to call, Al,” her mom said seriously.
“Mom, I’ll be fine. Please, have some fun.” Alexis got her phone to let Denise know that they were on their way. Even though Anna drove slowly, they got there in a few minutes. Denise’s house was not far. Alexis could feel the tension in her fingers make her hands close.
Denise opened the door before Alexis could ring the doorbell. She was radiant. “Good evening,” she said politely. Denise had to bite her tongue not to introduce herself to someone she could not possibly be sure was actually there.
“Good evening. I’m
Anna, Alexis’s mom,” said Anna warmly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please, come in.”
Alexis looked from Denise to her mom hoping that Anna would refuse that invitation. However, Anna smiled, thanked Denise and walked in. Alexis shook her head. She didn’t have a good feeling about any of that.
“Would you like something to drink?” asked Denise kindly.
“No, thanks. You’ve got a lovely house,” said Anna honestly.
“Oh, thanks. Alexis found it for me.”
“She did? I’m glad to know that.” Anna glanced at Alexis. Not knowing much about their friendship made Anna uncomfortable. Alexis didn’t talk much about Denise, but it was obvious that Denise cared about her. “I appreciate your letting her stay here tonight.”
“My pleasure. She’s more than welcome here,” Denise beamed.
“I'm glad to hear that. I have to go. Thanks again,” said Anna. Denise saw her out. When Denise closed the door, a vague indication of relief took over her expression for a second and that made Alexis sure that Denise was hiding something about her relationship with her father.
“Ready to enjoy Grasslin’s nightlife?” asked Alexis faking enthusiasm. The truth was that Mia was right. She couldn’t trust any of them.
“Yes! Let’s go!” said Denise, thrilled.
“Uh, we’d better call a taxi. We don’t want to walk for about 40 minutes and get to the restaurant completely sweaty and exhausted.”
“We certainly don’t,” Denise smiled.
Alexis got her phone and called a taxi. She took Denise to a fancy restaurant downtown. She was not sure whether it would be a good idea to talk about her father over dinner, not because of dinner itself, but because she didn’t want anyone to overhear them. She decided to leave it for later, so they talked about school, Alexis’s therapy sessions and surprisingly about Adam. Denise was evidently interested in him. Alexis didn’t see that coming. She knew that Denise would like to lead an ordinary life, but she had said herself that a normal life was not for her. Taking into consideration what had happened in Denise’s previous relationship, Alexis feared for Adam’s safety. Determined not to let anything happen to him and getting used to the idea that she had become a big fat liar, Alexis said an overload of crap about Adam. She said he was light-minded, unstable, and that he was, in fact, a womanizer. She could see the disappointment on Denise’s face. Objective accomplished, she thought. After that conversation, dinner was pretty much over. Alexis had ruined the night for both of them. At the same time, she believed she had done what she had to do, even though she felt terrible for having said so many bad things about Adam who was by far one of the best guys she had ever met.
The Defender (The Elkavians Book 1) Page 14