The heart of Cleopatra

Symbols

Chapter seventeen

"They'll be here soon." Cleo said as she put her phone down.

"Oh yes!" Kai said dramatically. "The elite Arcane foursome."

She cringed at his comment. "Must you make it sound crude? I am related to one of them." He smirked at the reaction she gave him. Cleo rolled her eyes and walked to the side of the room and swiped her hand and lightly kicked the bottom of the black panel making a hidden door open.

She stepped into the secret space for clothes, she had never been in a situation where she needed to change out of a uniform. However, in the past a quick change was necessary.

"So how did you do it?" Cleo asked.

He grinned. "Natural charm."

Cleo leaned out the closet and shook her head. "No way. Nobody around here does anything for free. Especially when it's for Malakai West. So what did you trade?"

He cleared his throat and looked away from her, breaking their eye contact. "Nothing important." He lied. He did have to put his pride aside and lose a lot, but the thought of having a safe home again made it worth it. Cleo knew he was lying straight away. His body language was obvious and she always had had a unique way of reading him like a book. That skill is not always reciprocated, Cleo is always some-what mysterious to Kai.

Cleo decided not to push the subject anymore and swapped her blue skirt for black skinny jeans. She quickly slipped off her school shirt and grabbed a tight fitting black one.

"Don't even think about touching Lola's computer. She will kill you." Cleo warned before stepping out with her t-shirt in her hand. She didn't need to see Kai to know he was plotting something.

Kai's face went from fed up to stunned. Cleo stood before him with only a bra covering the top of her heavenly figure. He swallowed a lump in his throat taking in the beauty of his company. Even in his daze he noticed the bruises on her body, he too had suffered with similar marks, but on seeing them on Cleo seemed to bother him more.

"Pick up your jaw Malakai. It's like you've never seen a girl without a shirt on." Cleo tutted while throwing the long sleeve material over her head.

She wasn't entirely inaccurate, he had the pleasure of seeing his fair share of girls exposed but none quite like Cleopatra Valencia. Kai knew he shouldn't like what he sees, but he's still human.

"Whatever you did to get this. I appreciate it."

Kai was taken by surprise at her sincerity. "Does that mean I'm in?"

Cleo laughed and shortly after returned to a serious face. "No."

"That's not fair. We had a deal!" Kai argued.

Cleo took her blade strap and wrapped it around her arm. "Clam down. I was kidding. A deal is a deal"

Kai was pleased with the outcome; his sacrifice was not wasted. He held his hand out, Cleo pulled her leather strap tight with her teeth and walked closer to her new ally. She connected her hand with his.

"This doesn't make us friends." She said lowly making her point clear.

"Don't flatter yourself Valencia. I don't care for your friendship."

Their intense expressions mirrored each other. Their words were fighting talk but the newly discovered spark through their minor skin on skin contact is becoming dangerous.

The sound of the heavy duty door open broke their alone time.

"What's this jackass here for?" Jax asked as they walked in, noticing Cleo's new associate.