Her Dawning Empire: The Prophecy

Chapter 42

I placed the cup against the bedside table before going to the mirror at the end of the room. I brushed the wet strands of hair back again that kept making their way to my face. We had just finished eating, with Emut then going to have a shower also. I smiled as I thought of the reaction he had given when eating the fast food- a mix between confusion and appreciation. He had said it was very different to the food in Aaru, but not any less good.

"And how did you find the food?" I called out, looking in the mirror to see Demir lying on the bed behind me, arms behind his head. He shrugged his shoulders at this.

"What does it matter?" He asked and I rolled my eyes at his words as I picked up the bird necklace from the table and unclasped it.

"Forgive me for making small talk. I assumed I was talking to someone normal for a second." I muttered out sarcastically, distracted as I eyed the necklace. I heard him scoff before turning to gaze at his reflection as he lifted his head to look at me.

"No, Hanna, you assumed me as one to actually spare a thought about Earth and its food." He mused and I scowled at his words, putting the pendant around my neck and trying to clasp it.

"Careful, Demir. Your indifference towards everything could be your own undoing." I regarded him with a cold look, trying again to clasp the necklace and I watched as he huffed at my words.

"You speak as though anything, other than what I wish, will be my end. " He retorted and I let out a sigh, feeling the ache building in my arms.

"No, I speak as though I have a working brain which is more than I can say on your part." I taunted, but instead of replying, he stood up abruptly with an annoyed sigh.

"You really are good for nothing." He murmured to himself and before I could ask what he meant, he halted behind me and took the ends of the necklace out of my hands. I watched in shock as he tightened the necklace around my neck, his eyes looking to mine through the mirror. His hands were cold against my skin, sending a shiver up my spine as did the soft breaths he took as he fixed the arrangement of the pendant.

"Is this height fine?" He asked, his grey eyes piercing through mine. I nodded wordlessly at his words, feeling my cheeks heat up. He fixed the clasp on swiftly then before looking at it in the mirror. He kept his hands there as he looked at me, his hair falling into his eyes, making me take in an inhale of breath nervously.

"You know, you're as annoying as you are beautiful." He murmured, his voice feeling so close to my ear and then he was gone; walking back to the bed.

I felt my cheeks heat up at the compliment until I processed the last of his words, throwing the TV remote at him which he dodged with a smirk.

Emut chose then to make an entrance, looking to the two of us and the remote lodged in the plaster of the wall before turning to look at me and I smiled back sheepishly.

"Oops?"

*************

"How much more time?" I asked, to which the taxi driver turned to look at the rear view mirror.

"Just 2 more minutes." He said politely and I nodded, turning to gaze out the window.

I had lied.

I had told them I was just going to grab a drink from the vending machine. Of course, they had been against that too; Emut had forbidden it, seeing now that Anouke could very well be on Earth. I had responded with the fact that the vending machine was just a floor down and none of them knew how to use it. He had asked to accompany me then and I had argued back that, if I was the prophecy, I might as well do one thing alone. He had gone quiet at this, much to my relief.