The Defender (The Elkavians Book 1)

by S. H. Magillian

  “No,” he answered without any hesitation. “But that doesn’t mean I will let you or anyone else hurt her.” He looked deep in her eyes. “I…” He gently stroked her face.

  She felt unsurmountable peace. All pain was gone. She knew then that what she felt for him was real. “Samil...” she murmured.

  “I know.” He turned around and started to walk away.

  “Samil?” she called him, the pain of seeing him leave took over her soul and body.

  “Yes?” He stopped but didn’t look at her. He knew that if he did, he wouldn’t be able to leave.

  “Are you leaving again?”

  He could identify fear and insecurity in her voice. Little did she know that she had the same impact on him. “No, I will see you at school tomorrow.”

  Alexis was glad he was back. Despite having had to see him kiss Margaret, being around him was better than the other option. She got her bike and cycled back home. She could still feel him in her head. “I’m glad you are back,” she whispered sure that he could hear her.

  The next day, Alexis woke up half an hour before the usual time. She was anxious to get to school, so she took a quick shower and went to her closet. She snorted. For a second, she thought she needed to start wearing different colors, but that thought was almost instantly rejected. “Nah,” she beamed. “All my moods love black.” She got a nice pair of black jeans, a black tee, and sneakers. It was a special day, so she put some makeup on. She wanted to look gorgeous. “You’d better enjoy him while you can, Margaret,” she murmured.

  She had a quick breakfast, and Anna drove her to school. She was still sad and quiet. “Maybe we could spend the evening together, mom." They had already spent the entire afternoon and evening together the previous day, but they had stayed home. Maybe her mom needed to see other people, go to a different place. "We could go out for dinner,” said Alexis trying to cheer her mother up.

  “We’ll see. Have a great day, dear,” said Anna emotionless. She knew what Alexis was trying to do, and she appreciated her effort, but she didn't feel like doing anything. If she could, she would spend some days in bed without seeing or talking to anyone.

  “You too, mom.” Alexis knew that Anna would probably have a lame day and that made her upset. She wished there was something she could do. Maybe Denise knew something about that. She decided to call her during lunch break to check if she could stop by.

  Ethan was waiting for her as expected, but without the usual smile on his face. He seemed sad. She went to him; they had to talk. Even though Alexis had left home determined to break up with him, when she saw him all she wanted was to be around him. She tried pushing it away, but it only made her want him even more. She didn’t say a word; she leaned in and kissed him. Flashes of Samil near the edge of the cliff with the sun on his face making his eyes even greener came to her mind. She looked at Ethan; he gently stroked her face, his fingertips ran over the contour of her lips. She was sure he could see inside her. She looked down as if by doing that she could hide from him her feelings for Samil. She had nothing to say and apparently neither did he. It was better that way. She held his hand, and they walked to the classroom.

  Samil was in the hallway with Margaret. She was all over him, happy that he was back. Alexis could relate to that. Jealousy consumed her though. She had to control herself not to do anything stupid. Samil glanced at her. He seemed disappointed to see her holding hands with Ethan, and that bothered her. She stopped walking and gave Ethan a long kiss. If Samil could kiss Margaret right in front of her, she could kiss Ethan. She had leaned in to kiss Ethan with that in mind, but in the middle of the kiss, she stopped thinking of Samil. She was a hundred percent with Ethan. His hand ran down her spine making her moan faintly. She bit his lips. “We are at school,” she whispered.

  “Unfortunately,” he smiled. “Let’s go.” He wouldn't give Samil the opportunity to take Alexis's attention to him.

  Samil didn’t stay to watch; he went to class. When Alexis walked in, he ignored her. He was getting tired of the games they were playing.

  “Hey, you,” said Mia cheerfully.

  “Hey,” Alexis smiled. She tried not to think of Samil’s reaction to her kissing Ethan.

  “How’s your mom?” asked Mia, worried. Alexis had told her that Anna had argued with Morgan, but that was all Alexis had said, she hadn't given any details.

  “She is still sad. I’m trying to spend as much time as possible with her to see if I can help her feel better, but I haven’t had much success,” said Alexis sadly. Hopefully, she would be more successful that evening.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe we could do something together. I’m sure mom would love to spend some time together.” Mia and her mom liked Anna a lot, and it would be a pleasure to do something together, just the four of them.

  “That sounds nice, but I need to talk to her first. I’m not sure she wants to spend time with people. I guess sometimes she doesn’t even want to look at me.”

  “I see. Well, I hope she says yes. Do you have any news?” Mia asked curiously.

  “Not really. I’ve practiced a bit, but I pretty much spend most of my time trying to deal with my feelings.” She looked at Ethan.

  “Good luck with that,” said Mia sarcastically.

  “Oh, thanks for your help,” she said smiling.

  Biology class was normal. Mr. Adams spent the entire time talking nonstop, giving no one the opportunity to say anything, a real bummer. When History class started, Alexis felt her phone vibrate. It was Samil.

  “Look outside. There’s a guy trying to start his car. He needs help.”

  Alexis frowned. Samil couldn’t be serious. “How exactly am I going to do that?”

  “That’s with you.”

  “You gotta be kidding me,” she said almost inaudibly.

  “I’m dead serious.”

  She stared at the back of his head. “How on Earth did you hear what I said?” He didn’t reply, but she saw him shrug his shoulders. She looked outside and focused on the car. To do good things, she had to have good thoughts. She followed Samil’s advice and excluded people from her mind. A place would have to do the trick. It did not take long for the car to start. Alexis was amazed at how easy that had been.

  “Congrats.”

  “I have no idea how I did that.”

  “You can do much more. Trust me.”

  “I trust you,” she replied immediately.

  “Do you really?”

  She hesitated. “Yes.”

  “Blind trust?” She didn’t know what to say. She had no idea if she trusted him like that. “I guess not, but that’s good. You should trust no one like that. No one.” She was relieved to read that. She looked at Ethan; he was paying attention to class, at least he seemed to be. What for, she wondered.

  After school, Alexis called Denise to make sure she could drop by, and she was glad to know she could. Ethan gave her a ride.

  “Thanks,” she said sweetly.

  “My pleasure,” he leaned in and kissed her passionately. “Will I see you tonight?”

  “Not tonight. I’ll stay with my mom. She needs me right now.” Alexis would feel selfish if she let her mom alone and locked herself in her room to see Ethan.

  “I understand, baby. You’re right. Taking care of the ones we love must always be our priority," he said warmly, "and that’s why there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He could feel her heart beating fast.

  Some time ago, she would have given everything to hear those words from him. At that moment, though, she didn’t know how to react. So, she kissed him, a long and passionate kiss that could be translated into the words she failed to say. “See you tomorrow,” she said calmly.

  “See you.” Ethan knew that there was more to that kiss than just passion. She was hiding something from him, and she felt bad for it. He was sure that Samil had something to do with it. He had to keep him away; he just didn’t know how.

/>   Alexis left the car and walked a little faster than usual to Denise’s who had certainly been waiting for her. When she got to the doorstep, she didn’t even have to ring the bell, Denise immediately opened the door, a huge smile on her face.

  “Al, long time no see," said Denise in a mix of excitement and complaint.

  “Hmm… It’s been a week.”

  “Really? Well, that is a long time for me.” Denise gave Alexis a warm hug. “I missed you. That’s all. How are you?”

  “I’m fine.” Alexis was happy that was not a lie. Even though what had brought her to Denise’s was not a pleasant subject, and she had to get to it as fast as possible, she felt good.

  “That’s great. Would you like some juice?” Denise asked politely. She wanted to start smoothly whatever conversation they were going to have, mainly because they always ended the same way, badly.

  “No, thanks.” She took a deep breath. Hopefully, Denise wouldn’t be upset to talk about Alexis’s father. “There is something I need to ask you.”

  That was it. The fun part was over, Alexis had already got down to business. “Sure. What is it?” Denise tried to sound calm, but she was tense.

  “Do you know how my father got to my mom?” she asked promptly. She figured that if she began that talk any other way, they would chat about something else rather than about what really mattered at that moment, her parents' relationship.

  “I don’t think I understood your question, Al.” Denise was taken by surprise. She didn't know where that question came from nor where Alexis wanted to get at with it.

  “See, my mother had a boyfriend in high school. Something happened, and they broke up. Luckily for my father, he was around to comfort my mom which seems a bit weird to me. Don’t you think?” Alexis's eyes were fixed on Denise's expression and body language which had to be consistent with the words she was about to use to answer that question.

  Denise swallowed hard. That was definitely not going to end well. “I still don’t know what your question is.”

  “Come on, D. Did my father write the letter responsible for mom and Morgan’s breakup?” she asked firmly. She was convinced Denise had the answers to her questions.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t even know that Morgan and your mom had been high school sweethearts,” she said sincerely. She was relieved that Alexis hadn't asked the right question and that allowed her to answer honestly.

  “I don’t know if I have already told you that, but you are a terrible liar," Alexis said calmly. She didn't hate Denise for having lied to her; she expected that. There was an awkward silence. Even though Denise hadn't lied, she hadn't told Alexis everything she knew about her parents. Therefore, not saying anything and accepting the accusation was the best way of putting an end to that conversation, so Denise remained quiet. “I’m sorry, D, but I have to go. My mom is not doing well, and I should stay with her. I’ll come by with more time later this week, I promise.”

  “No problem. I hope your mom feel well soon, and Al, there’s something I want to tell you next time you come. So, come back soon.”

  Alexis was curious, but that would have to wait. She would try to go back the next day. She had already gotten what she wanted that afternoon. Her father had written the letter, there was no doubt about that. She left Denise and walked home. She had no idea how she would approach the subject with her mom.

  Anna had just arrived when Alexis walked into the house. “Hey, how was school?”

  “Great. How was work?”

  “All right. You seem falsely excited.”

  “Ouch, that hurts. I’m trying to cheer things up a bit. How about going out with Mia and her mom?” Alexis did a little dance trying to show her enthusiasm.

  Anna giggled. “Gosh, Al. Will you stop dancing if I say yes?”

  “For sure. Just say it. I’m getting tired here,” Alexis laughed as she continued to dance.

  “Yes. Let’s go.” Anna couldn’t stand another night at home. Seeing Mia and Alicia would do her good.

  “Okay.” Alexis got her phone and called Mia. “We are on our way. We’ll pick you up,” she said thrilled.

  Anna looked at her incredulously. “Now?”

  “I won’t give you time to change your mind, miss. Let’s go.” She got the car keys and opened the front door to Anna. “Moms first.”

  Anna smiled. She was thankful for having a daughter like Alexis who was above all her best friend. They picked Mia and Alicia up and went to the movies. Afterwards, they had dinner in Anna’s favorite restaurant. They talked about silly things, and Anna was finally able to forget Morgan for a while. Alexis was happy to see her laugh. They got home late, both exhausted.

  “Thank you so much, Al. You are a gift.” Anna hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. “I love you the most.”

  “I know, mom. I love you too. Have a good night.” Alexis decided not to talk about the letter. Her mom deserved a break from all that.

  “You too dear.”

  Alexis went to her bedroom. She wanted to read the diary, but she could barely keep her eyes open. She immediately went to bed. She didn’t remember being that tired before. Maybe part of that could be attributed to the fact that she hoped to see Samil in her dreams. She closed her eyes. He would come, she told herself.

  “Anxious to see me?” Samil asked charmingly.

  She smiled shyly. “How do you do this?”

  “Invade your dreams?” he frowned.

  “Yes.”

  “It’s quite easy actually. Your mind is an open book,” he criticized. She was bothered by that statement. “You are right to feel like that. This is not a good thing. If you don’t want anyone in, you need to close it.”

  “How?” she asked curiously. If she was vulnerable to him, she might be vulnerable to someone who wanted to hurt her.

  “Close your eyes. Try to take everyone and everything off your mind. That includes me. Imagine it impenetrable. A white room where you keep locked all your feelings and thoughts. You can see the door. It is near you, but far from everyone else’s reach." He waited for a few seconds. "You gotta put some effort to that. I’m still here,” he reprimanded.

  “Do you want to be gone?” she asked malevolently.

  He smiled. “I’m not done yet. You can do that later. Now we will do something else.” Alexis could feel her cheeks blush. He seemed pleased. “Not that. You have a boyfriend and I… well… I’m a gentleman.” She was uncomfortable. She wanted to disintegrate and disappear. “Let’s fight,” he said in a serious, deep voice.

  “What?” She hadn't seen that coming.

  “You heard me. You need to train better than you’ve been doing. We’re doing that now. Hit me,” he commanded.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  He laughed out loud. “You won’t. Trust me.”

  She was confused. He seemed sure that she couldn’t hurt him, even though she had already done so once, a moment that she would like to forget. “I can’t,” she insisted.

  “Fair enough. Defend yourself.” Samil fixed his eyes on her. His expression changed. He seemed determined and mean. All of a sudden, Alexis was thrown against a tree. Her body hit the wood. She heard the noise of her bones making contact with the hard surface. She moaned in pain when she fell on her knees, perplexed he had attacked her. “Defend yourself,” he said firmly.

  She got on her feet, her power burning in her hands. If that was what he wanted, that was what he would get. She let it free. When it hit him, Samil simply gave a step back. She stared at her hands. She was sure she had released it all. She looked back at him. He was serene. “I don’t understand,” she said, confused.

  “You still have a lot to learn, Alexis. The good news is that with the amount of energy you hit me, you would have knocked out many of your enemies,” he reassured.

  “I don’t have enemies,” she murmured, aware that had been the most ridiculous thing she had ever said. A man tried killing her in the clearing; another one had attacked h
er inside her own mind more than once. It was pretty obvious she had enemies.

  “You can’t seriously believe that,” he shook his head. “Denial won’t get you anywhere. You do have enemies, and you are strong enough to fight some of them. Of course, if they show up alone.” He gave a step forward keeping a good distance from her. “You need to be strong enough to hurt me when my guard is not down. When you get there, you will be closer to defeat some of your enemies that enjoy attacking in groups.” She didn’t say anything. “This is only the tip of the iceberg, Al. The next step is to find the amulet.”

  She stared at him. He was the first to tell her that she should go after the amulet. “Where is it?”

  “You are the only one who can locate it. No one else knows where it is.” Samil was glad that conversation was going as planned.

  “Shouldn’t I leave it behind? I mean, if I never go after it, no one will ever find it.”

  “You are right.” He looked down for a while, then back at her. “There is only one problem with that. Not having contact with the amulet will harden your power, as if it crystalized it, and that will eat you alive. You are the only Elkavian left. The amulet won’t let you escape your fate.” He gave a short pause, so she had time to absorb his words. "You need to accept that."

  “I don’t want this for me. I’m afraid of what I may become,” she said sincerely.

  “I understand.” He got close to her. He gently caressed her face. “The amulet won’t change you. It will reveal your true self,” he ran his fingers through her hair, “and I am skeptical that is a bad thing.” His eyes went from hers to her lips several times. There was no resistance from her, he could go for it if he wanted to which he did, but he had to be smarter than that. He gave a step back. “Track it.”

  She was disappointed that he hadn’t kissed her. “Then what?”

  “We will go after it. I’ll go with you.”

  “Samil, if the amulet is not in Grasslin, I can’t simply leave town to go after it. What would I tell my mom?” That was insane.