Chapter 54: Skol Again

Chapter 54: Skol Again
LILAC

"Sunshine!"

Issy's voice travels over to me as I step out of my final class for the day. Heavens, I have so missed that voice and the owner too. I turn around to see her speeding from the sidewalk and when she finally crashes into me in a bear hug, I welcome it openly. There are three other people behind her though, Perez, Raul, Emery, and I remember I have not seen any of them since Nino and Olivia's death. What are they doing here though? Perez I can understand since he attends our school. They probably came to see Issy.

Issy steps back from the hug, a bug grin on my face as she all but access me. "Girl, you've been scarce!" She tells me.

I roll my eyes at her dramatic emphasis. "I have not. We still saw the last time Kael and I came for dinner at the palace."

"Oh please, that doesn't count. We didn't even get to talk," She argues.

"Hi Raul. Hi Emery!" I grin at them as they finally come to stand beside us, purposely ignoring Perez.

"Hey Lilac," Perez greets me.

"The last time you saw me Peeby, you totally ignored me," I comment as I remember what had happened at the mating ceremony when he sat with Beryl.

"I did ignore you, didn't I," He sounds so remorseful saying that. "You will certainly not believe why I did."

"I don't think anything would shock me anymore in Lycania," I reply.

"Well i was trying to gain points with the General. I thought Beryl could put in a good word for me so that I can be allowed to work at the CPD."

"What's the CPD?"

"The Lyncs consists of two divisions the Crime and Patrol Division, which is the CPD and War and Dispute Division which is the WPD." This time it is Raul that answers me.

"Did she instruct you not to talk to me?" I return my gaze back to Perez.

"She didn't, I just decided no to, hoping it would impress her."

I scoff. "Well did that get you the promotion?"

He lowers his head sullenly. It didn't.

"Enough of this banter both of you, the good thing is that we are seeing each other again," Issy interrupts. I sigh, realizing that in the past few months, they had lost two friends and it was not that easy.

"Do you think we should go to Skol? It's been a while since we went there?" Issy. Always the enthusiastic one. I wonder why she calls me sunshine when she herself is the embodiment of the shining sun.

"Skol?" Beryl and I are supposed to meet Roman at Skol but looking at Issy, I realize I can't say no to her. I wonder what she says when she sees Beryl being friendly with me.

"Sure let's meet at Skol," Emery agrees.

"I have a leave off work today so I'm in," Raul says.

"Me three," That's Peeby.

"Okay, cool then. Well meet at six!" Issy waves at them as she and I start to walk over to the parking lot.

"I've only been here for four... Almost five months now, and it feels like a decade," I say to Issy once we are standing in front of her car. As usual, her guards are in the car behind to shadow us.

"I know right. A lot of things has happened to make it feel like that." Issy smiles sadly. "I'm sure this is certainly not the welcome you expected from Lycania."

I laugh. "To be honest. I really never expected anything from her," I say in all truthfulness.

"Ouch. How can I make you see the good in Lycania, sunshine."

"Maybe never," I tease. Or maybe when all these has died down. Maybe when we finally find who has been controlling the Klux. But I do not say all that to Isssy, instead I smile at her.

~

Issy drops me off at Carla's doorstep promising me to come get me at five-thirty which is like two hours from now.

"Issy brought you." He is lounging lazily on the sofa, eyes closed as he speaks. I smile and like a nail being drawn to a magnet, I hasten my footsteps toward him.

"Hi husband," I say jokingly.

His eyes snaps open and in an instant he pull me to his laps. "I like it when you call me husband," He tells me, his piercing blue eyes staring at me. Slowly, he leans in and places a kiss on the side of my lips.

Did I tell you I really love this side of Kael.

Love.

That word. Do I love him?

I don't think I want to know.

He is gazing up at me with twinkles in his eyes, to be honest I have never seen him this smiley before.

"Did something happen?" I ask him.

Kael shrugs. "What have you eaten since morning, Princess?"

"I ate at the cafeteria at school. Pancakes actually."

"You should eat something better."

"Will you cook for me?"

Kael throws his head back in laughter at my question. "Is that a challenge, Princess?"

My smile deepens the more. "It could be."

"Come on then." He pulls me up gently and we go into the kitchen. "What would you like to eat, Principessa?" He muses.

"What can you cook?"

"I could make Pasta. Do you like pasta?"

"As long as it fills me up, I will certainly eat anything."

Kael laughs again. And so we end up cooking in the kitchen, like real married couples.

The cooking and eating is done, and I have to admit that Kael is really a food cook. We lay on the bed in the room.

Kael's hands softly thread through my hair in soothing pats and I am almost falling asleep but I stay awake, because I know he isn't asleep yet.

"Why did you resign as a Professor?" I ask him the first question that comes to my mind.

He stays silent. One. Two. Three minutes, I almost think he is ignoring me until he replies. "It is such a weird and silly reason honestly."

"What could be so weird and silly? Did you leave because you wanted to avoid me?"

"Certainly not," He protests. "Do you really want to know?"

I nod in affirmation and he sighs. "I joined because I wanted to take revenge on Beryl's Father because Beryl hurt you."

I wait for him to laugh and say he is joking, but he doesn't. My head snaps up to him. "You are serious?"

"I told you I will never lie to you, Princess," He replies blankly. "And I know my reasons were lame —"

"No..." I cut him off. "It isn't. It's probably the sweetest thing someone has ever done again."

He frowns. "I am not sweet."

"You are."

"No," He argues.

I am about to say something when the doorbell rings. "Stay," Kael tells me and exits the room. It probably is Issy. My thoughts are confirmed when a screeching Issy comes spiraling into the room with an angry Kael behind her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to Skol?" He seethes.

Here we go again.

___