The Last Pureblood Erde

15. Long night (✔)

Once Derrian was out of Arathos, he called Anacia. Engaged. He wondered what this girl was up to. He went to his home; a small house far from the Bhuraders where his sister lived away safely. Nobody would ever suspect her living among the humans. That was what he called 'home'. Although he never lived there, the small moments spent there were enough.

He walked in and turned the lights on. Sometimes, it surprised Derrian how much Anacia's habits resembled those of the Bhuraders. Her preferences made her similar to them more than she resembled humans.

"Anacia," he called her out. She came down the stairs after almost three minutes.

"Took you long," he said.

"I was doing some research," she replied. She wasn't her usual self. She was quieter and looked serious.

"Is everything okay?" Derrian asked, taking in her tense expression. He forgot about what Alfred had said, he forgot everything else. What mattered to him now was her.

She nodded, absentmindedly. "I'm fine."

She offered him a glass of water. He shook his head and searched for emotions in her eyes. "Anacia," he whispered.

"What happened to Mao?"

Everything came back in his mind. Exhausted, he sat down. "Everything I did not want to take place."

"It's Moito, isn't it?"

His silence answered.

She mumbled under her breath. "What now?"

"He found about Harrison and must've threatened him. I don't know exactly. Harrison slipped through my hand tonight at the palace. He knew I'd question him."

She shrugged, "It was either you or Moito. He made it pretty clear he wants nothing to do with either of us." A moment later, she whispered, "Is he going to die?"

"No," Derrian shook his head. "He'll be given to the hybrids."

Anacia exhaled with relief but when she caught his expression, she frowned, "There's a 'but', isn't it?"

"He can't drink or touch the water of Katharos. He can't enter Arathos, neither can his generations."

"Everything's happening against us today," she replied.

Derrian shot up straight. "What happened to you? Are you fine? Did they find ab-"

"Hey, hey, relax. Nothing happened, at least, nothing that you're mentioning."

He was quiet for some time. "You said you were researching about something. What?"

"Ask 'About who?'."

He frowned, "Did you meet someone? What are you up to? Or is it about those men you killed?"

She jerked her head, "I killed them? No, you are mistaken. It wasn't me. So, you must have heard it in the Palace tonight."

He nodded slowly, processing her words, "Yeah, Josh looked quite upset and Moito was beyond pissed. Alfred was on my nerves. He blamed you, saying that you must have used the oeskas since you're not fond of our kind. The poor man's afraid that Moito might question him, which he could as Alfred is the responsible for taking care of oeskas."

"I still don't understand why you people keep something that could kill you."

"Because, my dear sister, we can't just make it extinct but we can at least make sure others don't get their hands on it." She shrugged. Derrian added, "I was surprised to hear that they were killed."

"I was surprised too," she muttered.

"What do you mean? Were you present there when it happened?"

She looked guilty.

"Seriously, Anacia. How could you? What did you do?" he thundered.

"I protected myself, that's it. Derrian, sit down and let me explain."

When he sat, she began, "The Bhuraders were close, too close. I wasn't here. I know you asked me to stay at home, but I didn't. Sorry. But there were few people close to River Willows." Derrian gave a confusing look. "I mean, Katharos. They would have killed those teens. There were four of them. So, I tried to distract them."

"You risked your life for some stupid teens?"

"They are humans, Derrian. I couldn't have just let them die. I thought I'll lose them. I did until another problem came up. While I was running from them and saving oeskas, I met a girl. She said that she had lost her way."

"So, you saved her?" Derrian said flatly.

She nodded.

He pressed his lips together.

"That isn't it. She was the one who killed them. They were close. We had no time to run. I asked her to help him take on the men."

Derrian shook his head, disapprovingly.

"I needed her help and gave her a can of oeskas to fight with those men but I didn't tell her about it."

"Does that matter now?"

Anacia frowned at his tone. "Once we took them down, I asked her to run as they may wake again. She didn't believe it. Knives could kill humans, especially brutal injuries. We argued a bit but two of them were dead, indeed; overdose of oeskas. She still thought that those whom I stabbed were dead too. Humans cannot feel their heartbeat but she was able to feel it. She could feel their pulse."

Derrian's astounded gaze met hers.

"She is an Erde," she whispered.

The night was filled with surprises. Everybody was dropping bombshells on him that left his staggered all over the place. "Did she know...?" he questioned.

"I don't think so. She...I think she was a tourist here. She had no idea that anything except humans exist. She can't be here. Moito will find her if she stays here for long."

Derrian knew she was right. He needed to warn that girl but it wouldn't be that easy if she had no idea who she really was. He had to find her before Moito did.

"Do you know her name?"

She nodded, "Roe."

He nodded back as his mind processed every word. Arathos was in desperate need of a powerful Erde. Their numbers were reducing. But he couldn't let Moito reach to Roe and force her to be this world's part. He knew where that would lead to.

"You know I could find-"

"No," he cut her off. "You're already in danger. I can't afford to lose you." He got up. "I should go before anyone finds out. Sleep tight." He kissed her forehead.

"Can you stay tonight?" Anacia pleaded. "My brain is all over the place. Please."

He smiled and nodded, "Anything for you, sister."

That night, while Anacia slept Derrian felt bad. As he stared at his sister's face, the weight of guilt increased. He had seen her face when he blamed her for killing those men. He couldn't believe that he accused Anacia of killing those men. He tugged her and kissed her forehead again. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry for not believing you. Forgive me."

That wasn't the only thing he was sorry for. He was sorry for bringing her into his world. He was sorry because he couldn't protect her, because he was not there when she wanted him to be.

"Forgive me," he repeated. As the first rays of sun penetrated through the windows, he left the house.