Visit from a loving uncle

After about a minute, Elaina's eyes opened. Her blurry vision cleared and her eyes focused on Alexander's gray ones staring into hers.

The strength in her legs recovered allowing her to stand properly and he unwrapped his arm around her and took a step back.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice coming out dry and hoarse. Her body felt weak and as the cool breeze calmed her down, the urge to sleep overtook her.

"You fell," came his reply.

"I fell," she repeated. It didn't make sense because she couldn't remember anything after Alex had left her to get a drink in the hall. She ought to ask questions but she couldn't, she was too tired, and even blinking soon became an exercise.

"Thank you for catching me," she stated before falling forward.

Alexander caught her in his arms and lifted her with his arms below her knees and shoulder and she in turn wrapped her arms around his neck.

"We're leaving," Alexander stated as he carried her further into the garden on a secret path unknown by many.

"That's too bad, we didn't get to try the feast," she stated with a small smile.

"I'll make you a feast when we get home,"

"You had better uphold your words," she stated with a chuckle and a moment of silence passed between them as Alexander dodged the branches and roots in his way.

"Hey, Alex," Elaina called.

"What is it?"

"Have we ever been to the castle before?" came her tired voice.

"Why do you ask? hold on," he told her as there was a tree branch in their way. Elaina held onto his neck tightly as he removed his arm and used it to push the branch aside. He returned his arm and she leaned back on it.

"Well you seem to know your way around," she commented.

"Call it intuition. but yes we have," he answered.

"I see," she stated. Once again, she ought to ask more questions like 'why?' or 'for what?' but she didn't feel the need to. Oddly, she already knew the answer in her head.

Another moment of silence passed between them before Alexander said,

"I saw you on the balcony, Laina,"

"Did you?"

"Yes, you danced with him too, who was that man?" Alexander asked. He was curious about the man who had made chills run down his spine just by looking at him from afar, it had felt like he could listen to any command of his even if it was just a wave of his hand.

"He is mine,"

"I never thought I would hear you say that," he looked down at her in disbelief.

"Neither did I," she smiled as she remembered the man whose face she couldn't see but his eyes that had held affection for her. Her heavy eyes soon started to close and a yawn followed.

Her head tilted sideways and rested on his arm while her hands around his neck slowly loosened and fell downwards as she fell into a deep sleep.

Alexander suddenly felt a sharp sting in his hand and he turned it to his face. His eyes subtly widened, the scald from Elaina's heat hadn't healed and he could see some of his muscles very clearly. That was a first.

He clenched his fist and his eyes moved to the tall plants that blocked his pathway, signaling the end of his journey.

He tightened his hold on Elaina and jumped out from between the plants, landing in the wide parking lot of the castle.

Hundreds of varieties of cars were parked there and Alexander walked between them, searching for their car. After minutes of searching, he saw his mother standing in front of the car with the driver beside her.

Mya rushed to him when she saw him, "How is she?" she asked while placing her hand on her daughter's forehead, her temperature was almost back to normal, she noted.

"She's fine, she just fell asleep," he answered. He had alerted his mother when he had gone back into the hall.

Mya sighed in relief, "Thank you, Alex," she placed his hand on his shoulder and he nodded.

"Let's go," she said and they went to their car. Alexander placed Elaina in the car and sat down beside her. Mya was also about to enter when she felt the heat from a sudden rush of fire that flashed a few cars from her.

Her eyes widened and she turned to the man who had emerged from the fire. Of all the times!! she cursed internally. "Do not leave the car," she warned Alex before closing the door of the car and walking toward him.

The man had flaming red hair that was the same color as his eyes. His hair and eyes looked like a raging fire that could burn anything in its way to ashes and he looked intimidating in his black suit where the jacket hung on his arm. He had a small smirk on his lips as he watched her approach him,

"Looking beautiful as ever, Mya," he commented, his eyes raking her body. Then he said, "Though, I don't see your husband, where is he?" though he didn't look the least bit curious.

"What are you doing here, brother?" Mya asked with a frown. He was the last on the list of all the faces she wanted to see in this lifetime or ever. Her older brother.

"It's been a while, aren't you happy to see me?" he asked with a smile.

"Why are you here, Aziel?" she ignored his question and asked again. This time with an evident frown on her face. Somewhere, she knew why he was here, he was here for her daughter.

Aziel's smile fell and his expression turned cold, "I am not here for you, little sister. I am here for my lovely niece, where is she?" he asked while looking in the direction she came from, trying to find his beautiful niece.

"She is asleep, don't disturb her," she informed hoping he would leave and never come back.

"It will just be a short greeting," he persuaded. His eyes fell on the car that she had come from and the people inside. He saw his beautiful niece sleeping on the night creature's shoulder. How irritating.

"I see you still have that mutt with you," he commented, his eyes filled with disgust.

"Do not forget that is my son you are talking about. Say anymore and I'll burn you to ashes," Mya warned him with a glare.

"Interesting," Aziel took a step forward, "And since when have you been able to hurt me, little sister?" he gazed into her eyes, his demeanor cold and intimidating but she didn't falter.

He saw blue flames appear and disappear in her electric blue eyes then he sighed and took a step back,

"Fine, I'll leave for now. Tell my niece her loving uncle came to visit," he turned around and took two steps. "I should bring her a gift the next time," he said to himself,

"Oh, and one more thing, Mya, it is a bad habit to hide things from family," he added then a second later, his body went up in flames. The flames disappeared after a second and so did he.

Mya sighed in relief after he left. Her brother had the annoying gift of sensing changes, it was vexing but she would definitely protect her daughter from him, from that hellish place. With that, she turned around and went back to the car.

She leaned into her seat and sighed, talking to him was always draining.

"Don't pay any attention to his words, Alex," she told him, knowing that he had heard their entire conversation.

"I know," he replied. He gazed out of the window as the car drove past the castle gates. He had gotten used to his uncle's remarks, it didn't bother him anymore.

He looked at his scalded hand, some parts had healed while the other parts were trying to heal slowly.

"What happened to your hand?" Mya took his hand in hers. His skin was healing itself at a very slow rate which wasn't normal, "When did this happen?"

"I got burnt while trying to wake her up," he answered.

Mya placed her hand on his and he took it back, it was completely healed.

"Thank you," he thanked and she ruffled his hair in response.