Chapter 49 FORTY-NINE

Chapter 49 FORTY-NINE
J A D E

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Nothing," I said, shrugging. "I have the week off."

"Right," he said, a small smile playing on his lips. "So, you're all mine for the week."

I rolled my eyes, a smile tugging at my lips. "Don't push it."

He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "I wouldn't dream of it."

After breakfast, he cleaned up the kitchen, while I went to take a shower. I felt a sense of peace that I hadn't felt in a long time. A fragile, tentative peace, but peace nonetheless.

When I got out of the bathroom, he was sitting on the couch, flipping through a magazine. He looked up as I walked in, his eyes roving over my body, a hungry, predatory look in his gaze.

I felt a blush creep up my neck, and I quickly looked away, grabbing my phone from the coffee table.

I had a few missed calls from Amy. And a text message.

'Jade, are you okay? I haven't heard from you. Call me back.'

I felt a pang of guilt. She was worried about me. But I couldn’t help but think if I really knew her, if she was the person Markov claimed she was. The thought was unsettling, a dark cloud looming over my fragile peace.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

"It's Amy," I said, showing him the text. "She's been trying to reach me."

He scowled, his jaw tightening. "Don't call her back."

"What?" I said, my voice rising. "Why not?"
"Just trust me on this, Jade. It's not safe."

"Safe? What are you talking about? She's my friend."

"She's not who you think she is," he insisted, his tone urgent.

I looked at him, my mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Part of me wanted to believe him, to trust his judgment. But another part of me, the rational, logical part, was screaming that he was being paranoid, controlling.

"I don't know what to believe," I said, my voice trembling. "I'm so confused."

"I know," he said, his voice soft. "But you have to trust me. I'm only trying to protect you."

"From what?" I asked, my frustration mounting. "From a friend who gave me a sleeping potion because I was having trouble sleeping? That doesn't sound very dangerous to me."

"It's not the potion," he said, his expression grim. "It's what's in it. The ingredients. They're not... natural."

I decided to not say anything to Amy for now. But I didn't want to argue with him either. I was tired of fighting, of being on edge all the time.

"Fine," I said, my voice resigned. "I won't call her. But I'm not happy about it."

He sighed, a weary, resigned sound. "I know. And I'm sorry. But it's for the best."

He walked into the bathroom to take a shower and I stayed in the living room watching some show. The steam from the shower started to seep under the door, carrying with it the scent of soap and the clean, masculine smell of him. I tried to focus on the TV, but my mind kept drifting back to him.

What if he was right? What if Amy was not who she seemed to be? What if she was a witch? The thought was so absurd, so far fetched, it was almost laughable.

But what if it wasn't?

I was interrupted by my phone buzzing again. It was Amy. Again.

My heart started to pound, my palms sweating. I didn't know what to do. Should I answer it? Or should I ignore it, like Markov said?

I decided to answer it. I needed to hear her voice, to know if she was really the person I thought she was.

"Hello?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Jade! Oh my god, I've been so worried about you. Are you okay?" Her voice was a welcome, familiar sound. So normal, so human.

"I'm fine," I said, my voice shaky. "I've just been... resting."

"Resting? You've been resting for two days. That's not like you. Is everything alright?"

I hesitated, not knowing what to say. I didn't want to worry her, but I didn't want to lie to her either.

"I'm just tired," I said, my voice weak. "When I resume back, we can talk about it."
"Oh, Jade. I wish there was something I could do. Do you want me to come over?"

"No!" I said, my voice a little too loud, a little too panicked. "No, that's okay. I'm fine. Really."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Are you sure? You don't sound okay."

"I'm sure," I said, my voice firm. "I just need some space. You know?"

"Okay," she said, her voice laced with concern. "But if you need anything, anything at all, you call me. Okay?"

"I will," I promised, my heart aching with guilt. "Thanks, Amy."

"Anytime," she said. "Talk to you soon."
"Bye," I said, ending the call.

I stared at my phone, my mind reeling. She sounded so normal. So concerned. So... Amy.

But was it an act? A clever disguise to hide her true nature?

I didn't know what to believe. I was torn between my friend, who had always been there for me, and my ex-boyfriend, who had a history of being possessive and controlling.

Markov walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, water droplets glistening on his chest. I tried not to stare, but it was hard. He was so beautiful, it almost hurt.

"Who was that?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Amy," I said, my voice small.

He sighed, running a hand through his wet hair. "I told you not to answer."

"I know," I said, my defensiveness flaring. "But I had to. I had to know."

"And? What did you find out?"

"That she sounds like a normal, caring friend," I retorted, my voice laced with sarcasm. "Not some evil witch trying to enslave me."

"She's good," he said, his expression grim. "Witches are masters of deception. They can charm anyone."

I scoffed, "You don't know her. You're just making assumptions."

"And you're being naive," he shot back, his frustration evident. "You're letting your feelings cloud your judgment."

"And you're not?" I countered. "You're letting your... your paranoia get the best of you. You see witches everywhere you look."

"Because they are everywhere!" he roared, his patience finally snapping. "Don't you get it? We're at war, Jade. A war you can't even see. And you're right in the middle of it."

"I'm not in the middle of anything!" I yelled back, my own anger rising. "I'm just a normal person, trying to live a normal life. A life you ruined, by the way."

"I ruined it?" he said, his voice dangerously low. "I saved it. Saffra would have killed you if I hadn't intervened. Or worse, she would have turned you into one of her pets. A mindless, obedient slave."

I flinched at the words, the memory of the woman's chilling threat flooding my mind. "You'd make a perfect pet."

I saw a flicker of regret in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a hard, cold resolve. "You need to wake up, Jade. You need to see the world for what it truly is. A dark, dangerous place, filled with creatures that would love to sink their teeth into you."

"Like you?" I whispered, my anger deflating, replaced by a wave of hurt.

He flinched, as if I had struck him. "I'm not like them."

"Aren't you?" I challenged, my voice trembling. "You stalk me, you threaten me, you try to control my life. How is that any different? You’re my parents murderer. You scared me half to death. That's not love, Markov. That's obsession."

"It's more than that," he insisted, his voice raw with emotion. "It's... instinct. A primal urge to protect what's mine."

"What's yours?" I scoffed. "I'm not a possession, Markov. I'm a person. With my own thoughts, my own feelings, my own life. A life you have no right to interfere with."

"I know," he said, his voice dropping to a pained whisper. "I know. But I can't help it. It's who I am."

We stood there, the silence stretching, thick with unspoken words and raw emotions. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the war between the man he wanted to be and the monster he feared he was.

Was I being too hard on him? Or was I not being hard enough?

He took a step towards me, his hand outstretched. "Jade..."

I backed away, shaking my head. "No. Don't."

He stopped, his hand dropping to his side, a look of utter devastation on his face.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking. "For everything."

I wanted to believe him. I wanted to run into his arms and let him hold me, to let him promise me that everything would be okay. But I couldn't. I couldn't forget the terror he had inflicted upon me, the fear that still haunted my nightmares. And I couldn't ignore the nagging doubt in my mind, the suspicion that he was still hiding something from me.

"I need some air," I said, my voice strained. I turned and walked towards the door, my hands shaking.

"Jade, wait," he called out, his voice laced with panic. "Don't go. It's not safe."

"I'll be fine," I said, my back to him. "I just need to clear my head."

But in truth, I just needed to get away from him. Away from the intensity of his presence, the turmoil of my own feelings. I needed to think. To figure out what was real and what was a lie. Because right now, everything felt like a lie. A twisted, dangerous game with no winners.