He took out that crystal and crushed it with no hesitation. The only sentence running through his mind was, ’Take me to Adeline!’
"I think this was a pretty successful gathering," Victoria remarked. Her expression didn’t show any signs of happiness... Or any emotion for that matter.
Adeline was still getting used to her. She smiled and nodded. The atmosphere was very peaceful. The cool breeze, the warm sun.
Although she was nervous when she saw that Cassian was here, she quickly forgot about it and enjoyed herself.
She looked around, Cassian had a faint smile on his face. He looked like he was enjoying himself too. Dimitri was shy at the beginning but he slowly started interacting freely.
Benedict was much more cheerful than she imagined. He did not like Sasa at all in the beginning but eventually, he plucked up the courage to pet it.
The male leads... They were just children... Adeline felt more confident about her friendship with them.
A sudden, sharp crack filled the garden. In an instant, the serene atmosphere shifted. There was the smell of blood in the air. And before them were two figures.
His form solidified as the energy dissipated, leaving him breathless and disoriented.
A man whose armour was soaked in blood and in his hands was a woman who was gravely injured.
Adeline’s heart dropped as she looked at the pair, her initial shock quickly turned into concern. The Captain’s expression was unlike any she’d ever seen before. He was always so composed and steady, but now, he looked panicked, eyes filled with fear.
"Lady Adeline, please," he choked, his voice rough with desperation. "Please, you have to save her. She is all I have."
Adeline’s chest felt heavy, she could feel that everyone was looking at her.
Victoria’s eyes widened, while Cassian looked between Adeline and the Captain...
Dimitri and Benedict exchanged worried glances, understanding all too well what he meant.
Adeline hesitated, she remembered her father’s warning. She should never use her powers in public... Or ever. It had to be kept a secret.
Victoria didn’t know about her powers but she wasn’t too worried about her... What or rather the person she was worried about was Cassian.
She was still wary of him, she couldn’t take any chances. But this was the Captain...
He was Aaron’s mentor, a man who had served her family faithfully and sacrificed so much to ensure their safety. She couldn’t turn her back on him, not now, not when his sister’s life hung in the balance.
She took a deep breath and stepped closer to the Captain. This was something she had to do. She couldn’t turn her back on a person’s life. She had the ability to save lives...
Although it felt like her heart was beating out of her chest, she crouched to get closer to the Captain’s sister. He put pressure on it but the bleeding didn’t stop. Seeing all that blood made Adeline panic.
Cassian watched in silence, his gaze lingered on Adeline, studying her expression, the determination in her eyes. He didn’t fully understand what was happening just yet but he was beginning to.
Closing her eyes, Adeline drew a deep breath and focused. She could feel the familiar warmth of her holy power beginning to build within her, she was able to feel it on her fingertips.
The power was transferred from her fingertips to her wound. Right before their eyes the wound started to heal, and the skin knit itself together.
The bleeding stopped, the wound was closed, and her breathing steadied. She was out of danger.
She opened her eyes to find the Captain staring at her with a mixture of gratefulness and relief. He looked down at his sister, who lay peacefully, her face no longer pale and stricken with pain.
Tears welled up in his eyes, he couldn’t control his emotions. His voice was shivery but he managed to speak.
"Thank you," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you, Lady Adeline. I owe you more than I can ever repay."
Adeline managed a small, reassuring smile, though her heart was still racing. She glanced up at Cassian, who was watching her with an unreadable expression.
She had a hard time breathing. She... If Cassian told anyone... Wouldn’t she be taken away by the Holy Temple?
Speaking of the Holy Temple... Adeline’s brows furrowed. Why did the Captain have to do this? Aren’t there healers at the border?
The Captain finally took a good look at the surroundings. He showed a scary bloodied image to children. He didn’t want to ruin things any further.
As the bloodied man left the building, Victoria’s parents stared with wide eyes...
There was always something happening with Victoria... They knew something was amiss when she brought over four friends.
Fortunately, seeing the emblem on the Captain’s armour they didn’t ask too many questions.
They checked in with their daughter and the other children. Victoria remained unfazed as ever. They didn’t know if they should be relieved or concerned.
And just like that, the gathering came to an end.
As they were escorted to the foyer, no one spoke.
Tension filled the air. Adeline knew she had to say something. She couldn’t just pretend it didn’t happen.
"So..."
"Don’t worry Adeline." Victoria nodded. She seemed to understand everything.
Adeline slowly turned to look at Cassian.
He had a playful smirk on his face. "I am a gentleman, and gentlemen keep secrets."
Adeline felt like crying. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she quickly covered her face. She didn’t want anyone to see her like this.
Her chest felt heavy. She took deep breaths to calm herself. Victoria stepped closer and gently but awkwardly patted her head.
"There, there."
With a small, grateful nod, Adeline got into the carriage. The stress got to her and she fell asleep in the carriage. Dimitri carefully placed her head on his shoulder. Her was head kept getting knocked on the window.