The Secrets of Cain

Restraint Is Key

A/N:

The picture above is my cat, Lani. She's 1 year and 3 months old. It's relevant to the author's note at the end of this chapter :)

I had another cat but she died in July of last year. She was only 2 years old. R.I.P Moola.

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Chapter 4: Restraint Is Key

"I'm sorry." Adrian says as he grabs Ivie's arm to turn her towards him.

"For what?" Ivie asks the question that Adrian was just asking himself.

"Talking about you like that. I shouldn't have said anything about you like that to a complete stranger." Adrian says, making things up as he says them.

"It's okay. You were just running her off. I don't like her anyway, so I kind of wish you were rude. But it's fine." Ivie says with a smile.

Adrian seems so determined to make Ivie happy, which confuses and pleases Ivie at the same time.

"Then what's wrong?" Adrian questions Ivie as she tries to move away again. Adrian has let go of her arm, but he's not about to let her leave before she replies.

"Nothing specific. I'm just not ecstatic to be back here." Ivie glances around her, as if someone might've heard and she could get in trouble for saying that.

Adrian laughs, causing multiple people to turn to see where the gorgeous sound came from.

"What? What's so funny?" Ivie demands to know, getting on the defensive side.

"You. You're adorable." Adrian responds, his voice just over a whisper.

Ivie feels her jaw come loose and knows she's probably standing there slack jawed like an idiot. Ivie slams her mouth closed as she gazes up into Adrian's eyes. They're always a cold blue, but now there's a hint of amusement hidden there, paired with a huge grin.

"I have to go find my friends." Ivie blurts out to break the stare.

"Right. I'll go with you." Adrian says, the grin on his face not faltering.

"You don't have to. I mean, I know things will be awkward because they'll say something threatening to you because they're protective of me. Being my best friends..." Ivie says in a rush, taking a deep breath at the end.

"Actually, I really do have to. I need someone to show me to the office." Adrian says with a teasing smile and a glint in his eye.

Ivie feels her cheeks heat up in a blush. "Oh, of course." Ivie mutters, which Adrian hears with his super hearing.

Adrian lets out a low chuckle as Ivie starts walking to the other side of the cafeteria.

"There you guys are!" Ivie calls out to her friends. Adrian immediately spots Vanessa and Selynn through the crowd. They give off a sort of vibration that signifies their powerful magic. Since they don't know how to mask that yet, Adrian can sense it.

Adrian recalls the day that Ivie mysteriously invited him over by going to Lena, who went to Lucas, who came to Adrian.

Adrian had rammed Ivie into the wall demanding answers because he thought it was a setup. Adrian could feel the power coming from Vanessa and Selynn, so he assumed it was some sort of ambush.

It turns out that Vanessa and Selynn have a bunch of untapped power inside of them. What Adrian left out when he told them about it was that something has been repressing that power.