BLOOD AND Lightening

Chapter 36

Nimai.

All this while his gaze never left mine, his eyes sending mixed emotions to me, slipping from dull to indifferent like a person having an identity crisis, or maybe am just overthinking it.

"I feel uncomfortable with the way your eyes shift," I said breaking the deafening silence

"I asked what you talked about with Zephyr that managed to swipe your feet away," he said, his tone several shades apart from his face, for somebody who gave a poker face he sounded cold, like his body.

"I do not feel like answering that, go ask him maybe he will tell you," I said raising from my sitting position, my neck has gone heavy having that I was looking up at him, literally.

"I see you won't spill without a fight," he said, his gaze suddenly strong.

"well, news! I won't even after a fight, forget it please" I said hoping he takes my word and stop pushing it. He looked defeated like he really wanted to hear our dialogue. Odd I must say.

"you will escort me to see the elders by dusk," he said facing away from me, only then did I notice his shiny hair has been neatly braided, I got distracted looking at it, could it be he did that on himself,

"snap out of it witch," he said glaring at me

"As you wish your grace" I mocked rolling my eyes at him

"We have a deal, right?" he said nodding as if verifying

"We did make a deal so...." I spaced out trying to recollect exactly what he had said "wait by dusk!" my eyes popped

"What happened to warn me ahead of time?" I asked him genuinely upset

"That's exactly what am doing"

"you are unbelievable Haldir!" I said as he suddenly smiled, he sure enjoys seeing me railed up, I glared for a few moments before grabbing my dress and cursing as I left his presence heading inside, I could tell he was following behind so I hastened my steps...

"you have to go meet them, isn't that insulting, you are the Duke," Eros said as he stood with shook on his face "it's an obvious insult not even subtle" Eros continued as Haldir didn't say a word while his hand continued writing on papers in front of him.

"where is it done, and why does Cara has an unlimited warrant to bombard your home without prior invites?" Eros asked rhetorically pacing from one place to another, "They held meetings behind your back and dared to invite you to their huts, you know what?" Eros asked causing Haldir to finally look up with a vexed and somewhat tired expression

"What?" he asked lazily

"Do not go, sent them a letter instead, and if they challenge I will summon my clan?" Eros said his eyes brighter than before. Haldir pretended to think about it

"Now that sounds very like you Eros but No" Haldir said packing up the papers, he was rounding up

"They mentioned inviting me as their son, and titles aside," Haldir said

"That's ridiculous, the most unbelievable things are always from the elites," Eros said

"Am among the Elites, Eros" Haldir said glaring

"And so am I" Eros defended

The wooden door slightly opened to display an indifferent Thanatos,

"The carriage has been prepared" he announced

"carriage? Since when?" questioned Eros as he stared from Haldir to Thanatos, it finally registered and he let out a chuckle

"I can't believe it slipped passed my mind how much of a troublemaker you are, so you want to make a scene, with the diva-like witch"

"she has a name Eros," Haldir said walking past him as he headed to the door, while they followed closely behind him.

HALDIR

There she stood by the entrance with her aid, unlike before her hair wasn't braided or styled, it was let loose, falling behind her, her neck richly adored not leaving much skin for the eye to see, a good decision while going to visit bloodsuckers, she wore the very garment I sent to her, we were marching black with gold embroidery details.

Staring at her made me notice her nervousness, she kept taking deep breaths as our eyes finally met, she held mine for a moment.

"Heavens!" came the voice of Zephyr and for some reason seeing the way he looked at her stirred something in me as I found myself glaring at him

"Just when I thought you can't get more beautiful, you blew my mind" he continued as he kissed the back of her palm, for the first time I didn't like that. My shoulder was roughly brushed against and I turned to see the smile on Eros.

"please" I stopped him from speaking as I began approaching Nimai.

NIMIA

The ride was silent, I and Star rode in the carriage while Haldir rode on his horse, we weren't the only ones, Eros, Zephyr, and of cause Thanatos came along, having Zephyr come along somehow made me less nervous, at least he won't let me stand awkwardly.

We were let in, but my anxiousness didn't allow me to look around, Haldir came towards me with a smile, he was so good at putting up an act that I am beginning to wonder if we were a thing without me knowing.

"you must really be enjoying yourself," I said with a fake smile

"you are really doing a bad job darling," he said causing me to forcefully turn over at him,

"Son?" I heard a female voice call out, she was young, beautiful, and graceful at the same time, clothed in a white robe she went for an embrace with Haldir, her eyes laced with adoration and love, she traced every inch of his face, kissing both his cheeks,

"You didn't tell me you were coming," she said beaming

"I was invited by the elders mother," Haldir said and my eyes flicked, mother? They look like siblings, wait the devil has a mother? I stood awkwardly beside them till I heard a slight cough to turn around and see the faces surrounding the room.

The one who caught my attention most was CARA, her Aura threatened intimidation, but I refuse to be intimidated by her, I slightly smiled at her while she rolled her eyes.

"Come on in son," she said before her eyes finally caught a hold of me, I immediately lowered my back without thinking.

"Greetings your grace," I said before raising putting up a sweet smile

"Greetings dear" she answered not withholding the confusion in her gaze, but she didn't say anything and laid us to the others.

The tension in the room was overwhelming, Haldir rarely spoke unless spoken to, and his title was the highest yet they spoke to him with passive aggression except for his calm mother.

"I do not wish for the engagement to persist," he said lackadaisically with a hint of menace in his eyes as if about to flip any moment, I fear that side.

"Why?" the man I have come to know as his father asked, his eyes shooting daggers at me as if he was speaking to me

"I have a woman in my life," Haldir said with a smile as he slowly placed my hands into his, sending cold chills down my spine, our eyes met and he gave me a reassuring nod. Averting his gaze my eyes met that of CARA.

"son?" came the voice of his mother, she took a look at me causing a glimpse of guilt to find its way to my heart, what is this family? The obvious aggression in their voices while speaking to him like he is a common enemy, I thought he was their ruler.

"What is your relationship with this maiden?" I heard the father ask, and my heart rate quickened for some reason, the wave of panic.

"We are married...." silence fall, as well as eyes, popping,

"What?" came the low voice of Cara, only then did I realize I was holding my breath, what have I done, I should have stayed quiet, Haldir gave me a questioning glare before counseling it with a smile

"Forgive me for not properly introducing Myself elders," I said with a forced smile, my eyes scanned the room to see Zephyr raising the glass of wine to me with a reassuring smile, the confidence booster I needed as I smiled brightly

"You got married without notifying us?" came the voice of the mother, she looked at me with an unexplainable expression.

"I am Nimai, the wife of Haldir," I said realizing I can't mention where I am from, the only person I can lean on now is Haldir as I held his gaze, his smile suddenly widened and he dragged me closer to him, his hand now resting on my waist, every of his touch had an effect, torn between being uncomfortable and wanting more, how shameless my body and morals have become.

"The main reason the engagement has to cease" Haldir announced

"No!" came the firm voice of Cara "Where is she from? Marriage? The nerves!" she shouted looking at me, as I stared back, "I won't agree to this, marrying another without ending what we had is a disrespect" she snarled.

Laughter suddenly filled the room, and the man holding onto me let go of his voice surprising everybody in the room.

"what's disrespectful is inviting me here," Haldir said "This will be the last time I will come to you, and for the engagement, ending it or not depends solely on the family now, I have chosen a bride," Haldir said

Almost like an uproar, it went, arguing about his discussion surprisingly, non of them bombarded me with questions, Haldir gave no chance insisting they question him instead, I stood beside him lost till Eros came along.

"Bride hmm," he said with a smile without holding back I rolled my eyes " Don't worry their only weapon is their tongue, they dare not do otherwise," he said

"Are you trying to comfort me?" I asked him, he did sound like it,

"If that's what you think then that's what it is," he said, I looked around for Zephyr but he was nowhere to be found.