Ruler of the Mask

Chapter 11- Your Kiss Weakens Me

Sky wanted to follow them as he was enraged. The smell of burning food wafted into the air but it was nothing more than the anger inside of him. He didn’t mind at all. Maui had to grab his hand to stop him from doing such a foolish act.

“Let them be. We’ll figure this out without hurting each other physically. I’m certain he will not leave if you interfere with their ‘marriage problems’. Let’s calm down and eat first. Sky, the beacon your cooking is burning,” she had to inform him as he seemed to not care about the food while she cares for it.

“Oh, right. I forgot about that. The way he talked to me was outrageous,” he walked into the dirty kitchen and took out the pan. She was right, the burned beacon looked poisonous due to its black shade and rough texture. Although it was wasteful as he was an advocate of Food Waste, he felt sad. There are a lot of people who needed food, but he just wasted one.

During that time, the lovely couple was eating to suppress their hunger. Maui was not saying anything as she was busy munching her sandwich, he glanced at her.

“What are you looking at? Are you looking to the goddess in front of you?” she asked comically and laughed at her joke. Sky didn’t understand her, he had no expression on his face.

“I feel like I am only talking to a ghost. Hello… Mr. P-,” she couldn’t finish her words as he put bread in her mouth. Hoping that it would stop her from talking and just leave him alone.

“Peace, come to me,” he mumbled. He took his plate, walked to his room, and left Maui. He continued eating inside his room and finally, he got what he wished for. The serene comfort of his chamber. The fresh wind coming from outside of the windows. The cloud nine moment, so haven, so heavenly at peace.

The moment of silence between that two was intensifying. During the entire day, they didn’t talk with each other. If this continues they wouldn’t find a solution for their mission, which was Azrael. They couldn’t visit her because Azrael would threaten them, he was such a pitiful and obsessed type of man. The tedium atmosphere was broken as Sky approached her, she was sitting in the living room watching a TV show. He was holding his phone while standing in front of her.

“Hey, get out of the view. Can’t you see I’m watching TV?” she asked, annoyed by his presence. She has been shutting her mouth after their breakfast but now he’s pestering and testing her patience.

“We have to get our wedding pictures together. Come with me,” Sky was demanding not requesting. However, it wasn’t new to her. Living with an antisocial person has been accepted by her. The adjustments she had to do just to be comfortable around him.

“Fine, I’ll come with you but first I want to buy a dress at Al Zaar Boutique. I’ll come with you if you’ll come with me, okay?”

They both headed to the door and Sky opened it for her. He let her come out first before him in a gentleman way.

“That’s what I like, being a gentle dog for me,” she said humorously yet it didn’t bother him.

“Such a noisy woman, can’t you close your mouth for a second?”

She had to sarcastically zip her mouth using her thumb and index fingers. This man has no idea about communication. Communication is the key to every relationship yet he wanted to break their growing fondness for each other. This man has no idea at all, Maui thought.

They had to follow a busy road in Queens, New York, and soon enough they arrive at Al Zaar Boutique. Maui was delighted from choosing the right and perfect dress for her. As she was busy strolling around the shop, an exquisite cocktail wedding dress caught her attention. The design was off-shoulder with fine Swarovski crystals. The saleslady brought to her the dress and she fitted it inside the dressing room.

“Sir, you can sit here while waiting for your bride,” the woman invited him to sit on the green sofa.

The door to the dressing room opened and his bride was revealed wearing her wedding dress. She smiled perfectly at him and it took him minutes to blink, he was stunned by the beauty in front of him.

“Do you like it?” she asked enthusiastically.

“Ma’am, you look so fabulous,” the saleslady commented.

“Thank you.” – Maui said with a smile on her face.

He looked at her from head to toe but he didn’t seem to like it, unlike other grooms when they see their bride on a wedding dress.

“It doesn’t matter.” He snapped his finger and requested the lady. “Miss, can you give me a black tuxedo to pair with the dress she is wearing?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll give it to you quickly,” the woman said and left them.

“So tell me. How do I look? Does it suit me well?” Maui had the urge to ask again after the first rejection. She can’t take silence for an answer, she must know if it makes her beautiful. The only person that can give it was him.

“I told you, it doesn’t matter,” his mind was fixed. He didn’t want to say anything about it.

The saleslady came in and gave the black tuxedo to him. He wore it and it matched her dress. Afterward, they paid for the clothes and left the area. They stopped by the Photograph Studio to take wedding pictures. Sky had no idea that he had to touch her again, their first encounter was a trauma for him but now he has to do it again. He had this fake smile on his face while Maui was posing like a real model. Their background was vines full of leaves and fake pink roses.

“Sir, can you come closer to your bride?” the photographer asked as he was keeping a long distance between them, like a one-meter distance from her.

The warm hands of Maui enveloped his right hand and pulled him closer to her. He had no idea what he was going to do as he would never …ever touch her again. The last time he did, he received a punch on his cheek. She was holding a wedding bouquet of white roses while he wrapped his hand around her waist. He feared that she’ll go berserk, but thank God she didn’t. Instead, she looked excited and happy as she was smiling at the camera. Perhaps, nothing will happen to him after this.

The last photo that they took was chosen as their wedding picture to be posted on the wall of their living room. He had to put it on the wall while Maui was watching him from behind. In the photo, she was smiling while holding her wedding bouquet while he kissed her head.

“Make it straight. You have to lower down the left side of the frame,” she suggested as it was not perfectly aligned.

When they were done, she gazed at the demarking sun on the horizon.

“I’m pretty sure she will not suspect us when she’ll see that, right?” – Maui.

“Yes, I think so.” Sky went straight to his room and locked it.

They had no other things to do except to wait for the night to come. He checked the surveillance cameras they installed around the apartment building using his laptop, the place was quite peaceful and no suspicious things were going around. But he should not feel at ease for the enemies work in mysterious ways.

The clock drops to eleven in the evening, there were unidentified white trucks in the parking lot. He checked through the window as it was a bird’s eye view of the surrounding area. He wasn’t mistaken as suspicious men were walking on the ground. They had no guns on them but he could sense that they are not up to something good. They’re probably Azrael’s men.

He grabbed his Glock 17 gun and hid it inside his leather jacket, then he prepared his knife with poison and placed it under his denim shorts.

As he opened the door to prepare to leave, he saw Maui waiting for him to open it. She was holding a gun as well.

“What are you doing? You cannot leave this room. I’ll go and check,” his voice didn’t sound concerning, he was commanding her to stay still, like a wife who has to wait for her husband to come back.

“No way, I’m coming with you.”

“It’s dangerous. Just look at the surveillance cameras. I can’t put you in danger,” Sky had no idea why he had to say it. All he just wanted was to let her stay away from his plan but the woman has a head as hard as a stone.

At the end of the argument, he let her come with her. They were the only ones walking around the hallway until they arrived at Azrael’s apartment.

“They’re not here, I can sense it,” Sky said as he continued walking. He can sense their scents as he has a werewolf blood. The wolf inside of him was giving him signals not to go out because it would be dangerous.

“How did you know they’re not here?” She asked, confused.

Two men with tattoos on their hands were walking towards them. They hid behind the wall and accidentally had to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“We have to transport the goods to China. We can easily pass through the border this time because of Samuel,” the other man said.

“He’s a Mexican man but he’s scary as hell,” his comrade retorted.

As the two men were approaching them, he got panicked and kissed her on the lips. Their soft lips were pasted, no one dared to move and awkwardness starts to ignite between them. The two men looked at them and smiled bitterly, not thinking about them as enemies.

“I’m missing my wife after looking at them, such good old days,” the other voice said.

Maui wasn’t able to get her act together, she was just blinking as it was still processing in her head until they heard loud gunshots. She walked away from her but she almost slipped to the ground while he was holding his gun. Deep inside their bodies, lustful desires started to fill in. The rapid breathing of their hearts and the memory of the kiss has been stored in their minds.

“I’m…I’m sorry.” Sky could not look into her eyes. He was just staring at the empty hallway.

The terrifying scream of guns made the settlers go wild. Thinking of their safety, they checked through the window and locked their doors except for Anastasia.