Zackory - a fateful touch (Vol. 2) ✅

Chapter 8

Sighing, Zack closed another book and put it back. He had scoured numerous shelves on the subject of caves or rocks. Nothing seemed to match the description in the note. What could be meant by 'edge of the well'? He didn't believe that it was meant literally, because that had not been the case in the previous reference. Maybe it had something to do with the name.

Steps approached from the left. "Hello, sweetheart," said a female voice. Zack turned around, then he began to grin.

"Rika!" he said, hugging his best friend. "Heaven, I missed you. It's been three months now, hasn't it? How did the search go with Kara, were you successful?" he added in an excited voice.

Rika laughed and said with a victory sign: "Of course we were. There's a Prada bag in there for me." He had missed her. It had been a long time, more than a few weeks, since they had been separated from each other.

"But Zack, what are you doing here? Aren't you working on an assignment right now?"

Zack's face became neutral. Rika sensed that something was wrong. "Yes, I am. I'm here because I can't get any further with this hint. That's why I ask for your help, after all, you are the best of the best."

"What is it about? Who do you work for?" asked Rika.

Zack bit his lower lip. "I'm not allowed to tell you for whom and what exactly I'm looking for."

Rika sensed that Zack was wrestling with himself. He wanted to tell her but was not allowed to. There had to be a valid reason for this. The simplest was that this knowledge could endanger her or someone Zack loved. She knew her boy well enough that she knew when she was better off remaining silent. "I heard we have a guest," she said, distracting Zack from the topic. She saw Zack's face warp. Was that a surprise? Joy? Anger? Shame? On Zack's face, there was a spectacle of numerous emotions which confused Rika a bit, since Zack was actually a very balanced person.

Zack cleared his throat. "He's just resting in my room. I'll go briefly greet Kara. The only one missing is Seira."

"I saw Seira go to her room two minutes ago," Rika said.

"Great! Then we'll meet in ten minutes downstairs in the common room, I'll let the others know." Zack said before leaving to find the others.

Rika was left alone. She went up the stairs to the third floor. There was a demon waiting there, leaning against the railing with his forearms. "Did you eavesdrop on us?" she asked the demon.

"You knew I was standing here – I didn't hide my scent or presence." Cold as always. Zack probably hadn't noticed him because he had already gotten used to his presence and scent. After all, Lucan had accompanied him for some time.

She looked at the demon, saw his glowing eyes chasing Zack, who went to Kara's room. Already at the party she had noticed Lucan's looks. "What do you want from Zackory?" she asked him directly. Finally, Lucan turned to her and looked at her.

Lucan looked at the demon. Long brown, curly hair fell like a waterfall over her shoulders and reached down to her hips. Examining brown eyes stared at him and an unyielding look was encased in them. Her whole posture said, you don't scare me. She was truly a beauty, but nothing came close to Zack. "We are on a common search. Besides, it's nobody's business what I want from him," he said in a monotonous voice.

Rika stepped closer to him. "If you hurt him-"

"I can't do that. I can't hurt him. I will protect him with everything I have," he interrupted.

She had hoped she was wrong, but his reaction only reinforced her suspicions. "You can't have him. He will never let you in, neither into his heart nor his body."