Chapter XIII

He looked at her like she got something to hide but she was like an opened book by now when it came to him. She had nothing to hide, not anymore. He knew what she was like, what she was thinking, what she feared, what she felt, how she was acting and many more, what was there to add? Nothing, but here he was, staring at her like she had all the secrets in the world carved inside her skull.

Little did he knew that he was the one that should be looked at like that. He was someone she could never understand, he was a ghost, a shadow, a solid presence yet a distant soul, what was lurking inside him could never be approached, but Aelin actually dared.

- Give me one good reason for which you should know my name.

His raspy voice brought her to her senses. She couldn't pick a worst moment for a daze but here she was.

- Because I want to know.

He stared right back at her with a strange smirk plastered on his face. He then grabbed her head in his palms and brought her closer to him. He smelled like mint and smoke.

- Try harder Aelin!

She was took aback by his sudden gesture. He was so close that she felt his hot breath fanning across her face. Her heart was beating so hard against her ribcage that she thought that it would actually split open. For a second, Aelin thought that he would hear it. She looked up again, right in his dark hooded eyes and spoke so slow that it almost felt like those were not her words.

- Because I need it..

He smirked.

- Louder Aelin.

She couldn't.

- Do it Aelin!

Out of question.

- Loud so I can hear you Aelin!

His devilish smirk got the best out of her and she gave in, she said what he needed to hear. Saying what she was not proud to say.

- Because I need it, bastard!!

Her scream made him smile even more, to the point he burst out laughing. He then glued his forehead to hers and let out a small chuckle that made her shy. Her blushed cheeks gave that out for sure. The honesty of her body when in presence of him was out of this world. He was out of this world too, he belonged to nothing and he had no master, he was a nobody and yet he was almighty. Who was he? Inside she was pleading, outside she was silent. He seemed to notice and by the time Aelin parted her lips to speak he beat her to it.

- Caib. My name is Caib and you'll probably wish sooner or later to not have known it .