15 She’s awake

"Cmon El, you got this!" Ray yelled. Swimming further in the beach. She was standing with her skinny bikini. Hugging herself.

"I'm scared!" She yelled back

"Come on, you ain't gonna die. It's just a swim."

"You know am scared of water." He was swimming back to where she standing by the sand.

"I'm right here, I'll got you." Elina tried moving her feet into the water, touching it a little bit, she withdraw her feet. And shook her head at him.

"I can't!" She yelled. Just then she felt a pair of hands tapped her from behind and pushed her into the water. she screamed for help, but she was already in it. Struggling with the water.

"El!" He called.

"He-lp"

She yelled. Sinking in. She stretched out her hands for help, but non seems to be coming forth.

"Ray!" She shouted, she couldn't see him, he was coming to her rescue. She sunk in, gulping a lot of the salty water, she was drowning.

"El." She coughed, wresting with the water, but she was getting consumed by it. She kicked and struggled. She was drowning.

"He-lp" she couldn't hear her voice any longer. Gasping for breath. And slowly she was down in the water.

***

She jerk up from the bed, her eyes wide opened. Glancing around the room she was.

Where is she?

"Finally awake, I saw your fingers moved a hours ago." Ezra said, taking a seat beside her and checking her pulse.

"Where am I, who're you?"

"You're in heaven and I'm an angel, Glory hallelujah."

"Don't be ridiculous."

She scoffed and tried rising, she was hit with a sharp pain at her stomach. She groaned falling back on the bed.

"Don't you try doing that again, you ain't fully recovered yet."

"I'm fine." She muttered. Gritting her teeth. Memories of what happened flashed through her. The gunshots. She was here. In Kenzo's mansion. The room she had been with Sara.

What was the dream about, she'd never been to the beach. She'd phobia for water. She suddenly missed Ray, missed being around him. His scent after showers, his hands being around her. She desperately wanted to go back and meet him. And fall into his arms again. He did came here anyway, that only proves, he likes her, he still cares for her.

She so much want to see him again. Leaving this hell for good.

He did promise he would let her go, if she did recover from it, he can't back down on his words.

He had to let her go.

"How long have I been here?"

"Tow days. You seems so determined to live, what could be the reason? Others wouldn't survive in your case, they might take a week or a month to recuperate."

She hadn't lived the life she wanted, there's still a lot to do on her list. The list she had, she'd written down the list, the day Susan died. She promised to fulfill them. Just one of them she had ticked, she completed high school.

There was other nine.

-overcoming her fears for water.

Which seems so impossible to her but Susan insisted she had it written down. So she did, knowing fully well it was never gonna happen. Her dream of drowning, more reasons she'd to stay clear of water till death.

-adventures. Going new places, seeing new things, maybe she could tick this, as an adventure, she did went beyond her limits.

-her dream man. Ray. She did confess and got rejected. He was the man of her dream, he held her heart so tightly to himself. He'd been her childhood hero. Maybe there would be just a little chance for them to get to be together, when she gets out of this hellhole.

And there were orders.

College, get a good job, married and have kids.

How have such a boring list? Well she does, and she loves just how everything is.

But right now, she couldn't say, she only knew her life was about to take another turn.

"Is...?"she didn't know what to call him, his name or sir or master or lord. She doesn't know which.

"Locked up in his room, he hadn't stepped out since yesterday. Aziel is at his doorstep, waiting for him to give orders."

"I need to let him know I'm awake so I could leave."

"Leave? To where?"

"Home."

Ezra chuckled.

"That's seems impossible, listen dear. You've become part of this house, you saw Hazard, he saw you. You think he's gonna let you off so easily, he would look for you, and stalk you. And when the opportunity comes, grab you and never letting go, he could use you as a bait, or as his sex machine."

"Wwhat.."She slurred.

"I can take care of myself, he doesn't need to ..."

"I'm not worried about you." Their eyes snapped to the door. Where Kenzo stood with his hands in his pocket, they hadn't heard him come in, he was dressed up in a blue suit, which fits his so perfectly, as it clan on his body. His face was pale, devoid of emotions, like a devil. But she still couldn't deny the fact he was super handsome, everything about him, he was damn badass cute. Compare to her. She would look like a shit beside him. She already concluded. Someone like him, she can never have. He was way, stronger, bigger, and handsome than she was. And he was cruel with sympathy. He couldn't kill her, without blinking an eye.

She shivers on the thought, he was no longer handsome in her eyes, all she saw was a cruel looking devil with horns.

"You can leave, I made a promise, and I would keep them. When you leave don't ever look back, or you might turn to salt."

"Can I leave now?"

"Yes now. You're awake ain't you?"

"But she can't..."

"Note this, you'll have to walk, don't expect, Aziel to drive you home. I didn't tell you to jump into the bullet."

She said.

He devil like him.

To her, he was already dead in her eyes. The look she gave him, she'd sliced him to pieces. Right on spot.

"Get out of here now! Before I've a change of mind and have you locked up again"

Elina bite her lips. And tried standing up from the bed. Ezra helped her got up, she was already on tears. She wanted to leave. Why was she in tears. She should be happy she's leaving, but she hadn't planned to leave like this.

Ezra knew too well than to beg, would make him more angrier, so he'd his lips clamp shut.

He thought he hadn't stepped out of his room, he was all wrong. Wasn't the dance tonight, was that the reason he came out. Seems like it. The dance was something he couldn't stay out from.

"She need help, she can't move around like this." Ezra said, he was feeling so bad for her already, through the pains she was going through, the stitches might tear up. If she keep stressing herself.

"Please..." He was so worried when she took the bullet and when he was attending to her, trying to stop the bleeding. And now he was acting all different, like he didn't care, when he actually did.

He looked away from Ezra, walking out of the room, with giving him a reply.

"I'm sorry, come on, I'll help out."

Elina only sniffed, and wipe her tears off with her hands. Leaning on Ezra as he took her out of the room.

"Is she gonna be safe?"

"I already made arrangements for that." He replied Aziel. Standing by the stairs and watched, Ezra helped, Elina out of the house.

"Ezra would take her home, and perhaps got her treated. He knows what to do, without been told."

"I'm just worried about her."

"I know. Hazard would send his men over here tonight, thinking she's still here, more reason she had to go home, and stay for a while."

"You should've told her such."

"It won't change anything. Tell the men to get prepared. We'll head out soon."

Aziel was glad he came out of the room, yesterday, he had opened his door and saw him, seated on the floor, with his head down.

"I told you to stop doing that." Was the first thing he said. And took him in to the room.

To him, Kenzo was everything, he was ready to do anything for him. As far as it was for him. And he wasn't pleased he hadn't been there in that room with them, that he came late. He was supposed to protect him.

"Why are you still standing there?"

"What?"

"Did you just ask me that?"

"No sir, I'm leaving right now."

"Get out."

He hurried out, they need to prepare for the dance tonight. It might turn out bloody. Because all the secret cult members would be there. And after this, a decision would be made on the next leader.

He knew Kenzo had to win, against Hazard

And he'd been preparing for that day. When he would take the crown.

But he still doesn't know why, he was treated like an outcast, in the Brennon family, why he was never loved. Why he left the mansion? He doesn't want to find out, he doesn't want to upset Kenzo by digging into his past. He's asking for his own death if he did that.

He just had to let him, tell him, when he's ready. Or he might as well secretly finds out.