Shrouded Away (Book #1)

Chapter: 16

There was a bruise on her neck that looked like a hand. There were more bruises on her wrists, and Casper could see at least one bruise that looked like a finger. 

Horror and shame welled up inside him and he felt like puking.

 He desperately wanted to hold her and promise that everything would be alright. He wanted to make everything alright. 

He watched silently as Andrea finished her tea and checked her watch and went back to scribbling down notes in her journal.

They were sitting in the library after morning training. The first two buttons of Andrea's black flannel were undone and her sleeves were rolled up revealing her injuries. 

Noticing his pitiful stare, Andrea looked annoyed. A contused wound was on her cheekbone.

"Would you stop star-" before she could finish her sentence Casper stood up from where he was seated and reached for her face, he ran his thumb pad delicately over the injury.

 She flinched slightly.

"You should go see the nurse," he commented.

"I would prefer not to. I can take care of myself"

"And what exactly did you do to take care of yourself?"

"I applied ice"

Both of them stayed silent for a while.

"I'm sorry about what Madam Marcela had-"

"Can we not discuss it"

Casper removed his hand from her face and said, "if that's what you want, then okay"

"We should probably go now" Andrea insisted as she gathered all her things and stood up.

They walked in silence out of the manor and sat on the soft artificial grass.

And their feet move

rhythmically, as tender

feet of Cretan girls

danced once around an

altar of love, crushing

a circle in the soft

smooth flowering grass

Sappho

"I would let you be a typhoon," Andrea said out of the blue. 

Casper looked at her quizzically. "Why?"

 "Only if I can be part of the destruction"

 "Why is that? Do you have some kind of wish for an excruciating death?"

 "Well, that's what the world is about, isn't it? You love someone so much you'll let them get away with anything, including murder, even if it's yours." He watched as her gaze shifted reflectively to nothing in particular. 

Her hair was the brown of aged mahogany, lavish and deep, yet with the precise hues only time brings. 

With each of her movement the strands tumbled, reflecting the strengthening daylight in combers. In the dappled light, she was an ever-morphing sangfroid of browns. 

She was both his savior and destruction and she could crush him with just a word, kill him, stab him and he would still be in love with her. 

That was how malicious love was and at the same time, it was an elysian feeling.

 "When this whole fight between Divinus and us gets better, I promise we won't be just friends," Casper mumbled. She instantaneously looked at him, warmth shooting painfully up her neck.

 "Will it get better or will we just get used to it?" 

"Don't be so pessimistic Andrea" he stood up offering her his hand. 

"I'm just being realistic, "she said as she held his hand and stood up. 

"I won't be here tonight"

 "Will you at least be back?" She queried. 

"I'm not sure. I'll be on a mission with the crew, we were informed they found something at the warehouse, but it was gone." Casper responded as they started to walked to her room.

"What was it?"

 "From what I heard it was a box-like object. They were guarding it when we went there. I'll tell you what happens" 

"Why can't I come with you?" 

Casper stiffened before answering, "Your mother said no, if I could bring you, you know I would" 

She nodded as she stood in front of the opened door, he felt her onism as she looked out the window with a glint of despair in her eyes.

"When will you be back?" 

"Probably tomorrow morning"

Silence lingered for a while.

"That's quite alright" she said bluntly, "I have books to finish reading anyways"

"You've been rereading the same books for years"

"No, mother still provides me books, which are classics"

"Let's be  honest those aren't even the ones you like to read"

"If you know so much then what kind of books do I like to read?"

He shrugged, "All I know is that you wouldn't spend your nights reading Charli Dick"

"Charles Dickens" she corrected him, Casper stared at her lips as the corners of it tilted up slightly. 

This was one of the moments he cherished, the once in the blue moon smiles, his heart would fill with warmth knowing it was he who made her smile, even that much.

He placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him, staring into her silver eyes he traced his fingers across the wound on her cheek. 

He felt so lucky to be this close to her, no other man would even dare to steal a glance at her.

 He leaned down, 

"May I?" He asked.

Knowing what his intentions were Andrea nodded and leaned in standing on her toes.

 The kiss was so gentle it befuddled every cell of his body. 

Even an imagination as fluid as his hadn’t fantasized anything so sweet, anything so soft.

 Andrea's lips were gelid, growing warm and moist from his. 

Casper’s blood swam with panicked excitement of anticipation. Rigidity  seeped out of him, his stiff body slowly softens.

They slowly pulled away, their foreheads resting against each other, breathing unsteady. 

"My heart beats for you"he mumbled as he hugged her, "only you. I'll always be here for you, I promise you" . Once he finished his emotional declaration he watched as a blush blossomed on her cheeks.