Chapter 197 A warning?

Chapter 197 A warning?
Adriana

I nodded. “I hope you haven’t forgotten you owe me a story?”

“No, I haven’t. But don’t try to change the subject,” he said, looking curious. “Why did you want to leave that man? Other than the fact that he’s obviously significantly older than you, he seemed quite besotted. Isn’t that what women want?”

I turned back to look at the ice field. It was now nothing more than a tiny dot at the end of the road. “I’m not who he thinks I am,” I confessed. I couldn’t bring myself to spit out another lie.

Alan laughed softly. “Who is?” He looked away, swept up in his own thoughts. I let him be.

We were almost back to his house when he asked me, “Do you remember the title of the book you picked?”

I paused, trying to recall it. “No,” I admitted at last. “But I can recognize it.”

He wasn’t going to escape reading that book to me.

“Alright, let’s see if you can,” he agreed.

I should have guessed. Alan was a master of deception.

He had done something to his bookshelf. He had rearranged it so that the entire middle row—where I had picked the book last time—was filled with volumes featuring the exact same old, brown cover. They had the same width, but none of them had a title on the spine.

“It’s not here,” I muttered. “The book I picked isn’t here!” I said it louder this time, making sure he heard me.

He gave me a surprising look. “The book is titled The Chronicles of Attes.”

“Where is it?” I demanded.

“I can’t give it to you,” he declined. “But I will tell you the story, as promised.”

“How do I know you’re not lying?”

“I gave you my word.”

“Yes, to tell me a story. Not your word that you will tell me this story, undiluted,” I pushed.

“No, but I can promise not to lie,” he argued.

That was a win, at least. “Fine.”

“Attes was… a person,” he began.

“Is this story real? Did it actually happen, or is it just a product of someone’s imagination?” I asked.

Alan swallowed hard. “It’s… a myth. Many don’t know if it’s real or not,” he informed me.

I could bet it was. “I’m listening.”

“You’re going to have to try not to keep interrupting me,” he warned.

“What if I have questions?”

“Then you’ll keep them until we’re done for the day. It’ll take days to tell you the story even without your questions,” he snickered.

“Fine.”

“Attes was a powerful person. There was no record of his birth or death; no one knew his origin. Some said he was life, some said he was time. Some denied his existence entirely, while others served him.” He paused. “Any questions?”

I shook my head and willed him to continue.

“Many experienced his strength, but very few ever met him. And even the few who did didn’t know who they had met. He was that powerful. He existed in different forms.”

Now the story was truly beginning to sound like a myth. Attes.

There was a pause.
I sat there trying to digest the story while Alan poured himself a glass of water.
“Attes. What did those who serve him know him as?” I asked as the question popped into my mind. If there had been a god named Attes, I felt like I would have known. So, it was either he wasn’t served by that name, or he just didn’t exist at all.
The glass in Alan's hands hit the floor. The water moved freely as soon as it left the confinement of the glass, but the glass itself didn’t shatter. It hit the floor with a screech that burned my ears, but it didn’t shatter. (Note: Changed "mug" to "glass" to match the first sentence, and fixed "chatter/screeched" to "shatter/screech")
Alan bent to pick it up. He didn’t say a word, but I thought I saw his fingers trembling on the glass.
“Are you okay?” I rushed to ask.
Alan cleared his throat. “No. Looks like snow surfing was too much exercise for me.” He tightened his grip on the glass and avoided my eyes. But his lips were parted and thin, like he was… scared.
I shook my head to clear my assumptions. “Alright. I should let you rest.” I stood up, drawing my purse close in preparation to take my leave.
“What do you intend to do about your boyfriend?” he asked.
“None of your business,” I shot back. I really wasn’t ready to think about Jared.
“I think it’s my business, considering I’m your brother.” He snorted. “What should I do if I run into him in town?”
I rolled my eyes. “Avoid him.”
“I don’t intend to avoid anyone. You’re the one who let your love life go out of line by dating an old man.” He snorted.
I gritted my teeth. “He’s not that old!”
“Do you know who he is?” Alan argued. “He’s a member of the royal family. He has a daughter your age.”
I wanted to scream at him that I was older than Louisa, but I reeled it in. However, Alan interpreted my look as shock.
“You have to be careful of the crowd you mix with, Eve. You should find out more about people before easing into their lives,” he warned.
And at that moment, it felt like the warning was about him and not Jared.
I pushed the door open and walked out of the house.