CHAPTER – XXIII

"So, you won't tell this to Alec?" I said in between while matching his pace. He didn't say anything.

I was exasperated and couldn't believe my eyes, Lucas is dead, how can he be so calm about this "Do you really think that I killed him?" "What if someone notice him inside there?" Still no response. I was beyond frustrated now, what if he was positive on that murder was done by Shadow?

"Do you know anything about shadow?"

He stopped abruptly and my leg hit the luggage pretty hard. Which led me to look down on my knee but unfortunately something else caught my attention and I refused to look in that direction. I gulped and looked straight and followed Eli.

"They weren't Lucas and Lou." His reply drained all the blood from my face. Now I definitely need him to protect me. But deep down I did already know that that was all indeed an illusion. Just like the pain which occurred in my back and just like what things I saw and heard in that castle. Because after backstabbing me they really don't have guts to face me.

Alec saw us approaching him, his assistant opened the door for him and soon I joined him, or I thought but Eli took me in another car, we sat inside but this time Eli sat across me.

"Where are we going?" I shifted uncomfortably I sense someone's eyes on me. I grimaced as my knee started to hurt even more.

"Why you had that candle stand with you?" I widened my eyes. "Where? What?" 

"Oh my gosh, from where it came?" I stood abruptly trying to get away from that cursed object, but my head hit the car roof. "Ouch!" and I landed onto his lap. "I'm sorry" I immediately shifted and sat beside him but still away from candle stand and almost leaning into and sticking to his side.

Whereas Eli sat there with straight face "You stole it from the castle, don't you? Miss Sagitta." I turned my face towards him "Why would I steel?" I scrunched my nose. 

"Do I need to remind you of your profession? Miss." He shifted his cold gaze at me then towards at my hand which was basically on his thigh. "And can you please sit appropriately?" 

"No, I won't, I meant you can sit over there." He glared at me and told the driver to stop the car, he took out the cell phone and called someone "Your Highness, Pardon me. Miss Sagitta Stole the artifact from the castle and it's with her right now." and soon outside the window, Alec's car took the U-turn and stopped near ours in such a small time. The head lights made the wintery snow to sparkle in the dark but there's no sparkle dust that can safe me from Alec.

"Was it really necessary?" I glared at him in panic. He is such a loyal pet. I saw his 4 guards came out first with machine guns intact in theirs's hand, inspected the area for their prince, then followed by Alec himself.

Eli got out and soon I "She's a darn aloof woman. Till now I was thinking that it's all your planning and somehow you are acquainted with some organization. But then I saw your diary and hell I thought you are in serious shit because how come a normal girl from different place know about confidential information about my family and decided to unfold this mystery by calling you here, but now you are definitely dumb woman who are dragging herself in this hell after warnings." Alec stepped towards me. I stepped back and before my back touch the Eli's front he grabbed my shoulder and stopped me from the contact and to face Alec's wrath. By the time he stopped speaking he came in front of me.

Eli's hands were firmly placed on my arms, impossible for me to move.

"How shamefully I'm being blamed again, I never saw you fucking helping me once."

"Blame? I was fucking sure you were hiding something you Idiot." 

"Excuse me. How…" 

"You are excused" Alec shouted at me. "You half headed woman; you are dealing with something which had killed many people. And this…" he looked towards the car where Eli showed him the artifact, he pointed at it. "This thing is giving the access to whatever it is to easily kill you. I asked you many times if you had touched anything in there but you, I can't believe this." He gave me his sinister glare as he whispered yelled at me. I became furious all I was being patient enough, all this time but he always gives me threat, manhandling in the name of help.

"What?! Well, this is something new coming from you. So, you know something about this shadow thingy, but when I asked you…"

"Shut up, you are in no position to raise your voice at me" He roared at me and for the first time I felt someone overpowering me. A sense of dread consumed me, as though one wrong move would result in a fatal end. 

"Kill him"