(Book 5) Hayden Mackay and The Pride of Haima-Endira

29.2 Take a Hint

"You sent him away?!" She yelled, "Why would you do that?"

"Because I'm an idiot, alright!" I retorted, with a harsh tone that the disabled person like herself got startled. I rubbed my nape feeling sorry for making her feel offended. She deserved a fair explanation and I intended to give a quick one. "It was tiring. Neither of us was brave enough to admit that we had enough of each other. He did try to remain patient with me for all these months but there was a limit. It was too depressing. I couldn't let him stay."

The rush of the waterfall was drastically loud amidst the silence between us, both of us locked in our own thoughts. She had her brows creased and turned aside staring blankly at the group of rabbits crossing the adjacent island. "This is not good," she whispered. "Not good at all."

I waved my hand in front of her face. "Keep looking at me. Okay? This time, I'm not here to beat around the bush." She turned back towards me and gazed intently at my lips. "Nazira, I don't know what you're doing, but you're here, somehow- for me- to help me get through this job. All these months you've lent a few supportive words and encouragement, it was nice. But it isn't all you're capable of."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. Enough of this 'figure out the weakness' nonsense. It's wasting my time. Just tell me what it is."

"This is your dream. You tell me."

"Cut the crap, Nazira," I yelled, "It's hard enough without you saying stuff like that. Stop making the worst of it."

"What do you mean?"

"Dream, is it? Then why does everything feel so real? Why does your presence feel so real?"

"That is what I am saying. Whatever you feel is not real. It is just a beautiful, colorful fantasy of yours that cannot and shouldn't come true. Trust me!"

The sincerity in her voice let me take her for granted. "Fine. Just like how you mentioned earlier. A figment of imagination, it is. So be it. But I've got no time to talk about us and our future of the country anymore. I'm in a really bad situation. Give me one tip that can help me defeat him. Please. Nazira, help me."

She slightly shook her head, her chin trembled. "I've been asking you to study his way of fighting back. Every second of it is important. I told you dark magic users are always weaker than a Samagraha when it comes to a fight. Three months, you've literally lived with him. None has seen him from so close except you. So you tell me. Give me one tip, that'll help me help you defeat him."

Irritation rose. "I told you everything. Every darn thing. And I have no idea what you else you want from me."

"Hayden, take a breathe and listen to me," she said, "Every dark magic user has a flaw. They are never perfect. To have a flaw is a policy. The user must and should accept the flaw and then seek for a source to conceal it. They cannot get rid of it for good, they conceal it. Like...your nails grow and you cannot stop. Because to grow is its nature. Or Shashi Thribhuvan. He needs to preserve his original body in order to make his soul capable to transfer from one body to another. Are you getting what I'm saying?"

"I understand that. You've told me that quite a few times. But believe me, I did tell you every snippet of information but unfortunately, none of them matched your requirements. What is it that you're really looking for?"

She stared hard at me, anger making her eyes, bigger than usual. She looked dangerously like the way I'd been seeing her in my mind lately- stern and demanding and everything unlike the Nazira I initially met and fallen for. "By the end of next month," she said, "you have to finish the job. The ritual is on August fifth. You remember the ritual I told you about? It is the day the clan gathers to increase their number. You cannot miss that date."