14. Knock, Knock, who is there? Part 2

I hesitated.

I stupidly stayed.

This was my one chance to get away from this nightmare. Find my way back to the remaining humans.

To be free.

Yet, I don’t want to escape.

When the stranger told me there was a place he could take me, all I wanted was to say yes and flee. Leave Adonis there fighting, but who was I lying to?

All my hesitation was because of him.

Not only him but the rest, even if I’m furious with Callisto at the moment, I can’t imagine leaving them.

And even if I don’t want to admit it, we are all connected. I am tied to them one way or another.

I suck in a breath and hug myself tighter. Rain washed over the glass windows as I stared at the small hilltops where I once ran to.

There was no denying that Adonis and I had a connection. Even though the man was frustratingly hateful and I did hate the man. There was still something in him that made me relate one way or another.

Closing my eyes, I lean my forehead to the coolness of the glass. I slowly took a deep breath, then let it out.

My racing heart had now calmed down.

I still had no idea how Adonis was doing. After arriving, he was taken away by Darcy and I was brought up to a spacious room that made me believe it belonged to Callisto.

The faint smell of lavender lingered in the air.

The room was empty except for a bed in the middle with black bedsheets and a stool on one of the windows facing the barren land where the city once stood in its glorious days.

No one had come looking for me. Not Hector, or Seth, or Callisto. Darcy barely spared me a glance down at the foyer.

After a long while, I gave up and lay in bed until I drifted to sleep.

Some time must have passed by because the next time I opened my eyes the room was in total darkness.

The windowpanes were shut, and there was silence.

I sat up, and reached for the small bottom that was next to the bed that would turn the lights on. I reached for it when I heard the clattering sound of glass against something in the far corner of the room.

The lights come to life.

I can’t remember the last time I saw Callisto.

The last time we exchanged words was to argue. The same day, he locked me in the bedroom and the same day I escaped.

“Are you so desperate to die?” his voice was razor sharp in the silent room.

I toss the sheets back and set my feet on the cold floor and it’s the chill that brings me back, makes me remember Adonis.

“Is he doing alright?”

Raw emotions leaked through Callisto’s face. “He is fine, just a scratch that healed with some blood.”

I don’t believe him. I saw him bleed, hurt, in pain. I felt him.

“I want to see him.”

Callisto is a blur before I can even finish putting my shoes on.

I stared at him. Fathomless eyes stare down at me full of real emotions I have never seen in him.

“You almost died out there and all you can ask for is Adonis?” Callisto hisses.

“Die? They were humans, like—”

“You are not human.” His voice shuts me down. “I think your father made that clear to you today.”

That makes a twisted kind of sense to me, even though I’m still in denial. I feel human, more than anyone else in this building. Or maybe it is just my mind still trying to play along with my stupid thoughts.

“The risk you placed on yourself today by going out with Adonis was beyond stupid.”

I jerked my head up. “Stupid? Are you listening to yourself?” I argued back. “Adonis is a bloodline just like you or any of the others. He is strong like you, wields powers that could make anyone bend to him.”

Callisto arches a brow. Then I frowned.

Now that I mention it, Adonis never wielded his powers while we were being attacked.

“You finally realize the extent of danger you are in by trusting Adonis.”

“I do trust him.” I braced myself for his next remark, but he looked sick.

“Trusting him doesn’t mean Adonis will always protect you. Do you even know why he never used his powers while you were there?”

That had me thinking. If he had wielded his power, then everything would have ended faster. But humans would have all died…

“Because I’m human?” the words leave my lips in a whisper.

“Yes, and no.”

I wait for more. Eventually, he turns his attention to the glass of blood on the floor, “I can’t risk you out there Yophiel, not when you’re not one of us yet.”

My hands curled into balls.

“You’re just a frail human and placing you in danger while the remaining humans try to kill us is way too risky for all of us. The last thing I want is to see you hurt.”

I glanced down at myself.

The fact he just called me a weakling hurt like everything else he has done to me.

“I hate you,” I choke as tears burn the corners of my eyes. I wiped them aggressively. “I hate you so much!”

I don’t know what I was expecting when I said those words, but the perfectly composed Callisto moves. His hand tried to reach for me.

I snatched my arm away and stared at him. Tears blurred my view, yet I caught the raw emotions crossing his face again.

Sometimes he looks so human, I forget he once was.

Then again, when you’ve been tortured like him, all the feelings he would have would be of hate, anger, or revenge.

It is understandable. He was once human with feelings like love, sadness, anger, and more. Just like I feel them, yet if I were a monster like him, I wouldn’t feel all that, since I would be a heartless monster as well.

Wiping my tears, I grab my jacket from earlier. “I will go and see that Adonis is well.”

“Don’t you dare,” Callisto grabs my arm.

I laughed at first, because I think all this repeating is absurd. He was angry… no, he was jealous.

“I thought all of you had a thing for me,” I blurted. “But here you are jealous of Adonis. You guys are so alike.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he responded.

“Yes, you do. You know that feeling you feel here,” I touch where his heart should be beating. “That is called jealousy. You are jealous I am interested in Adonis and not you. But sorry to inform you, Callisto Ashide, you may be the head of the bloodlines and a control freak with his little army. But you don’t control me or what I desire to do or feel. And believe me, I prefer to be with Adonis right now more than you.”

He swallows hard. “Yophiel.”

“No, you locked me in a room, then you’re mad I left with him?” I scoffed, pulling my arm from his cold hold. “Not everything revolves around you, I know I don’t, even if you insist my existence is everything to you.”

I turned towards the door.

“But you are,” his words were a whisper. I halted, facing the door. “Your existence means everything to me more than any other bloodline or human out there, Yophiel.”

I wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t. So I looked at him over my shoulder. He sighs, then tilts his head back until his eyes are facing the ceiling.

For the first time since I woke up from my nap, I noticed the state in which Callisto is in. His clothes are disheveled, his hair in a messy bun, he even looks thinner.

I give him ups and downs before stopping right on his swirl of blackness. Those eyes that look cold from the outside but carry more feelings than any other human on this earth.

“I don’t want you to hate me. Nor do I want you to feel I am restraining you against your will. All I want is for you to understand that I worry that someone may harm you, and trusting those around me is hard, just like I know you don’t truly trust me or any of the other guys.

“But believe me when I say I care for you. I need you, Yophiel, and I know that the others fail to express themselves, but they do care for you more than anything.”

And with that he vanishes. Then he reappears in front of me. Placing his hand on the white wall, the doors opened with a swooshing sound.

Callisto makes a gesture for me to walk out, but I remain standing there just staring at him.

His eyes soften as he notices me staring.

I really felt conflicted because all this time there were moments of anger, and emotions like I wanted to burn the world to the ground. At other times, I felt deep down inside me that I was a coward.

It was odd. But sometimes I wondered if those were just illusions my mind was creating for me to keep believing what I can’t admit. Or I was just going insane.

Taking a deep breath, I walked past him and headed towards the elevators.

We made it on time as the doors opened and Hector with Seth stood there staring at me.

Something like relief crossed Hector’s face before he shook his head and sighed.

“Welcome back, Princesa. You had us worried for a while.”

I frowned, then looked at Callisto, who silently watched us from behind.

“You guys were worried about me?” I asked, turning my attention to both men in the front.

“More than you think,” Hector responded.

I stepped into the elevator. Callisto followed silently.

I smiled, then looked at Seth, who had been quiet till now.

“You were not worried?” I said with a teasing smile.

Seth raised his head. “I was. I” he stutters. Then he gave Hector a look.

I waited for him to speak. I know he still felt troubled about everything that happened before. He means well, it’s just that he is too shy and a control freak.

I chuckled, making all three men look at me with arch brows.

I cleared my throat; aware they were staring at me curiously.

“Thank you,” I mentioned after a moment. Seth catches up and nods shyly. As I move closer to him, the elevator comes to a stop and we all get out.

We followed Callisto through the halls before stopping at an enormous glass door.

He barely managed to raise his hand when Darcy appeared suddenly. The same wicked smile plastered on his face.

“About time, he is waiting.”

All of them allowed me first, so I followed Darcy until we were standing right in front of another door, but this time, instead of going in, Darcy opened it and made a gesture for me to go in.

I confusedly looked at all of them before stopping at Callisto. A nod was all he gave me.

He seriously needed to work on his attitude, I was starting to get fed up.

I turned and walked in as the swooshing sound of the doors closing behind me made me stop.

“You are late.” Adonis' words make me snort.

“Apologies my lord,” I said drily, but I felt relieved on seeing him look so like himself. “Are you better?”

I made my way to him. The room Adonis was in was the same one I woke up in today. I really was starting to hate white.

Instead of answering, he leans back on the bed and studies me. “I’m sorry for what happened earlier. It was… my mistake in not being too cautious.”

My chest gets tight and I must fight the urge to feel angry about it.

“It wasn’t your fault,” I said.

His brows drew together. “Yes, it was Drusilla. Do you know the danger I put you in?”

“From humans? No,” I shrugged, then moved closer. “In fact, they were protecting me.”

He tilts his head to the side. “Protect you…”

“Yes, from you.” I made sure to emphasize the word so he could understand what I meant.

“I…”

“You are a danger to me. And you know it. And as far as I recall all this time, you’ve stated your hate and desire to kill me. Then of course they know it as well as I do, right?”

Really, it’s as simple as that.

Adonis glances behind me then refocuses on me. “That’s not true.”

“It might be your first lie.” I glanced at him. Straight into his eyes.

It's too soon to feel something. So I push the feeling away. “Callisto thinks you put me in danger. He even thinks I am more at fault than you are for taking me out. Funny for him to say such things.”

“You seem angry.”

I arch a brow. He grins, flashing fangs.

“Angry is such a small word. I feel worst.”

Adonis is watching me closely.

I had already planned to talk with someone about this, so I suppose speaking with Adonis counts.

“Callisto and you are sharing the same feeling right now.”

I blinked. “What nonsense are you spouting now?”

“Things can change, Drusilla.”

“Like what?” I asked with curiosity.

Apparently, now Adonis can read me easily. The thought should bother me, since he also shares my emotions.

I searched for his face but as I opened my mouth to speak, a knock stopped me. Leaving the word hanging on the tip of my tongue.

“Knock, knock!” Darcy spoke as the doors opened. “Sorry to interrupt your beautiful yet emotional reunion but we have somewhere we need to be.”

“About?” Both Adonis and I ask at the same time.

Darcy wickedly smiles our way, “Humans.”

My eyes shifted to the rest of the men outside. I still can’t read the expression on Callisto’s face.

“I think it’s time we finally introduced our beautiful Yophiel into what’s truly happening in what she calls her world.”

“Darcy.” Callisto’s warning rang around us.

“Fine, fine, now, shall we?” Darcy turned on his heels. Hector and Seth follow, speaking in low whispers.

Callisto spares us a glance before blurring away.

I slid my jacket on.

“Thank you.” I made a face at Adonis's sudden appearance.

Maybe it’s because he’s being so careful or different that I just nod. But then rethink again about his words.

“Thank you for what?” I asked as we walked out of the room.

He turns me in his arms and then he is right on my face.

He kisses me before I can fully register what he did. “For trusting me.”

He lets go and blurs a few feet away.

For the first time in all these weeks, Adonis is showing me a different side of him. One that has me feeling worried and at the same time flustered.

I can’t help feeling like I will savor every second of this change if he keeps doing it.

Touching my lips, I smiled and started jogging behind the guys so they don’t leave me behind.