Useful

Huan silently shows up behind Bolin and bows before asking, "Master, why didn't you kill them?" He really couldn't understand it. These strange men were trouble.

Bolin smirks before saying, "Because they're useful." He doesn't elaborate and quickly disappears. Huan remains standing in the same spot, frowning. Useful? His eyes turn thoughtful as he replays the scenes from before.

Suddenly, a light appears in his eyes. His head whips up with surprise. He suddenly feels so stupid and slow. His Master really did know how to use people to his advantage. An explosion in the distance is heard, causing him to turn and look.

A dark smile, extremely similar to his Master's, appears on his face as he thinks about all the possibilities. Yes, it would have really been a shame if Master had killed them. With this, things will become more interesting.

________

"Lyra... I don't think we should stay with this man. He seems dangerous." Mago says after witnessing the scene from earlier. He remained silent for a while after, knowing I was upset but still ended up voicing his concern.

I grit my teeth still annoyed. Yes, I know he's dangerous but he's powerful. I know I'm walking a fine line but when haven't I?

One thing I quickly noticed was that, unlike the Li residence, Bolin's place seemed completely empty. Yet, the place was kept immaculate. To be honest, I preferred this. I was always left alone, or I was with one maybe two other people at most. I wasn't used to a place full of people, coming and going at all times. Even when I had to deal with the council, it was only for short periods of time.

My face softens as I think about the Li family, the hugging family. I slightly smile, wanting to shake my head. Bolin's deep voice breaks my train of thought as he says, "It seems you think fondly of me while I'm away."

My smile quickly disappears as I slowly turn to glare at the man. He walks into the room as lightning lights up the dark sky. Thunder soon follows as Bolin walks in with all his dark glory. He looked like a cat who had caught a mouse.

My eyes narrow, drawing a conclusion. I prop my elbow up on the table as I say, "You went after Dade and his men." It wasn't a question. Bolin gives me a knowing smile as he sits at the table and says, "He insulted my woman, how could I just let him go?"

I ignore the jab, not giving him the reaction he wanted. I tap my finger on my cheek as I say, "If Dade and his men aren't killed, they will cause problems." Bolin's smile grows when he notices her ignoring his comment.

He pours them both some tea as he says, "Those men are nothing but bugs, I can easily remove them at any time." I watch him closely, slowly tilting my head, wondering what he was playing at. I lift my free hand, placing it on the table. I lightly tapped my finger on it three times before saying, "Yes, but even bugs can bring death and destruction."

Bolin's hand pauses while pouring the tea, when his dark eyes land on me, lightning flashes outside once again. Thunder quickly follows this time, filling the silence of the room with heavy unspoken words.

After a few moments of silence, he goes back to pouring the tea as he says, "I see..." He lifts a cup and places it in front of me before lifting his own cup and taking a sip. I ignore the tea, watching him silently.

He said, 'I see'. Not, 'I will kill them' or anything like that. He had no intention of killing them, why? I know without a shadow of a doubt the man before me had no qualms about killing people so why would he let Dade and his men walk away? It doesn't make sense.

When he lowers his cup, his dark eyes meet mine. As if seeing the questions in my eyes, he gives me a small smile while saying, "Don't worry, I will keep an eye on them while they're here. If they do something out of line, I will quickly put an end to them."

I trusted him about as far as I could throw him without using my magic. This time I give him a smile as I stand up, ignoring the tea and saying, "I hope that's true and you don't end up regretting your decision, Bolin."

Lightning flashes again as thunder and rain quickly follow. I lift my hand, summoning my magic. Bolin's dark eyes shift to my hand, curious. Suddenly, hundreds and hundreds of bugs come crawling out.

They slither in through the door, the windows, and every crack in the room. They flood in like a small army, flowing around me, completely avoiding me. They climb and crawl their way up to Bolin but before they can touch him, he releases his power.

Not enough to blow them away, just enough to keep them from touching him. Lightning flashes again as I stand in the room filled with bugs of all sizes. Covering the floor, the walls, and even the ceiling. "As you can see, bugs are nasty little creatures. Given the right motivation, they can cause the downfall of nations." I say, pushing my magic out once again.

This time, the bugs all quickly scurry away until nothing is left. I give Bolin one last look before turning and walking away. I ignore the cold rain as I head to the room given to me while staying here. Ultimately, this was his world, if he didn't care, why should I?

No sooner had I thought that an image of the Li family popped up in my mind. I curse under my breath, knowing I can't ignore Dade and his men. When I think back to all the bugs, I shiver a little before I keep walking.

Stubborn idiot. He doesn't know what he's playing with.

My feet suddenly slowed. Or does he?

_______

Bolin remains sitting in the room. He lifts his cup of tea but quickly stops himself. He lowers the cup, no longer wanting to drink it when he thinks about all the bugs that were just in here. He wants to burn the whole thing down.

But, she had made her point. Very clearly at that. He didn't know that their kind could control bugs. What else could they do? His eyes darken as a dangerous light flashes within them. Indeed, bugs were very troublesome but, he didn't want to get rid of Dade and his men just yet.

He needed them to stick around for a bit longer. Would it be okay? Or would he come to regret his decision? Only time would tell but one thing was for sure, he would leave several shadows on Dade and his men. Nations falling didn't sound all that bad...

Also, he realized that he never wanted to truly piss that woman off. He shivers just thinking about it. Yes, he would tease her, but he would make sure never to cross the line.