X Syn X (Illumi) Hunter X Hunter

X Chapter Nineteen X

Once again, he looked as if he wanted to say something, but was incapable. What on earth could he be struggling with so much?

"Illumi-sama, are you alri-?"

"You're beautiful."

My face burned at this. Every inch of me turned scarlet and thousands of butterflies went insane in my stomach. My breath hitched in my throat and I hurriedly reached for my glass of wine, my nerves were shot. Why would he say something like that? What was I supposed to do? I nearly choked on my wine and ended up setting the glass down with a little too much force causing the stem of the glass to splinter in my hands. I jolted to my feet as the pain set in only to jump as Illumi appeared behind me.

His strong arms wound around me from behind grasping my wrist in his hand gently as he inspected the damage. My heart was pounding in my chest at the closeness of our bodies I was sure he'd be able to feel it through my back. I felt like my body was on fire as he held me from behind and began tending to the wound on my hand. He removed the glass from my hand revealing a slew of cuts. Blood pooled in the palm of my hand.

"Ah...Sorry... I'm going to go wash up." I squeaked as I attempted to remove myself from him but met resistance. "Illumi-sama?"

His lips were pressed into a frown and there was something revealed within his dark eyes, "Was it because of what I said?" He asked tonelessly.

"Um, no of course no-." His eyes narrowed catching my deceit. "It caught me off guard, is all." I corrected myself.

"Did it displease you?" He asked after a long pause. Was he worried that he'd done something to upset me?

I turned to him with a smile as my heart swelled, "No...It's just...you've never-...I'm not used to..." My cheeks reddened, I couldn't string together a coherent thought.

My breath hitched in my throat as his fingers lightly brushed my cheek catching a stray strand of colorless hair that had struggled out of its confines. He gazed down at me intently as if trying to discern something and before I could ask him what it was, his hand slapped against my forehead with enough force if he hadn't been supporting me with his other arm I'd have fallen backward.

"Your face is red."

Yes, and my forehead was now probably going to be red or purple for the rest of the night. "I'm fine, but I would like to go wash my hands." And possibly try to figure out if I had a concussion.

He released me from his hold, his face still stuck in a frown as I crossed the dining room full of corpses to the ladies' room. I heard the sound of hushed frantic voices from within and hesitated outside of the door. There were still people alive?

"That man is a psychopath! We need to call the authorities!" Were they talking about Illumi? Rage bubbled up inside of me.

"He's a freak-."

I kicked the door open causing the trio of women to scream in panic.

"I'm sorry, were you ladies speaking ill of my husband?" The voice that came out of my mouth, didn't sound like my own, it was dark and twisted in rage and venom. It was a rage I'd not experienced in years, not since Shea. My vision was starting to blur. How dare they speak poorly of Illumi!

"We've already called the authorities and soon you and that monster will-."

My body moved on autopilot, my nails shifting and elongating into claws as my vision suddenly went red with blood. They didn't even have a chance to scream as something guttural and primal took hold of my body. I lost myself in my rage as I had done many years ago when Shea was murdered. Broiling hot unbridled rage rolled through me in sickening waves as I felt my claw-like nails tear through the stupid girls who'd dared to insult Illumi.