Algernon Black

(Chapter 53) Exasperated Irritation

Selice hunkered in the back workshop of Lux's shop. She'd sheltered herself there for the greater part of the day but now faced the dire challenge of having to use the bathroom. And leaving the safety of the bunker meant she might see Loy.

With painstaking caution, she opened the door and checked her surroundings.

"Is he gone?" Loy whispered behind her.

Selice jumped out of her skin and around to see him. Loy smirked as he slowly backed away. "You can't hide from me forever, Selice. Not with how poor you are at it."

Selice pursed her lips together while fidgeting with her nails. "I wasn't hiding."

Loy noticed the obvious lie as he also noticed how fear had made her shrink into herself. "How far along are you with everything anyways? We have a schedule to keep, and need to get our move on."

"I'm almost done," Selice said timidly. They had only arrived two days ago, but she had absorbed everything Lux had to teach her and was currently building off his inventions by trying to get the toy mouse to run on her theory of regenerating charge.

"Excellent," Loy said. He smelled like the musky bourbon from the inn where he'd been spending his time of the late. "Then we can head off tomorrow morning."

Selice looked down when she met Loy's eyes, something she hadn't done since her secret's revelation. "Why do I have to come? If you want me to fix the problems of the cloud lands, shouldn't I work here?"

"There are a few more problems you need to fix, Selice."

"What problems?"

"Personal ones."

Selice grimaced. "You said the same thing last time, what do you mean?"

Loy gazed off into the distance looking as if he hadn't even registered her question, before turning back to notice her dissatisfied pout. "You've become much cuter lately." He teased, grabbing her cheeks between his fingers and pushing out her lips. "Since I let loose your secret."

Selice's flushed pale white. "You're really not going to punish me for that?"

"Well, I didn't say that" Loy smirked as Selice's face dropped. "But your life is safe in my hands. Perhaps not your body though." He added, examining the subtle shape of it through her boxy clothes.

Selice's whiten faced suddenly reddened as Loy smiled his lopsided grin down at her. The one he' d been mocking her with all her life. "Stop joking," She loudly grumbled.

Loy took half a step back, surprised to hear the subtle rise to anger. "You've been making fun of me all this time," Selice said, nearly shaking from a combination of nerves and anger, "You knew my secret, and you did all of those horrible things to humiliate me."

"Selice-" Loy tried to interrupt.

"You're spoiled and selfish, and I hate you." She spat, her shoulders shaking from the emotions pouring out. "It's been so hard on me all of these years, and you've only been making it worse just for your own entertainment." Selice finally made eye contact with him, and her shoulders squared. "Even if I'm just a servant my life still doesn't deserve to be treated like a toy for your pleasure, you psychotic prince."

Loy's eyes were wide open as he watched her so ardently stand up for herself for the first time in her life. She herself looked exhausted after getting so much off her chest and he smiled. "Are you done now?"

Selice huffed feeling as if she had just thrown away a thousand-pound load. "No."

But it was clear to Loy there was no fight in her left to take out on him. "I have nothing to say to you," He approached her slowly and pulled out her necklace. "I can't give you an apology, because I don't feel any remorse, and what good would one be anyways?"

Selice glared up at him with hateful vigor. "You truly are a psychopath Loy," She said softly, her voice strained from the heavy emotional exertions.

He smiled down at her and brushed his thumb over the necklace. "I know," He said, leaning forward. "That's why I have so much fun."

Loy's face grew closer and closer to her own, and in Selice's exhaustion, she wasn't quick to register how strange a thing that was. Not until he was so close, she lost sight of the blue in his eyes and saw only the black of his pupils. Loy was half a centimeter apart from finishing the kiss, taking full advantage of the luck that allowed him to get so close to Selice without her pulling away.

"Shut up Loy." Selice artfully articulated each syllable in her trademark exasperated irritation reserved and used only for the prince, before storming off.

Loy watched as she left, more than pleased to have dragged out such a severe reaction.

Lux came in right after with a basket of bread to offer his guest. "Where is Selice off too in such a hurry?"

Loy smirked and took one of the rolls. "Bathroom."