[EVA'S POV]
Ace looks down teasingly at my transfixed self with a smile playing on his lips as I try to explain. I literally have a conversation with my mind, begging it to give me a suitable lie.
"Um, well Damaris was congratulating me on the patients'...well-being. And then I hugged him...me, not him." I say. "It's nothing, really. You don't have to be jealous."
He sighs and grabs my shoulders. "I'm not...jealous. I'm worried. You looked sad. Are you okay?"
"Oh I'm fine. I wasn't sad, you were just imagining things." I deny.
"Hm," He nods skeptically. "I'll choose to believe that. How many people did you heal today?" he asks, unfolding his arms.
His words make me uncomfortable and remind me again of the powers I just lost. How can I tell him about it? To distract him, I hook my arm with his and begin to lead him away from the clinic's entrance, before he notices the same number of sick people.
"Fifteen." I shamefully lie. "The usual. What did you find?"
Upon asking that question, I notice his anger building, as his jaw ticks and clenches. I wonder what was wrong. "Hudson is getting help. I never imagined he could, but he did."
"From who?" I ask.
"Ekon Khan. You know, the guy you once saw talking to Hudson with the lightning bolt on his armor?"
"Oh, so it is him! Is he your enemy or something?"
"He's not my enemy. He even barely knows me because I've spent most of my time here in the dungeon. He's Hudson's enemy, but they both managed to form an alliance against me." he explains. "People will put their enmity aside for anything."
I feel my mind getting filled with paranoia, and I tense a little as I ask: "So there is going to be an attack?"
"Yes." he replies.
"There is going to be blood and stuff everywhere?" I ask again, not actually wanting to. But I needed to, not that the obvious answer will calm me down.
He nods. "Yes, including Hudson's blood."
Gah! That's going to be ugly and repulsive. "I wish I didn't have to see any of that." I blurt out foolishly.
He sighs and stops walking to face me. "Then don't. You can just leave. Exyclott is no longer safe. Don't you understand? You don't have to feel guilty."
"Like I said, no one is going to hurt me. Well, because of my healing abilities.... " I trail off. What am I doing? What am I saying? This is not reassuring, this is stupid. I have no powers. I can't protect anyone anymore. Not even myself.
"Eva?" Ace calls, bringing me back to reality. "Are you okay? You hesitated."
"No. I'm...I'm fine. I was just..."
"You're scared." he claims, putting my face between his palms. "I can see it in your eyes. I don't like seeing you like this. It makes me scared too. So please leave. Okay?"
He's pleading. I don't want to leave him alone. But I can't protect him either. And if he finds out, he'll personally drag me away from Exyclott. And I don't want any of that.
"Okay." I give in, bowing my head.
"Eva." he calls, his voice gruff and serious. "Look at me."
I slowly tilt up my head and meet his green entrancing eyes. They immediately soften.
"I'll be fine. I'll come back for you...alive. And then you can kiss me all day and have me all to yourself."
I smile a little. "I want to have every part of your body to myself. Every part. No bone broken."
He grins. "You will."
I stand on my toes and peck his lips and then I wrap my arms around him in a tight embrace. My arms could barely engulf his whole body. But it was still good, even better when he returned the hug.
"I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Just a few cuts and scratches, but I'll be fine." he says. "Now go. The car we rode here is still at the border. Moros will escort you there, and then you'll drive away."
I let go off him and wince. "Ace..."
"Now. Don't pack your clothes or anything. Just leave. Moros will be there to protect you on your way to the border."
I nod as I see Moros rushing towards us.
"My Lady." he bows.
"Take her away. Drag her away if she's being stubborn or tries to change her mind." Ace says sternly. Moros nods and Ace walks away, not sparing me another glance. I stare at his back as he walks away, until he's no longer in my line of sight. I try to control myself from breaking down there and then, hoping that wasn't the last time I kissed him or hugged him or seen him.
"Shall we go, My Lady?" Moros asks.
I nod meekly and start following behind him like the guilty and unwillingly woman I am. When we are finally outside the palace, Moros stops walking and turns to me.
"I'm going to get a horse." he tells me.
"Can't you just levitate me over to the border?" I ask.
"Will you be fine with that? You might be scared of heights."
I rub my neck together in thought. I've seen these folks levitate before. And they moved in the air like some supersonic trains. No, I don't want to puke.
"You're right. We should take a horse." I say.
"Wait here, My Lady. I'll be back." he says. I nod in compliance and he rushes away to get a horse. I rock myself childishly on my heels, waiting and trying to calm myself down. I'm going to meet Baxter, he'll help with my anxiety. And Ace is not going to die. Otis will be fine, I'll adopt him. He's a good kid. Hudson will rot in hell. Everything will fall in place....
Just then, my hair is whipped forwards as if it had been blown by a hair dryer. A gush of wind passes over me, startling me. I turn to look to my right and I see several men, fully armed, dashing into the palace discretely. I couldn't get a face, because they were moving really fast. Yes, like Quicksilver.
But their armors were different. The ones I saw Moros and Ace wear were navy green but these were golden brown? Or did they get a new uniform? Perhaps Ace didn't like the color green? But Exyclottans didn't move that fast. Oh no, that means they were from....
"Elvaris!" I hear myself exclaim.
"My Lady?" Moros suddenly appears beside me with a beautiful white horse.
"They are here! Ekon's men are here, Moros! We should go and warn Ace!" I say urgently.
"My Lady...."
"Yes I'm sure! I saw them move very quickly towards the palace. Look, we should go now."
Before Moros could say anything else, I was already running towards the palace like my hair was on fire. My long white gown was slowing me down, but it would not stop me!
But then when I finally enter the palace, there's already chaos and I'm in it...
❇
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