Fifty-four

We spend the next few hours strung tight like a bow. Every single time he looks at me, he only does so, so he can glare. I glare back because we are both equally stubborn as a mule and we refuse to back down. Each is on the opposite side of the argument.

I know his reluctance stems from good intentions, and I'm me. I'm ready to confront Micah on his own turf. Shay can provide the means of getting wherever Micah has been hiding until now.

He throws the cupboard door to the floor after unscrewing the hinges. It is useless now, but he does it anyway. As infuriating as he finds me, the sight of Mason doing menial tasks is another story. He is only wearing his slacks, and nothing else.

I am content to watch as every muscle and sinew twists, stretches and contracts as he focuses his attention on the damn cupboard. We haven't really spoken much, but he hasn't left and I don't dare to ask why is he still here.

" I need to go to the hardware store," He is grouchy. Oh, so, so grouchy. That wretched grudge he holds onto for dear life will bring me to my knees.

" Fine, " I cross my arms and glare at him from my perch on the bed.

" You could help you know," He gripes, as he angrily pulls on his shirt. We've fought before, but usually is on insignificant matters. But this, this is something that I'm not willing to let it go.

" I know," I say calmly, " I just don't want to. Just like you don't want to hear my plan," I'm losing this fight. Mostly because I don't like it when we argue. It feels like the balance between us is broken, and it feels strange, and unnatural.

" Fine," He plops himself on the chair rather dramatically and raises his hand, urging me to reveal my grand plan. When he puts it like that, I dig my heels even deeper. Now, I don't want to say anything at all.

" Jesus Christ, Lily. This is what we turn into at the slightest setback, " He huffs exasperated. I disagree. It is not a small matter, and we've been here before.

" Could you at least be less obnoxious about it? At least until you hear me out. And you started it," I lean forward on the bed to make my point. My anger slowly but surely is bubbling at the surface. He is testing my already frayed patience. Not much can rattle me, but when it comes to Mason I expect him to be on my side.

" Alright," He says calmly, schooling his expressions, " You may proceed," Once again he motions with his hand, and I can't help but bare my teeth at him to show my annoyance with his overly irritating behaviour. Which I find extremely unnecessary considering the circumstances.

" You will be quiet until I finish," I warn, and he rolls his eyes at me like a petulant child," Ugh...," That's all I have to say to that," It's simple really. I let him capture me. He still doesn't have the seals, not all of them anyway. So he can't do much to me, other than keep me as a prisoner until he finds a way to retrieve all of them. You stay behind, and when the time is right, we enlist Eric and the order to help. And from there it should be easy peasy. We've fought V'asay before, we know their level of skill, and we've surpassed them in hand-to-hand combat," I pant that last part as I rush to say my peace before he begins to tear into it, finding the flaws and exposing it.

Silence settles between us as I wait for him to give me his verdict. By the way he looks at me, with absolute arrogance, I already have my answer before he even opens his mouth to speak. It's no good. Not good enough anyway.

" You want me to sit here and wait while he tears you limb from limb in some godforsaken place? " He starts calmly but before he finishes that sentence I can sense the anger rolling off him in waves. I knew he wouldn't be pleased.

" Why not? He won't kill me," I say full of confidence that I don't actually have. Because I don't know what Micah will do once he will get his hands on me.

" The answer is still no, Lily," He rises from his seat and marches towards the hatch in the floor. Grabbing the handle, he stills for a brief moment, " Do not tempt me, Lily. I'll chain you in the cellar if you leave me no choice. I'd rather have you hate me for the rest of your life than risk losing you," With that, he jumps through the hatch without any regard as to who might be wandering the hallways of the academy.

Alone in an empty loft, I find myself in need of re-evaluating my plan. If anything Mason, is a man of his word, and up until this point he has demonstrated how singular his mind can be when comes to me. The only thing that has yet to conclude is the sordid affair of his marriage.

As loving as he is, his anger has an even sharper edge. We've weathered and lost too much time already for me to jeopardise our entire relationship on a whim. Only it's not a whim, it's a solution to a problem. The problem he sees it as a whim.

With one deep breath, I slip off the bed, and throw on a few clothes on before I go to see someone that will either see it my way or at least will offer an impartial opinion. Am I foolish or Mason is over-exaggerating? Since I am unable to decide, I slink out of the loft and take to the hallways until I'm outside basking in the balmy breeze of the early spring.

Birdsong fills the air from the nearby thicket of trees, the flowers have begun to slowly sprout back to life after the heavy winter. For some reason that fills me with hope. And I need as much as I can get.

I follow the footpath that leads to the main wing and slip inside the main building where the dean's office is.

It might not be the best decision I've ever made, by bringing Eric into this but, Mason leaves me no choice.

I already know he will bite my head off for it, but it is a risk I'm willing to take.