Nefarious

C142 - Eugene Baye

-Rain's point of view-

Xavier was talking to Alex about something, but I heard nothing. My thoughts were too loud for me to hear anything said between the two. He was an all too beautiful sight, Alex, that is. For so many years I've kept my secret crush hidden, and for a good reason. I can't imagine all the negative sanctions I would receive, and all the strident, judgemental voices I would hear. By doing something as simple as telling the truth, I would break all boundaries that had once been set for me as Alex's assistant. In his mind, along with everyone else's, I am nothing but a helping hand with no personal feelings relating to him at all. Of course, being with Jace was enthralling, but our relationship lacked both affection and care. With Alex, I could have it all; love, power, and most importantly, a future.

Vera's arm nudged me suddenly, which interrupted my deep thoughts. "You cannot fool me, Carradine. I see the way you look at him, the way you're creating fantasies inside your head about our future leader. Drop it before you get in trouble for it," she whispered, almost angrily. "Am I not allowed to have certain imaginations? If I wanted to act on my true desires, I wouldn't be standing here heartbroken after a relationship with Jace. Please, Vera, see past my insignificant lust," I whispered back. "I know you too well to let it go. You act impulsively, and you used my brother eventually as a result of that. Heck, you're not heartbroken, you're scared for your future because you no longer have a source to strengthen the little amount of power that you have. However, I hope you see that it would be too stupid of a move to go for Alex next. You saw for yourself how Valerie reacted when she saw him again. A person who carries such strong and passionate feelings can quickly turn that into something dangerous, if you will. Valerie might seem weak or whatever to you, but she takes Alex seriously. Truthfully, he's all she has, and if you take everything away from her... you could risk bringing a perilous journey upon yourself, Carradine."

Alex approached me not long after Vera had walked off. His face was difficult to read, and I quickly became anxious about my conversation with Vera. If he'd heard any of it, I could lose my position in the castle permanently, and I wasn't the least bit prepared for that. "You look tense," he said, a small smile appearing on his face. His tone wasn't darker, in fact, it sounded nothing but kind. "I'm just glad that you're back," I answered, trying to hide the fact that I was still nervous. "As am I. Urm, pardon me, but are you with child?" he questioned respectfully. "Oh, yes, I am," I nodded faintly. Though I'm sure he tried to hide it, he looked remarkably confused. "Right, anyway, I should probably go check around the house for... hazards," I stammered. I took a step forward before I felt his hand on my shoulder. Terrified, I turned around to face him again. His look was serious at first, but then it softened moderately. "Congratulations on your pregnancy, Rain." "Thank you," I unintentionally chuckled. I guess it was a chuckle of relief, though I hope none of the others would think of it as such.

-Valerie's point of view-

When I reentered the living room, I saw Rain looking at me in a way that sent mixed signals. In some way, it seemed as though she wanted to speak with me, but at the same time, it also looked like she wanted some time for herself. I approached her slowly in hopes of not making it evident that I was curious about her current thoughts. "You okay?" I asked. She straightened her back, steadying her current position. "Yes, you needn't worry. Is there something I can do for you?" she questioned politely. Although I was appreciative of her sudden politeness, I found it all too odd for her to serve me in any way, so I declined her offer. "Well, let me know if you change your mind," she smiled faintly. "Rain, you-" I started. "I should go double-check something with Vera! I completely forgot, excuse me," she interrupted me, leaving hastily afterwards.

I pulled Alex aside to discuss Rain's sudden change of behaviour, and to my surprise, Alex had noticed too. "Come upstairs with me, will you?" he asked. I nodded thrice, almost forgetting that I could answer him aloud as well. "Yes, of course, Alex."

Walking into my bedroom, my gaze wandered over the room, observing the dusty and abandoned place where Alex and I had created lots of memories. Behind me, I heard him locking the door, which confused me and caused me to turn around immediately. "Don't you trust the others to give us privacy?" I frowned. "The others think they're protecting me by lying to my face. What I trust, Valerie is for you to tell me the truth," he answered calmly. "Alex, you're-" I started. "No, I'm not delusional. I'm observant, and I can tell that you're lying because I've known you for years. Your little taps at the commode, the small shifts in position whenever I look your way, and the guilt you're expressing unknowingly through your speaking," he paused, "you're used to telling me when something's wrong now, and that's why you've spoken so vaguely ever since I got back."

Alex was right, but I wasn't sure whether I should admit to that or not. I've been afraid of letting secrets slip each time I've opened my mouth, and I still am, truthfully. Jace warned me not to tell him any big secrets, and especially not my newest one. I feel confident that Jace knows what's best for Alex, but at the same time, I should be able to trust Alex when he says he knows such himself.

"Please, Valerie, be honest," he exhaled, his shiny eyes staring down at me. "I want to, but I don't think I can," I answered hesitatingly. Silence crept upon both of us, and it brought a weird atmosphere over the room. It wasn't hard to tell he was tired of being held in the shadows of everything. However, since he's sick, we have to take that into consideration when making decisions even though he's not pleased with it.

A sudden loud knock on the door caught us both by surprise. "You have a visitor, Caizar," Rain said. Alex didn't hesitate to open the door, but I, on the other hand, felt nothing but hesitation. "We're at my house, how would anyone know that you're here as well?" I whispered. "We're not alone here, remember that. I'll speak to whomever to get information as you won't divulge anything at all. It's not an act of bitterness, Valerie. It's solely an endeavour at gathering helpful information so that hopefully, we can do more than sit around and wait in the future," he answered determinately.

Thankfully, it was Dane who'd come to pay us a visit. Xavier greeted him politely, as did I. Jace and Rain glared at him from afar while Vera had her eyes fixed on Alex merely. It wasn't until Dane moved his head in Alex's reaction that she bothered to pay attention to Dane as well. "Oh, good Lord," Dane whispered to himself. "I suppose you could call him that, though not quite yet," Xavier said. "I have something to discuss, but I-" Dane stammered. Behind Dane came walking a male with ashy blonde hair and light grey eyes. He had a black bandana tied at the back of his head with some cursive letters on it. His look was stern and his posture almost too confident. "But he wasn't expecting Alexander to return this quickly," the male said, his sight moving directly to Alex.

At first, I thought nothing of the stranger, but that was until Alex reacted himself. "Welcome back, Alexander," the guy said, a smirk appearing on his face. "Eugene Baye?" Alex said confusedly. Jace took a deep breath, but he remained still. "You jet-lagged or something?" the apparent Eugene guy said. "I uh-" Alex started. "Yes, you thought I was gone, but I'm not. I've come to discover that you're finally open to receiving help, is this correct?" Eugene asked. Alex shook his head, declining immediately. "Quite obviously, you're in need of it," Eugene said, his voice softening the slightest.