38 Tatiana

Their gazes pricked at Ley and she knew that her behavior became so unusual all of a sudden. She had to swallow back all her panic to look normal again when all she wanted to do was get out of the room. Her mind raced as she considered possible ways to bow out of the meeting. It was making her antsy.

"Are you okay?" Landon asked, his unreadable eyes trained on her.

"I'm fine I was just surprised," she absent-mindedly answered while she gathered up the pieces of the pen to avoid his gaze.

She was preparing to just give whatever excuse so she could go out when her phone blared unceremoniously in her pocket. She almost breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, a way out that she can use but when she looked at the caller ID, her heart started pounding again.

"I'm so sorry. I need to take this urgent call," she told Landon and headed quickly out of the conference room, away from their sharp hearing.

She was almost outside the building when she felt a hand on her arm stopping her. She whipped her head back in astonishment and saw Landon. She must be more distraught than she thought if she didn't even notice him. It was too late to retract her expression. The panic and worry etched on her face was already seen by him.

"What's wrong?" He asked without much expression however Ley got a glimpse of concern on those deep amber eyes.

Again.

It was those eyes that made her hesitate every time. It touched her heart and scared her at the same time. It made her want things she couldn't have.

"It's just some small matter I need to take care of urgently," she managed to flash a semblance of a smile. She waved her phone in front of him to emphasize the call but when Landon looked at it, the warmth in his eyes had gone cold and retreated. He removed his hand and went back without a word leaving her out of sorts.

Does he have something against Raul?

She looked at the caller ID in bewilderment though she snapped out of it soon since she had far more pressing things to do right now. She ran far away from the base before she finally answered the call in trepidation.

Her heart hanging on the line, she immediately asked, "How is she?"

"Mom's stable now. Sorry, I couldn't call earlier. Things were hectic for the past few hours," Raul's tired voice came through the phone .

"How did that happen?" She muttered in disbelief.

"We're still investigating and tracing all possible suspects right now. That's why the whole territory is on lockdown. Do you want to talk to her?" He asked suddenly which made Ley fall into silence.

Raul didn't wait for her response. There was a small rustle at the other end of the line and soon an alert albeit weak voice rang out.

"Ley."

Hearing her voice flooded her heart with relief and she worriedly asked her, "Mom, how are you?"

"I'm already fine, baby. It's not a big deal. I must have been too nice lately that the morons were getting complacent and even dared to assassinate me," her mother replied in an icy voice.

She might be injured right now but the majesty of Tatiana, the Magick Queen, was never far away. It was ingrained in her bones as the matriarch of the Territory.

"I'm sorry I can't go there and see you," Ley said, her voice suffused with guilt. No one knew of her existence except for a few trusted people and it should stay that way for the good of everyone.

"I'm the one who should be sorry about that," Tatiana gravely replied.

"Is Dad there?" Ley immediately asked to distract her as she didn't want her mom to be upset again with their situation on top of her poisoning. She was used to it and there was no use in disturbing the status quo they've gone by for years.

"He went out for a bit," her mother replied with amusement evident in her voice, clearly aware of what Ley's trying to do.

"You're out of the Territory? I'll make this quick before he catches me then. Take more care, Mom," Ley reminded her. 

Ley stopped worrying since she's already well-taken care of since her dad and Raul were. There's no way that he won't be beside her mom especially when she's been poisoned but her dad definitely wouldn't be allowed inside the Territory so they must definitely be outside.

"Probably somewhere outside but these two here won't tell me anything and don't worry about those people back home. They better run far away once I recover or they would wish they were already dead once I caught them. By the way, Raul mentioned that you have some sort of trouble?" Her voice tinged with a hint of violence.

"Don't mind that. I'll take care of it. Please focus more on your recovery," Ley immediately assured her since she was still injured and the case was sensitive as it is. They can't afford to act rashly in case they alert the enemies instead.

"Are you sure?" Her mom asked again to make sure but when Ley was about to answer, a low authoritative voice that was barely heard due to the distance, registered through the phone  which made the hairs on Ley's skin stand.

"Yes, mom! Please recover well. Love you!" Ley rapidly said goodbye without letting her mom even say a word before hanging up to get away from her dad.

She exhaled in relief since she managed to avoid him. She didn't even reply the last time on his message so she's a bit apprehensive in case he told her to go back immediately. Her dad doesn't budge when it comes to his decisions so she'd rather run away to avoid it instead. It wasn't a long term solution but it would have to do for now.

Remembering the arranged marriage his dad decided for her made her think about Landon and the kiss that took place earlier. It made her face heat up just recalling it. Feelings that were unknown kept surfacing inside her and it scared her but she wasn't like the rest of them. She sighed at the impossibility of it ever happening. It was something she was already used to. Accepting that made everything much easier but that doesn't mean she can't bring that piece of memory  inside her heart.

Just like that she spent the whole way home dazed about it. She was loitering on the stairs on the way to her room when she heard someone yelling her name.

Not long after, Siri's face popped up above the landing ahead of her and said," What are you still doing there? That 'phone' is ringing!"

Ley stared at her in confusion since she wasn't expecting anyone to call that number since she did not release any business cards on the market until she remembered that particular one that the grumpy old man got. She can't believe that he sold it already.

She immediately went to the hall where the business phone she used with the tattooist  transactions was located.

Ley picked it up without reserve since it was already set up with a voice modulator that Siri set up long ago, "Hello."

"Is this the tattooist?" A raspy voice that she knew too well came out instead. 

Too well in fact.