Shrouded Away (Book #1)

Chapter: 52

"Do you miss her?"

"Of course, she was like a daughter to me and so are you," she leaned down pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, "fight well my dear, kill those demons that are building doubts of clouds in your head,"

Andrea left the station, even though Morgana insisted on her waiting for a while. She took a frigid shower and put on a white sweatshirt, a pair of slacks.

She was standing near the concierge's table waiting for Garren to come down. The receptionist called him and didn't let her go into the elevator. 

The elevator dinged and he came out with Lauranda. He had a box in his hand, Lauranda smiled at her, she wasn't in the Divinus uniform she was constantly seeing her in. She had a shawl wrapped around her head, she wore a heather halter neck long-sleeved shirt, and pants.

Something clicked in her head as if falling into place. 

"Andrea, how are you today?"

"I'm fine," she answered nonchalantly in a hurried manner, which Garren noticed easily.

"That's great, I'll see you around," she pinched her cheek lightly and left.

Garden walked to the concierge's table and Maryline handed him a tablet.

"Did you read the terms and conditions?"

"Yes sir,"

He turned and motioned her to the elevator.

"What happened?" Garden asked.

"I've been wondering… do you think Lauranda is the spy?"

"Lauranda? No, that's … that's stupid. Lauranda would never do that... she's too sweet and kind, the Sicariurs killed her husband, she doesn't have a reason to do that," he said as they went up.

They didn't kill him, I did.

"But think about the things that could be her motive, the things that makes it rather obvious that she is the spy,"

"Like?" They entered his lab, this time Aurella was there behind a computer desk typing away.

"Like how furious she got when Morgana was going to replace Eagon…."

A nauseous feeling engulfed her, how on earth did she have the audacity to say the man's name? What was she feeling?

Anger?

False pride?

Guilt!

"Andrea?"

She pulled herself out of her thoughts, " yes?"

"You were saying?"

"yes," she gulped, "she talked about how annoying Atlas is, how he was the reason for the death of her husband, she also talked about how Divinus didn't really care about it. Don't you notice, have you ever seen her without a long sleeved shirt?"

Garren pinched the bridge of his nose, "Andrea, that's not enough proof to even frame her. You need to stop seeing everyone as the villain, you need to stop seeing only the bad in people,"

"None of us are the villain or hero. We're just people trying to live something called life, and literally bending our backs to its laws, it's a never ending cycle. We  never go against it. So what do we do instead? We give people tags, names, labels. We start to refer to them by it, to address by. Make them feel bad about what they are. Eventually they start to believe it, that these tags, names and labels are what defines them."

"Are you scared? Are you scared that people will call you a villain if they found out what and who you really are?" Garden questioned, he studied her expression as it stiffened.

She almost scoffed at his words. Why would she care if they called her a villain? It was her life, not theirs. But she answered very different from her thoughts.

"I don't know,"

Garden gave a small smile, "I would've said the same something, are you hiding something that I should know about?"

He placed his hand on her shoulder, his honey brown eyes softened.

"I killed him.." she muttered out.

 His smile fell, "who?"

"Her husband.. Lauranda's .."

Garren straightened himself clearing his throat. His gaze fell on Aurella who was still concentrating on the computer screen.

"Leave, I'll see you at one pm for training, bring your friends and don't be late," he's eyes didn't meet her.