Babysitting the Fire Priestess

Chapter 10

I woke up with a jolt. Sweat is all over my shirt. My neck hurt from falling asleep on a chair.

I took off my shirt and glanced at the wall clock. It's already 4 in the morning. My eyes adjusted from the darkness of the room and were searching for Mandy's face. She’s still sleeping peacefully on the bed.

We’re in a safe house right now. This house was really built for this kind of purpose. Part of our plan was to bring and hide Mandy in the safe house temporarily. The safe house was complete with all the things and appliances that we need. There’s 2 million cash hidden in the basement. This was what Mr. Sevilla called the contingency fund.

The place was located somewhere secluded and remote and it’s a two storey house. There’s also a small swimming pool at the backyard.

Mandy didn’t know about this safe house.

Until now, she’s still hasn’t woken up. I am getting worried. Maybe we need to go see a doctor.

Mandy started to stir in her sleep and then she slowly opened her eyes. A wave of relief washed over me.

However, that relief immediately vanished when she started weeping. She sat up in bed and continued weeping.

I quickly tended to her.

"Ssh, I'm here..." I said, comforting her.

I hug her tightly and she hugged me back.

"They're both dead. My mom...and now, dad were also gone!" she said between tears.

I tightly closed my eyes.

If only she knew, everything was a set up.

A part of me wanted to tell her the truth, but also a part of me is functioning professionally and confidentially.

Those both sides are fighting right now and I realized something.

I am getting attached to this girl.

Emotionally attached.

Why would the idea of telling her the truth sprouted from my mind in the first place?

I care for her. Not just because she's my client, but...but because she's special to me.

"Everything is my fault! My mere existence is wrong! I should never been born in the first place!" she said hysterically.

And that's the last string.

"Your father's not dead" I muttered.

She then immediately stopped crying. She remained silent in a couple of seconds before she spoke again.

"What?" she asked, searching for my eyes.

She slightly pulled away from my embrace.

This is so messed up, I thought.

"I said, your father's not dead. He's safe and alive somewhere. Everything was just a set up" I said.

She just stared at me, unblinking.

"Why?!" she shouted at my face.

Anger is in her eyes.

"He made me promised not to tell you no matter what" I answered meekly.

She kept on searching my face. My eyes were on the floor.

"Why did you lie to me?" she asked me quietly.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I continue looking at the floor.

"Look at me!" she demanded.

I looked her in the eyes.

"I told you, he made me promised! I don't have a choice" I said.

"So, why are you telling me all of this if he made you promised?!”

"Really? You're asking me that now?" I asked her back.

"That's not an answer"

I don’t know how to answer her. It took me a minute to finally do.

"Because I can’t take it anymore. I can’t afford seeing you like this, doubting your existence in this world. It wasn’t your fault, okay? You just have to face everything” I answered.

She stared at me again, unblinking.

Then slowly, she nodded in agreement.

"You're right. I should face it. I should face everything and stop being a coward" she said.

"You were never a coward"

"I am. I was .If you thought I was brave, it was just an act. I don't want to look like I'm afraid, but deep inside I'm terrified. There are things happening to me that I don't even understand" she said quietly.

She then hugged both her knees.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

She shook her head.

"You will never believe me" she said.

"Try me"

"I read my mom’s diary"

"And then?"

"She said I have the cursed of the Ashitara clan"

I was dumfounded. I don’t know what to think.

"What cursed?" I asked her.

"She said I'm the child of fire..." she whispered.

"That's not possible!"

"It is" she said and raised her right hand.

"Watch and don't run" she said.

In a few seconds, a small fire ignited from her palms.

"What the hell?!" I exclaimed in shock and horror

I automatically backed up from her.

She smiled.

"I told you not to run. p***y" she said while smirking.

My jaw just literally dropped to the floor.

"This is not possible" I whispered.