I collapsed onto my bed later that day, exhausted from the time spent with Kalen that afternoon. A smile spread over my face as I fondly recalled the memory. I soft knock on my door interrupted my thoughts. “Lana, can I come in?” Izzy’s soft voice asked.
I sat up reluctantly. “Yes, Izzy, you may enter,” I called.
She slipped inside and pushed the door closed behind her. “I don’t mean to disturb you, but my mother should be returning from her business trip tonight. Would you mind taking me? I feel strange asking Kalen or Andreas.”
Of course she had to go home; I had gotten so used to her presence in the last few days that the small detail had slipped my mind. I smiled at her. “Of course. Do you want to leave right now?” She nodded.
I grabbed my coat from the rack and walked over to her. We walked down the hall only to be stopped by Kalen. “Where are you girls heading?” he asked cheerily.
“I am taking Izzy home,” I replied, unable to keep the smile from forming on my lips purely from seeing him. Izzy shied away slightly, less confident than I was used to seeing her.
Kalen raised his eyebrows and Izzy chose to provide the explanation. “My mother should return from her business trip today. I will be safe with her around.”
“Let me go with you,” Kalen suggested.
“That won’t be necessary. Izzy and I will be fine,” I said, not in the mood to feel helpless. While I understood his reasoning and his want to protect us, I needed to show myself, if not them, that I could in fact take care of myself. I couldn’t keep relying on Kalen or Andreas to sweep in and save the day. They wouldn’t always be around if I was in trouble. Besides, I was only taking Izzy back to her mother. We wouldn’t encounter too much trouble, would we?
“If you insist,” Kalen said, deciding not to press the matter further. He gave me a hug and kissed Izzy’s hand, causing a deep red blush to stem from her neck. Kalen and I shared an amused look, but didn’t comment on it to save her from embarrassment. Izzy seemed to have a little crush. I couldn’t blame her.
“I’ll see you when I get back,” I said to him before we headed outside.
“Count on it,” he replied with a wink.
Izzy and I stopped before entering the town, her eyes were huge. She was still scared of going back. I understood her fear, her brother had tried to hurt her after all. “Izzy, you’ll be fine. If anyone bothers you again, just let me, Kalen, or Andreas know. They may be known as bad guys, but they care for you.”
She looked up at me with a smile. “Thank you, Lana. I mean it. Thank you for everything. I hope I will see you around here.” I pulled her into a hug.
“Of course, I will come by as often as you want me to,” I replied and we headed to the market. Elijah was working at their stall and both of us stiffened at the sight of him. His hand was bandaged and he flinched as he noticed our approach.
“Relax, it’s only me and your sister,” I emphasized. I hope he felt bad for what he did. Anger bubbled in me just from seeing him.
Elijah chose not to react. “What are you doing here?”
“Mama should be back today,” Izzy interjected, ice in her words.
“She is,” Elijah replied, his eyes narrowed in thin lines.
Izzy shrugged. “If she’s home, you behave better.”
Elijah fixed a deadly stare on his sister. “Why don’t you go back to your new friends? Family apparently means nothing to you,” he spat.
A woman who seemed to be in her forties stepped into view and whacked him over the head. He shrunk down and stepped out of her way. “Don’t you dare speak to your sister that way, young man,” the woman said. Feather earrings hung from her ears and all her clothes were purple with flecks of gold. She dressed like a gypsy. Izzy ran into her arms.
“Welcome back, Mama,” she exclaimed.
Izzy’s mom kissed her head and looked over to me. “Thank you for taking care of my little baby while my son was acting like an idiot. I will deal with him and it shouldn’t happen again,” she said.
I nodded my head, finding myself in a very awkward situation. Elijah rolled his eyes. “I’m just happy she’s okay,” I replied. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the necklace Elijah had given me the day we met. I placed it on the table in front of him. “You can have this back. I don’t accept gifts from cads.”
Elijah’s eyes narrowed and he picked up the necklace. “As you wish. Now please don’t come here again. I don’t fancy dying because you can’t stay away.”
“Andreas is not going to kill you as long you don’t try anything again,” I told him, with a small smile.
“That’s very generous of him,” Elijah said flatly.
His mother stared at him pointedly. “You should be grateful you are alive right now. Have I taught you nothing about being a considerate man? I’m ashamed of you son, truly ashamed. What would your father have said?” she said, her words not angry, but laced with sorrow.
“He’s dead,” Elijah said and disappeared into the building behind their stall.
“I’m sorry for his behavior,” she said to me.
I waved her off. “It’s not your fault. Grief affects us all differently. But I must go. I wish you all the best,” I said, eager to get out of the uncomfortable situation. Izzy smiled at me and so did her mother.
“If you ever need anything, you know where to find us,” she told me.
“Thank you,” I replied. We said our goodbyes and I headed back to the manor.
I was in no great hurry actually. I knew that when I got back to the manor that all I would be doing would be reading magic books until Kalen wasn’t busy anymore; and then he’d teach me how to use my magic and after I’d retire. The same routine every day. So, I took my time walking back. I even took the long way through the woods.
I was humming to myself, slightly more at ease once I was sure Elijah hadn’t followed me. Ever since Kalen and I had our first training session, my mood had been better. He really was good for me. I strolled along the path that would lead up to the manor, my thoughts occupied with his deep green eyes and ash brown hair.
I caught movement in my peripheral vision and my head immediately swiveled in that direction. My muscles stopped working. Everything inside me went numb. I just stared, not believing what I was seeing before me.
It couldn’t be. Of all the people I would have expected to see in this forest, he was the last person that would’ve come to mind. I willed my muscles to work again and ran to hide behind a tree before he could see me. When I was sure I was out of sight, I glanced around the tree at him once more.
There was no mistaking it. Only one man I knew had that shade of blond hair. Had that confident swagger about him when wearing armor.
John was here.
YOU ARE READING
A Necessary Evil (Book 1)
Fantasy**One can be evil, and still have a good heart, just as one can be good but still have a heart tainted by evil.** "There was an undeniable comfort and stability in a stable future, at having every detail of your life meticulously planned out. But ev...
