Blood Pact

Chapter 7 - Inconvenient

"I don't know what you did, but just because you can sense magic now doesn't make you special. In fact, what you just showed us now was pathetic by the academy standards." Says Lucith.

Irillium sighs. "Yes yes. Ok Lucith." She says dismissively while turning to head up the stairs.

"Remember your place Irillium." He says. *Or I'll make you remember.* He thinks to himself.

...

"My, that was... Interesting. I take it you don't have the best relationship with your siblings?" Says Yosen, crawling off of Irillium's shoulder.

"Oh no. Him and I are best friends, couldn't you tell?" Irillium says sarcastically.

"How many people live in this house with you, and what's your relationship like with everyone? Im asking since I'm your 'familiar' now and it's good to know who my master does and doesn't like." He says inquisitively.

"There's six of us in total. My father, Victor, he and I get along well. Then there's his eldest son, Lucith, whom you also just met, and you can probably guess the relationship from that short interaction. Then there's the second eldest, Lina, her and I don't really talk much but there's no animosity. After that it's the third eldest, Galvin... Don't even get me started on that one. And then it's Maya, the youngest. She's the sweetest of them all and since she was still quite small when I came into this house, she didn't have trouble adapting to me being her big sister." She says.

"Came into this house?" Yosen says curiously.

"I'm an orphan." She says.

"I see." He says.

"I'm going to bed. I'm feeling exhausted after everything that's happened today." She says to Yosen.

Yosen transforms into his humanoid form, and sits down on the chair at Irillium's desk. "What if I could make you stronger." He says.

Irillium, who is already lying under her duvet, turns onto her back and stares up at the ceiling. "Stronger?" She says.

"Yes, stronger. It seems to me that this isn't the first time you've been mocked for being weak." He says.

"You're right, it's not." She says.

"Then why don't you let me help you my dear? I can teach you ancient skills and techniques that no one else in the mortal realm is capable of getting their hands on. With time and dedication, you could become the strongest of your kind. And no one would dare look down on you." He says, walking closer to her.

*Looking down on me, huh...* She thinks. Irillium stays in a daze for a moment.

*Looks like she's going to take the offer.* Yosen thinks.

"No, there's no need." Irillium says abruptly.

"Wait, but why? You could have infinite power at your hands and be feared by all. Why would you decline?!" He says.

"Firstly, I don't trust you. And secondly, I don't want to be feared or infinitely powerful. I just want to live a peaceful, normal life with people that I cherish." She says.

*Ew... I didn't take her for that type.* He thinks to himself. "Well if you ever change your mind, the offer is there." He says.

The suns last rays disappear behind the horizon, and the room darkens. "You can sleep on the floor. Good night Yosen." She says.

Yosen looks at the floor, then at Irillium. He sighs, letting go of the resentment building up in him. "Good night my dear." He says begrudgingly. He sits down and leans his back against the wall behind him.

...

The sun creeps in through the window and shines on Yosen's face. His eye twitches from the disturbance, and he wakes up with a frown. *That was the worst sleep I've ever had in my entire life. Even sleeping in the box was better.* He thinks to himself.

He stands up, dusting off his pants and turns his attention to Irillium who is still sleeping. "Look at you sleeping so sound." He says. He looms over her and brushes the back of his hand against her face. "So ungaurded..." He says.

He leans in closer, examining her features. *It's a pity she's got such a personality, otherwise she'd be quite attractive.* He thinks, removing his hand from her cheek and standing up straight again. He sighs. "It's not like I can wake you up... I wonder how long I'll have to stand here." He says softly to himself.

A small groan reaches his ears and his attention is pulled back to Irillium. Her face is contorted in pain and her movement are starting to become restless. *What's this about?* He thinks as he steps closer to her again.

*Maybe I should wake her up afterall. I'm feeling the same emotional disturbance as yesterday when she went to bath.* He thinks. Yosen reaches out his hand to wake her up, but his actions freeze when a tear rolls down the corner of Irillium's eye and she begins lightly sobbing in her sleep. "Oh..." He says, wiping away her tear. His eyes become blurred and a tear slides out.

"This damn blood pact. Has me feeling everything she does." He says as he wipes his own tear away, clearly unimpressed. "Alright my dear. It's time to wake up no-." He says as he turns away, but just as he does he feels something grasp his hand.

End of chapter 7