The darkroom, no longer the door open, no light inside, absolutely no way out, wasn't a reassurance, yet something. She ran the matchstick against the box, the sizzling sound of the fire startled the bleeding nerves of the man fallen on the floor against the wall. She lit the candle, a dim light spilled in the room. The man watched the flame flickering, which was sheltered by her cupped hand.
She gave a mocking smile at the man and quickly drew her lips back to normal. Placing the candle over the cardboard box containing ropes and trashy clothes, she slowly walked towards him, faint shadow flickering on the wall behind her.
"Why bustling about my bar?" she asked keeping her tone casual, however assuming a rigid crouching pose, fists dangerously out. "You blokes have been coming and going freely as though a common cold. What's going on, huh?"
He was shivering and struggling to sit upright. Streaks of blood spewed down from the corner of his mouth. He spat the dark fluid on the floor and tensely grinned. "If I tell you Shourya will kill me. If I don't then you'll kill me. So I better volunteer. Go ahead. Rip my head off."
She gently shook her head. "I don't kill. Haven't stooped down to that level yet."
He remained silent. Eyes distant. Blood leaking.
"The most powerful one doesn't even know how powerful she is, why did you say that?" Celina asked. "What's Shashi planning?"
Silent.
She tossed a thin layer of purple strands of hair back, keeping it from covering her eye, her curious heart beating profoundly. "Look, just say it. I might actually reward your honesty by letting you join my clan. I'll keep you safe you from Shashi and Shourya. It' s a deal. All you have to do is to tell me the truth."
"Shashi wants you dead. He cannot let you be anywhere near the academy."
She rolled her eyes. "So I thought. The way you guys are playing with me has given me that idea. He wants to create an illusion that my clan is in danger, right? I'd be here round the clock and that clears the way to go after others. Hmm...why, though? Why does he believe that I'm some kind of an obstacle?"
He stayed mum again. As per her wishes, the wind whistled furiously inside the room, shadows on the wall jittered.
He gulped, his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat. "The fight over Uilani Hill between the Formation Samagraha and Shashi revealed a lot of truth about you."
"Which is what?"
He sniffed. "Shashi sensed, what he called, an ability. There's this link, and at that moment the reasoning behind it was by no means certain. He did his research and now he is aware of it. Although he needed Zarina Khan's help for the confirmation. And even after knowing the truth, he still waited. He was patient and later thirsted with excitement when he came to know that you left the academy for good. He is going to take full opportunity of your resignation from the academy."
Her heart slammed into her gut. "What in the world is happening in the academy?"
Was that the reason why none of her friends were able to contact her? Were they in some sort of danger? And Doctor too?
"All I know that Shashi wants you to be separated from the rest of them."
"Why?" She asked, leaning down completely on her knee. A desire to get more details raged in her heart.
The man sniffed again. "As long as you are in the academy, Shashi or anyone practicing the typical dark magic cannot enter the academy, because of this link you have with Almourah."
YOU ARE READING
(Book 5) Hayden Mackay and The Pride of Haima-Endira
Fantasy"I am really sorry," I whispered, "I always knew that it was terrible, but I could never have guessed, not even in my dreams, that people of this country can cross all the limits." "Not all the people," she said, softly yet sternly, "Just a few. Oth...
