Chapter 58: 58__Lying in wait

Maia had been staring darkly at him the entire time, her gaze holding thunderbolts and curses. It was Rogan’s good luck that she didn’t have the power to unleash either of the two on him.

With a scoff, she turned her face away as they walked side-by-side, the crowd always parting for their Master Rogan and his long, dark Sorcerer’s coat.

Maia scrunched her nose at the coat. She ought to soak it in skunk pee. That’s what he deserved for lightly answering her question earlier.

He’d very vaguely explained what happened, that it wasn’t a big deal and that Zainab had a few loose screws as if seeing someone’s butt nakedness wasn’t a big deal! Maybe it wasn’t to Rogan, as old a Sorcerer as he was, but it meant plenty to Maia! She shook her head disapprovingly.

They were on their way to the Hostel, Rogan having murmured that he had to look into something so he’d be leaving her there. She looked at him. She wondered what he needed to do. He had looked pretty serious about it.

She squinted at him. Was it just her or was his hair turning from its usual platinum blonde to a more golden blonde? It could have been lack of sleep, but Maia was sure she saw streaks of gold in his hair.

Too busy staring at Rogan, she didn’t see the huge cart hobbling towards her from around a corner.

“Miss!” called the man behind it, his eyes wide in alarm.

Desperate to avoid an accident, he wrenched his cart to the side, fighting to maintain control on the heavy load.

A hand jerked Maia away, arms wrapping around her as Rogan moved her away from the small accident.

With a sharp squeak, one of the wheels of the cart caught on a dip in the street stones and the load went tipping over.

Loud crashes filled the air as the man’s merchandise fell onto the cobblestones, shattering.

Maia looked wide-eyed down at the disaster. Mirrors. About one hundred mirrors of different shapes and sizes, all shattered.

“Oh, no!” she gasped, looking wide-eyed at the merchant sitting dejectedly on the street next to his broken mirrors. “I’m so sorry! L-let me help!”

She lunged for a pile of broken mirrors, gathering them in her hands. With a curse, Rogan yanked her back so fast, Maia saw stars.

“It’s broken glass!” he scolded, grabbing both her hands in his and lifting them so he could study her palms. “Why would you foolishly grab it that way?”

Maia shook her head. “You don’t understand,” she whispered. “Breaking mirrors brings bad luck, especially if the owner of the mirror is displeased!” She turned to the merchant. “Please, let me help you—”

Rogan pulled her back, giving her a stern look. “Stop it. If your hands get cut to ribbons, I will not waste my magic on your stubborn ass.”

Maia scrunched her nose at him. What a stingy Sorcerer, and when he had endless supply of magic in his fingertips too!

Rogan pressed his lips together reached a hand out to the merchant. With a grateful nod, the man tried to take his hand. Rogan snatched it back with a frown.

“I wasn’t offering to help you up,” he spat.

The man blinked in confusion, but then Rogan stretched his hand out again and they watched as he brought forth magic and formed a purple jewel in the palm of his hand.

The merchant’s eyes grew twice their normal size as he stared at the precious stone, glimmering in the palm of Rogan’s hand.

“Take it,” Rogan said. It wasn’t half a second later when the merchant pounced onto his hand and snatched the jewel. Rogan released a breath. “That’s to pay for your things.”

Without another word, he took Maia’s wrist and marched away from there.

Maia was wide-eyed as he dragged her along. “What am I going to do about the one-hundred mirrors worth of bad luck?! I… I don’t think I will live long enough to carry all of it.” She gasped. “What if it goes onto our following generation?”

There was a falter in Rogan’s steps but he kept walking, his brows drawing together. “*Our* following generation?”

Maia nodded. “Yes. Our children and their children.”

The words were like a brick on the back of Rogan’s head. Still walking, he looked back at her, wearing shock on his face. “First of all… when the *hell* did you make the decision that we’re having brats?”

Maia looked appalled. “Why would we not have kids?!”

“Who said we *would*?! Who said we have any such plans together?!”

“I did! Why? Did you think just because you went and saw the Princess’ naked body, I would let you get away?” She snarled. “I’ll axe your butt cheeks off next time you do that!”

Rogan released a disbelieving breath and turned back around, shaking his head. “You’re insane,” he whispered. She really was. She was crazier than him. Why the hell would she want to have kids with him? That literally made no sense.

“I really will!” Maia was saying. “I’ll put a sword on the fire and make it hot so I can torture you like I read i-in that book!”

Rogan brought her to a pause at a stall.

“Stop talking nonsense, Ragskins,” he murmured as he picked up a bracelet from the displayed objects.

“Hello, you two!” greeted the Gemini butterfly woman behind the table.

Maia beamed. “Hello, Nana! How have you b—”

“Hello, fine, thanks and you?” Rogan murmured half-heartedly to the lady, dropping money and dragging Maia away.

“Bye, Nana!” she called as she got dragged away. Turning back to Rogan, she frowned. “Rogan, that was rude.”

“Bite me,” he murmured.

With a nod, Maia sunk her teeth into his arm.

Rogan put two fingers on her forehead and nudged her off as he tugged her into an alley.

Maia looked at him with scorn. “You said to bite you.”

He smirked as he made her face him. “You did plenty of that last night, Maia.”

Her face went slack, spots of red starting on her cheeks and slowly flaming to the rest of her face. “Why… why would you say that out loud?!”

Rogan clutched the bracelet tightly in his hand, putting his power into it as he continued to smirk at her.

“Why?” he said, barely keeping his mouth from splitting into the grin tugging at his lips. “Do you want me to remind you of what you said, Maia?”

She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling her face turn into a hot little stove plate. “Rogan, don’t.”

His lips finally curved into a sadistic grin. “Oh, baby, you begged me to fu— mmf!”

Rogan jerked, his chest aching from the punch Maia landed right onto his chest, her cheeks flaming.

He shook with silent laughter, clenching his teeth at the pain. Goddamn, his wounds hurt.

“Don’t say it!” Maia hissed quietly, her top lip curled in a sneer she’d seen him do once.

He rolled his eyes, straightening. “Okay, fine! I’ll save it for when I need to blackmail you.”

Maia opened her mouth to argue, but he tugged her hand forward, silencing her when he lowered his head like he would kiss her.

She blinked down at her hand as she felt him easily slipped the bracelet onto her wrist. “What’s this?” She looked up at him, still rosy cheeked. “A… a gift?”

Rogan looked up from the bracelet to her face as she stared at him. He looked at her for a moment. From her wide, expectant grey eyes, to her pretty pink mouth and all the red-cheeked cuteness around it. Her face was so goddamn cute, it almost pissed him off. His jaw clenched a little as he stared at her. Why did this foolish human want to have a family with him? Didn’t she know better?

Slowly, he nodded. “A gift. It’s special so do not lose it or even damage it.” He raised a hand, squishing her cheeks in as he raised her face. “Okay?”

Maia’s lips slowly curved into a tiny smile between her squished cheeks, her eyes twinkling. “Okay.”

He released her face and she raised her wrist, looking at the purple swirling in the sparkling diamond beads of the bracelet. “Wow. It’s so pretty…”

She continued to stare at it in awe, the delight clearly written on her face. Rogan watched her, his own eyes filled with awe. An awe he was unaware of.

Breaking his stare, he glanced at the Hostel and took her hand. “Come.”

He tugged her across the vast street, stopping before the Hostel gates which he threw open.

Maia watched him knock on the door, his expression unreadable even when he looked at her.

The doors were tugged open and a pink-cheeked, colourful-haired girl poked her hair out. “Hi, Maia!”

Rogan looked at her. “Clover, take Maia inside. Tell Cassie to not let her out of her sight. What did I say?”

Clover nodded, taking Maia’s hand. “Cassie should not let Maia out of her sight.”

“Good.” Rogan turned to Maia, grasping her wrist to give the bracelet one final look. He nodded. The magic was working well. The bracelet would protect her while he went to find out what the hell had happened inside of him. Raising his gaze, he looked at her. “Go inside. I’ll come and get you later.”

Maia nodded, turning to head in. “Oh, wait!” She turned back to him.

“What is it?”

“I was thinking,” she said. “Since you gave me a present, while you’re gone, I should try my best to find out more about Trojans! Right? To be honest, I’ve been feeling a little bad because I never held up my half of our deal. So I will work harder to help you find Trojans! Good?”

He looked at her silently for a moment. Finally, he simply nodded. “Okay. Good. See you when I get back.”

Not waiting to hear anything more, he walked off into the crowd. Maia watched him go until the back of his blonde head and the bottom of his coat was out of her sight.

“Okay, he’s gone, let’s go!” Clover piped, tugging Maia with her.

Shrieking from the strength with which she was pulled, Maia grabbed the door post as they entered the house.

There was a sudden, sharp tug at her wrist and Maia heard something snap.

Alarmed, Maia paused and looked down only to see a beautiful silver chain dangling on a nook in the doorpost as all the sparkling diamonds scattered across the floor.

A huge gasp opened her mouth wide. “Clover! My bracelet!”

Wide eyed, Clover looked down at the scattered jewels. “Oh, no! I’m sorry. Let me fix it! We can fix it!”

Trying to hang onto that bit of reassurance, Maia started to pick up the scattered jewels, but one by one, they turned into purple vapor and vanished out of her sight.

Clover smacked a hand over her mouth in shock.

Stunned, Maia stared weakly at her empty hands. “Oh, no… t-that… that was a gift from Rogan. He said not to break it, he’s going to be *so* angry…”

Equally scared of Rogan’s wrath, Clover bit her lip in silence.

Like she’d been charged with electricity, Maia lurched upright and looked at Clover with wide eyes. “I know what to do! Uhm… let’s get another one… and replace this one before Rogan finds out!”

Clover nodded, immediately hurrying out of the house in her unicorn onesie and pulling the door closed. “Let’s go!”

Hand-in-hand, they left the Hostel.

Together, they ran all the way to the lady with the jewellery stall to buy the most similar diamond bracelet they could find.

They spent a few minutes there, going back and forth over which jewels were most similar, unaware.

Unaware of anybody else around them.

Strolling easily past the girls whilst keeping an eye on them, they walked towards the Hostel and stood near the dark alley.

Lying in wait.

Their leader smiled as he watched the two girls return. He hadn’t felt an ounce of the Sorcerer’s power around the girl. It was nearly too good to be true that Rogan had left her so unprotected.

*Finally*. She was all theirs.