wait for me [illumi zoldyck]

50. Bold and Beyond

Mia

He looms in a dark corner of the cave, hiding behind lingering shadows which have been neglected by the glowing bug-light and the luminescent water within the cave. But I can still recognize his tall figure and striking golden eyes that almost seem to glow.

"What do you want from me, Cyrus?" I ask, my voice wavering slightly out of fear.

It only dawns on me now that the cave I brought myself to is the one in Cyrus's territory, and not the one near Kyser's home. I don't know why it took me this long to realize.

Kyser told me that he chose to bring me to this cave, at first, because the magic that manifests here is the most retentive in the entire immortal realm, which would be great for practicing my magic. It just happened to be in Cyrus' territory though.

At the time, Kyser believed that Cyrus would not bother to harm me since he was there to protect me. But now Kyser has no idea that I've come here, and Cyrus has found me all alone.

"I just wanted to have a good look at you," Cyrus hums, not moving from where he stands, in the darker part of the cave. He makes no move to approach me or to attack. "Kyser made that impossibly difficult the last time you paid a visit."

I can feel my heart loudly beating in my chest, nerves building up. My mind is racing, trying to figure a way out of here before Cyrus has the chance to do anything to me.

I feel absolutely drained, and I don't know if I'll have the energy to be able to transport myself out of here. Talking to Illumi through the water mirror drained every bit of magic from me. I'm still not even sure how to do it at will.

"Are you going to kill me?" I ask, knowing how stupid it is for me to bring up the subject. If the idea hadn't crossed his mind before, it certainly has now.

Kyser chuckles darkly. "Now, why would I do that?" he asks, tilting his head to the side slyly. He's toying with me.

I remain seated on my knees, not wanting to get any closer to the immortal before me. If I let my attention stray for even a second, he may take that opportunity to kill me.

"I know about your motives. Kyser told me about all of the things you've done," I point out, not allowing any room for Cyrus to try to fool me into thinking that he's innocent.

A wicked grin finds its way onto his features, as he regards me coldly. "And what exactly did that entail?" he hums, as though recalling his corrupt past is nothing but amusing.

I hesitate for a moment. "You killed other immortals for their magic. You tried to kill Kyser once, and if it wasn't for my great-grandmother he would have died."

I slap a hand over my mouth, unwillingly sharing more than I intended to. My eyes burn into Cyrus', too afraid to let myself continue talking. Is he using his magic on me?

I swear I notice him flinch. He does an excellent job at masking his emotions though, almost immediately recovering from his slip up at my words. I can't tell what he's thinking.

"You know nothing," Cyrus mutters, leaning against the wall of the cave. His expression has changed from playful to serious, in an instant. "I have no motive to kill you, child. Don't believe the string of lies that Kyser has so beautifully woven in his favor. You have no reason to fear me. For, if I wanted you dead, it would have happened long ago."

"So, why visit me then? Why come here?" I press, brows furrowing.

Cyrus is right. If he wanted me dead, it would have already happened long ago. He had the perfect opportunity to attack me while I was speaking with Illumi, assuming that he was there the whole time.