Chapter 88: BATHTUB
“This way, Sir.”
Leon hurriedly pulled Oriana inside the VIP room Leon abruptly rented. Seeing their rings, the staff of the hotel together with the manager carefully took care of their needs.
“Leave us and make sure to secure the security. The First Ranks will march any moment.”
“Yes, Sir.” The manager answered swiftly and left. Good thing the hotel was under the Cerveil family, making it easier for both of them to stay without being worried of the possible attacks - if ever.
“Sir, what on earth is happening?” Said Oriana, wanting to pull her arm but unfortunately, Leon’s grip is stronger.
Leon glanced at the digital clock and cursed under his tongue. It’s almost time. He pulled his phone from his inside pocket together with the small box, handing one bottle to Oriana.
“Here. Drink this and I’ll call Lady-” He stopped when Oriana suddenly pulled his arms.
Bogsh.
Leon looked at Oriana and felt a sudden terror when he saw her lying on the floor, unconscious.
“Oriana!”
He started to rattle as his eyes scanned her skin. The black spots worsened. He cursed. He should have made her drink the potion while she was in the car. He stopped. Black spots and unconsciousness.
“If two signs happened, it means she swallowed a high amount and you’ll need to move faster.” Venice’s voice echoes through his ears.
Leon was trained under Natsuki and Ashriel so he was often calm, minus his temper. BUT, once Oriana was involved, his mind started to be in ruckus. He took a deep breath, remembering Venice’s instruction.
“Once you touch her, she will feel as if she was burning so you need to make sure she’ll be soaked in cold water. That will lessen the pain.” He remembered.
Seeing Oriana’s state, Leon took the opportunity to carry her while she still couldn't feel the pain. He quickly filled the tub with cold water and stopped. He remembered another instruction.
“After a few minutes, she’ll wake up and by that time, her mind will be distorted. It means she’ll have a hard time acknowledging people so even if you are close to her, it will be hard for her to acknowledge you.”
Leon seethed as his eyebrows met each other. “If something bad happens to her, Luis, I’m going to-” He stopped when he heard Oriana groaned. His heartbeat doubled.
He looked back to where he left Oriana and was taken back with how she looked. Her eyes, sharp as the dagger she was holding, spooked the hell out of Leon. But then he stopped. Where did she get her dagger?!
“Then she will become aggressive like a wild boar who only wanted to hurt people and will not be able to control herself just like what happened to the third squad.” Venice’s voice echoed through his ears again. Crap.
“Okay, Oriana-”
“YOU SON OF A BASTARD!”
Oriana fumed and started to charge towards Leon but he quickly dashed and leaped to the other side of the bathroom. Good thing the bathroom was huge enough for a mini battle.
“DIE! DIE YOU ASSHOLE!”
“Hey, watch your words. No reviling. Bad words produce bad things.” Leon uttered, dodging Oriana’s hands from stabbing him. He held her hand but she groaned so he quickly let her go, remembering Venice’s notes.
He scanned his inside pocket and luckily, the antidote was still intact. But then he frowned. How can he make her drink that if Oriana’s being like that?!
Oriana’s fingers tightened around her dagger hilt, then charged again with the sharp dagger aiming at Leon's flesh. He hissed. After all the dangerous adventures he had, he couldn’t die like this. No. The two of them can’t die.
Her anger was visible in her eyes. It was burning, ready to be triggered like a loaded gun. She was stronger now. As Leon reeled backward, Oriana struck again and again. Each time, he was able to parry, but not totally as he cannot and must not touch her.
“Argh.” He groaned silently when he felt the dagger slashed his palm. Blood started to spill and his hand unknowingly trembled with the sudden blood loss. Then, Oriana coughs.
“Okay, that’s it. We’re losing time. Please hold on for a bit.”
Oriana gasped and whimpered in pain when Leon grabbed her two arms and pushed her hard to the bathtub with running cold water. The moment his palms touched her, she felt as if her skin was being burned.
She tried to wrench herself free but it became useless when Leon tightened his grip.
“No more running.” He uttered and finally, he managed to reach the bathtub that wasn’t even that far. Oriana looked at Leon’s eyes angrily but stopped when she saw his eyes burning. It was as if…
Plink, plomp!
Oriana lurched, half blind because of the water when Leon pushed her down the bathtub. For a moment, everything for her stopped. Why was she being soaked? Why was she furious? What’s happening?
She gasped for air when Leon pulled her up. The burning sensation partly disappeared but not totally. She huffed and puffed. Being under the bathtub with an open shower was not a good idea.
“Made her drink that in any possible way. I made ten bottles just in case.” Leon suddenly remembered Venice’s words. He quickly fetched for the antidotes but suddenly, Oriana moved wildly like a flopping fish, causing a lot of bottles of antidotes to slip from his hands and shatter on the floor.
“The heck.”
Leon forcefully pushed Oriana down - though his palm stings, when she tried to stand and again, she moved ferociously, as if wanting to kill Leon so he had no choice. He sat on her lap and used his right hand to pin her two hands above her head. He felt the cold creeping through his spines but he didn't care.
“Arrgh!”
Leon bit the antidote’s cap and made Oriana drink it but she flipped her head sideways, wasting the antidote.
“Creepy cow! Drink it, will you!” He shouted, locking her legs.
Oriana’s face distorted and her eyebrows furrowed.
“Okay, I didn't mean that.” Leon blurted out apologetically. “So drink this!”
This time, Oriana moved her body more wildly and Leon started to slowly lose his grip to her. His hands started to feel numb from his deep wound plus the cold water.
She clenched her teeth, not wanting to open her mouth, and shifted her head left and right, making the other antidote spill. Leon bit his lips and cursed under his tongue. It’s the last antidote and he’s totally running out of time.
“Okay, you left me no choice then.”
Leon gulped and used his freehand to put the antidote in his mouth, cupped her chin and when she still refused to open her mouth, Leon pinched her side, causing her to gasp and Leon took it as an opportunity to devour her lips.
“Omph!”
Oriana’s eyes widened and she drew breath but then, a warm liquid filled her throat. She closed her eyes tightly as the bitter antidote burned her throat. She gawked when she felt Leon deepened the kiss. It was a rough one.
She wanted to convey her wish to be released, but to her confusion, she folded.
Leon’s hands cupped her neck and pulled her closer to him as their lips danced synchronously. Leon slowly bit Oriana’s lower lips, wanting to go more intense but then he stopped as he suddenly remembered the situation they were in.
“Get a grip of yourself, stupid.” He whispered to himself but then, Oriana lost her consciousness once again.
“Crap! What the hell is wrong?”
He flinched when his phone rang from a distance. He turned the shower off and answered his phone, still glancing at Oriana.
“I was about to call.” He said.
“How is she? Did you manage to give her the antidote?” Venice’s voice was filled with anxiousness.
Leon nodded. “Yes, Lady. But please come here as soon as possible. I’ll send the address.”
After a few seconds, Venice received the location.
“We’ll be there in a couple of minutes. Don’t worry, Natsuki will call the manager to prepare the rooftop for our helicopter.”
“Thank you.”
Leon swept Oriana’s hair away from her face before carrying her out of the tub, wrapping her with a towel. He pressed her body against his, and a foreign, soothing warmness, as to oppose the cold enveloped her through her clothes.
Leon was only relieved after he checked her heart was beating without any problems. Leon took his phone on the floor and checked the time, but his eyes kept falling on Oriana who was breathing slowly.
“Please be okay.”