Amethyst (ON HOLD)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When Ai held her hand and whispered his words to her, she couldn't help but shiver. His voice stood on a line between maturing and still being a kid, impossibly throaty and mild and irresistibly sexy.

The feel of his hands against her small ones was unexpected. They weren't soft and smooth like any other child's would be but instead rough and calloused. Although vague, she could see the outline of his muscles underneath his suit. With him walking right in front of her, she stared at his back and a strange wave of calmness overwhelming her.

Lost in her own train of thoughts, she didn't realize that she was panting hard until Ai stopped abruptly which resulted in her colliding against his chest. For a second, she relished the smell of the woods on him before his voice pulled her back into the present. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked, his face etched with worry. "You're breathing really hard right now... would you like to stop and rest for a while?"

As soon as he finished his sentence, Amethyst felt her legs weaken and collapsed from beneath her. She stared at her hands, embarrassed, taking in deep slow breaths in an attempt to steady her erratic heart and the pain in her lungs. She winced as her right leg throbbed painfully. "My leg condition isn't that great. You see, I lost this leg in the accident along with some other parts but somehow miraculously they saved me by replacing those bones with some sort of metal."

He nodded at her response but said nothing, waiting patiently for her to get back up then they started walking again. She wanted to think he was being sympathetic and pitiful but there was something in his eyes that she couldn't shake off.

Why do you look at me with eyes full of regret? What is that sadness that lurks behind that smile you keep giving me? Tempted was she to ask these questions yet she couldn't get her voice to work. Eventually she gave up, only laughing dryly at the silence that settled between them.

Only now did she realize that she was partly an abomination.

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They stopped in front of an oak door with intricate rose carvings that took Amethyst's breath away. She trailed each of the carved roses delicately because they looked far too real.

Ai smiled at the expression on her face. This is how it should always be he thought. She should never lose that smile, not now, not ever.

"Beyond this door is your room. There's a bathroom, a closet, a new phone and also a laptop. Everything is already prepared for you. The clothes in there are handpicked by the maids in the mansion. Including the others, there are only a total of three females in this house." He pulled out a smart phone from his pocket and scrolled down what seemed like a to-do list.

"Oh and also there's a thick leather bound book in the drawer of your desk. Be sure to read all of it, they state the rules and regulations of the group. Take my advice, memorize at least the words in bold or else when surprise tests come up you won't be able to answer anything."

Amethyst frowned. "What is this, boarding school?" she asked puzzled. Ai laughed and shook his head.

"No, it's the mafia. There's a difference." Amethyst rolled her eyes and muttered "No shit Sherlock." And that sent Ai in a series of coughs and giggles.

"Yeah, tell me about it." He said still laughing and Amethyst smiled at the sight. "Anyway, just be sure to read the book. My room is just next to yours, right there."

He pointed to the door just a few metres ahead and Amethyst nodded in response. "Here's your key, dinner starts at seven o'clock sharp. Don't be late, like seriously, if you don't want to scrub the toilets in this house for a whole week with a toothbrush. I'll come by later and we can go to the dining room together. See you then."