29 CHAPTER 28

A loud buzzing of the phone along with its vibration stirred Lorna in her sleep. She stretched her arm and tapped the bedside table, reaching for her phone with eyes still closed. Finally grasped the gadget, she brought it to her face and slid a finger to the screen. Her half-opened eyes widened when she had glanced at the time. It's already passed at ten o'clock and they have to be in the city by noon.

Her sleepy mind now fully awakened as she sat up abruptly. She turned to the other woman, who was still in deep slumber. She hasn't been disturbed by her phone alarm, so it only means that Melisca was absolutely spent yesterday.

She sighed and pushed aside her blanket to prop her legs down the tiled floor. They have to prepare now immediately so she had to wake the woman up. Standing on her feet, she slowly moved as she felt her head spun for a moment, probably from getting up directly from sleep.

When she felt better, she strutted to Melisca's bed and poked her shoulders. Her friend was asleep on her back. With the solemn face, it was hard for her to believe that she was capable of killing. Worst that she could end a werewolf's life that way. Yet, she can't truly question her for having done it, the woman clearly reeks of grievance for what happened to her family.

"Liz. Hey, wake up." She tapped the woman's shoulder.

As her hand touched Liz, a firm grip held her wrist and she yelped when the woman pulled her, Lorna's back bounced on the mattress. Liz on top of the girl, a knee in between her stomach as an arm blocked her chest and shoulders from getting up. Her eyes wide in horror as she stared at her friend with a stoic face.

Melisca's eyebrows furrowed in seeing who the person she pinned down. When realization struck, she jumped off her with an intake of air. Lorna inhaled loudly, she had pressured her lungs earlier. The girl stared straight at the ceiling, with her chest rising up and down rapidly.

"That was my most traumatic experience in waking up someone." She finally spoke in breathy words.

Liz offered a hand for her and the girl reached for it. She pulled her up, reducing her strength in the process.

"Sorry, I'm not used of someone waking me up, not even sleeping with anyone in the same room."

"Okay, next time, I'm gonna poke you with a stick from afar." She mumbled, walking to her backpack to get some proper clothes. Her eyes still blinking and mind in a daze. She hasn't thought Liz would react like that. The woman's got a surprising strength and speed. In just a blink of an eye, she had her pinned.

"Then make sure you don't grip it too much or else you'll just be pulled along with the stick." Liz retorted, Lorna halted for a bit, haven't expected for her to reply to what she said under her breath. The woman has sharp ears too, or she had whispered it loud enough to be heard.

She sighed to not think too much about it, they have more important things to do.

"We have to get to the capital by noon." Lorna announced as she got the things she needs and sauntered to the bathroom.

"By noon? What time is it already?" Melisca rummaged her backpack for her outfit, then she remembered she had it dry cleaned by the hotel. She sat again on the bed and pick up the telephone.

Lorna turned around to her. "It's past 10 o'clock. What are you doing?" The girl's attire hanging in her other arm as one hand posted at the side of the door that had been opened.

"I'm calling the laundry staffs for our clothes yesterday. I won't leave it, those are my favourites." She didn't spare her a glance as she pressed the numbers and brought the phone to her ear.

Lorna shrugged and twirled around, stepped into the washroom and closed the door behind her with a soft thud.

"Hello? Laundry service? This is from room 512. We would like our clothes to be delivered right now in our room, whether it's done or not. We are in a hurry to leave... It's already done? That's great, please send it to us then, thank you." She placed the phone back on the bedside table.

When she's about to get on her feet to resume preparing her stuff, a familiar handle of her knife peeked from beside her pillow. She had remembered that she never put a weapon where anyone can see them directly. She always puts her knife underneath her pillow, not carelessly next to it, even If it's barely seen.

Then she thought that probably because of her exhaustion, she had barely pushed it underneath and fell asleep.

'Wait.' Her mind previewed what happened last night as her eyes blinked and her chest raise up and down in rapid breathing like she had run a marathon. She hadn't gone to her bed, she was at the balcony until someone stood behind her.

'Yours.' The dark and deep voice from the stranger echoed on her head. His sound made her heart beat faster and craved for more.

"Mine.." Her lips made the words unconsciously, responded to him.

'No.' She shook her head. 'It can't be..' Melisca stood up and walked back n' forth before her bed. A hand on her waist and the other at her forehead. 'It can't be him.' She pressed her lips as her eyebrows were knitted in one line.

If it was him, he should have brought her with him, to wherever he stays, not to leave her asleep on her bed. But why did he left her? Was he the same person who had her unconscious when she killed the werewolf?

Her eyes went back to the knife on top of the pillow, she just realized it was the murder weapon that went missing. With blinking gaze, she stared at it as she picked it up. From closing her fingers to the handgrip, she felt something warm that flowed to her system. It seemed to connect with her as if one with her hands. She unsheathed the object from its scabbard. The weapon looked sharper and deadlier. It felt different but still the same favourite knife she got.

Surely he hasn't replaced it with something new, because the mark was still there. She had it engraved customised. A tiny skull near the point of the steel, a symbol of death, that's what her weapon for, her mission, to kill.

Her question had been answered, that the same person had stolen her knife, but he gave it back. What had he done with it anyway? The weapon turned into somewhat powerful. The aura gave when it was unsheathed, dark and suffocating.

She returned the knife to its cover and tossed it on the bed. Her mind still wandered about other things. If he was the person she runaway from, how did he find her? She was miles away from Vrona City. How did he track her? What was he planning to do?

Questions again, she just confirmed some of her doubts but bombarded by another set of confusions.

Melisca exhaled loudly, a knock from the door woke her attention. She turned to it and heightened her senses. A smell of fresh fabric and a single heartbeat was on the other side. It was the laundry staff she called earlier.

Not looking at the peephole, she immediately opened the door and a smiling girl greeted her. A small basket on one hand.

They made a quick exchange, she gave her a tip and brushed away the attendant.

When she closed the door, Lorna was already at the vanity desk, already dressed and drying her hair.

"Are those our laundry?" She asked, glancing at Liz through the reflection of the mirror.

"Yes." She placed the basket on the bed and collected her clothes from it. "I'll leave yours here." After gathering her attire, she brought it with her to the bathroom.

Lorna noticed the knife on Liz's bed. The woman left it on display. She eyed the bathroom and after a moment, her curiosity won. Putting down the hairdryer, she strutted to the bed and snatched the object. It felt heavy on her grip. She brought it close to her eyes as she uncovered the sharp steel.

It was not as shiny that light could reflect it. But the sharpness was undeniable, the weapon sure looked expensive. A tiny mark caught her eyesight. A skull near at the point of the knife.

Hurrying on her shower, Melisca finished in no time. Her stomach rumbled after dressing up.

"Be careful with that."

Lorna jumped and nearly stabbed herself with the weapon. She was so absorbed by the knife's aura that she hadn't even heard Liz got out of the door.

She put it back in its sheath and placed on the bed gently. "I'm sorry, it was just, I-I was curious." Not looking up at Liz's direction, her hands trembled when she picked up her phone on the table.

"It's fine." Liz replied, "You can look, just don't mindlessly touch. You might cut yourself accidentally."

After getting themselves ready, the two walked out from their room and went to the elevator.

Melisca wore her typical attire. A black leather jacket, zipped open from top to bottom with a red sleeveless shirt underneath, paired with black jeans and her boots fully closed up to her legs, knives hidden inside, of course. Her hair braided loosely at one side with some strands touching her face.

She glimpsed at her wristwatch. Almost 11 o'clock. "How long is the ride over there?"

"An hour and a half, more or less." Lorna responded, fixing her pink cardigan. The girl was wearing a pink camisole top inside and a navy blue jeans, a pair of running shoes. She looked at her phone screen for the time. "Hope we can make it before 1 pm."

They finally got out of the elevator and Melisca's stomach complained again as the aroma of food from the hotel's restaurant reached her nose. She inhaled the delicious scent.

She followed Lorna and waited for her to get inside, but the girl walked passed it. "Wait." Grabbing the girl's forearm and Lorna halted, whirled to face her. "Don't tell me we are not eating before going."

"We don't have much time, Liz."

Melisca breathed deeply as her lips formed a thin line while she averted her eyes. 'Pull yourself together, you don't wanna strain this girl.' With gritted teeth, she almost growled, "I passed out last night because of hunger, do you want me to blackout on the road too?"

Lorna's face scrunched with second thoughts, but after a second, she hardened her expression. "We can have a meal when we get there, can't you hold on a little longer?" Liz had to be in an empty stomach to finish the test immediately and effectively.

Melisca had closed her eyes and clenched her trembling fist, her chest wanted to explode as her breathing became deep to somehow ease the rising furiousness inside her. She moved past the girl, not wanting to face Lorna. She stopped, tilted her head to the side and hissed with her jaw twitching. "Somehow I doubt that. We'll be there in just 20 minutes, so, you better. Hold. Tight." Each word laced with venom as her eyes like staking daggers.