Bound (The Guardians) (16 page)

My eyes drift downwards and Anrella tries to cheer me up. She tells me that I will get something and not to worry. But that’s not what’s bothering me. I’m actually concerned more about if that day comes. It’ll mean that I’m officially a Guardian, bound to this life forever. Mellea Wendorn from Pekkin will disappear completely.

‘LaLa, can I have this?’ Soren asks Anrella, holding up a piece of white cake with a berry dressing.

Anrella laughs. ‘Why are you asking? You never ask permission for anything.’

Soren pouts and says, ‘It is for Leo. This is his favourite flavour. I was thinking about taking it to him. He has been working a lot of hours lately, for Momma…you know…anyway I am worried he might not be eating right.’

‘And cake is a healthy food choice?’ Anrella smirks. ‘What about Arin? He’s your brother too. You never take him anything.’

‘Arin and I are ten years apart,’ Soren says. ‘He hardly ever speaks to me and when he does it is very scary! I love Leo more than anyone!’

‘Hey!’ Demmi cries.

Soren bats her eyes. ‘Sorry Demmi. But our love is different anyway; it’s a
special
kind of love. The kind where you let me take my tongue and—’

‘Please…I’m begging you, stop!’ Anrella says with a twisted face.

I suddenly get an idea. Not from the tongue talk, but the cake in Soren’s manicured hands. If I was to take the cake to Leo, it would give me a chance to check on him and possibly strike up a conversation, thereby keeping my promise to Lady Lethia. It’s perfect.

‘Do you mind if I take it to him?’ I ask Soren.

Her blue eyes flutter and she slowly passes the plate over to me. I take it from her and place one of the plastic lids over it for safe keeping. When I look back up, everyone is staring at me.

I draw out the word, ‘What?’ with squinted eyes.

‘A late night visit to Leo’s room?’ Anrella questions. ‘It sounds like someone has been keeping us in the dark about their relationship status. I thought you were still mad at him? Did he finally break through to you with those big blue eyes of his?’

‘No. There’s just something I have to do.’

Demmi smirks. ‘You mean there’s
someone
you have to do.’

I stand up with the cake. ‘Shut up! I’m keeping a promise, that’s all you need to know.’ Not looking back, I make my way to the door and out towards the elevators.

Chapter Twenty-Five

I adjust my long blue shirt and knee-length star-patterned pyjama pants for the seventh time. I can’t help but think I should have changed my outfit. As I stand uncomfortably, gently rubbing my shoeless toes together, I start to feel unjustifiably nervous. I have no feelings for Leo. This is
not
a romantic visit. I’m simply dropping off something in the hope it will foster a conversation.

I reach up, draw my hand back, and then knock on Leo’s door. I step back. Whilst I wait I glance around a few times, hoping no one will come past and catch me on an executive level. When the time frame you would expect a normal person to answer a door passes, I think perhaps he isn’t home, or possibly asleep. I’m about to walk away when one of the wooden doors rattles.

Leo’s head pops through the top and he glances down at me.

Standing tall, I announce, ‘I’ve brought you some cake.’ I thrust it forward at him. My hands are shaking a bit. Leo gives me silence as a reply. Why doesn’t he say something? Maybe this was a bad idea after all.

Leo pushes open the door and steps out. He’s wearing a sleeveless white top and dark blue shorts to just above his knees. I haven’t seen him dressed so casually before; it puts me at ease about my outfit. His hands reach out to take what I have. I quickly place the plate in them and he stares at me.

‘Is there an occasion I am forgetting?’

I reply, ‘What? No, it’s a gift. It’s not really from me, I guess. Anrella bought them today and Soren said this was the flavour you liked and so I thought I would drop some off.’

Leo’s face breaks into a smile, the biggest I’ve seen yet. It feels like someone has shot hot butter straight into my heart. Why are his sweet looks so utterly captivating? He’s a demon or something, no doubt!

‘Would you like to come in?’ Leo asks. ‘Or, I think you should…before someone sees you.’

I slowly follow Leo into his spacious apartment. Gently I close the door behind me. Leo turns to the left, walking towards the lounge room area. His projector is on and a game is paused, flashing on the large screen.

Leo unexpectedly says, ‘My mother is the reason you are here, isn’t she? I bet she put strange thoughts into your head when you visited her today.’

I stop walking quickly. He’s sharp, too sharp. But I need to play it cool. ‘How do you figure that?’ I ask.

‘It is obvious,’ Leo replies. ‘You speak to her and the next moment you are on the doorstep of someone you
hate,
with a piece of cake.’

I follow Leo into the lounge with clenched fists. I do hate him for what he did. And bringing it up when I’m trying to be nice makes me stew more. I watch Leo
place the cake on the coffee table. I sit stiffly in a nearby arm chair.

‘Tell me what my mother said to you.’

Okay, Lethia told me that Leo appreciates honesty. I only hope she’s right and he doesn’t hit the roof…or me. Here it goes.

‘I told her all about what you did to me. All the bad stuff mostly. She’s really mad at you. But as your mother she believes that deep down you’re not totally wicked. Now she has asked that I attempt to bridge the gap between us, you created. In essence she wants us to be friends. Or rather she wants me to be your friend. Even though none of this is my fault and yet I still feel like I’m being punished because you’re a jerk.’

Leo sighs and sits back in his chair. ‘I can assume then that by being here tonight you have agreed to this and are thus trying to develop a friendship?’

I say, ‘Yeah well…I don’t know. I mean, clearly it's not going to be easy considering what's happened between us. I’m still pissed off at you. But at the same time, you didn’t make my Da hit me or say those things. So I can’t exactly blame you for that part, only that part.’

He lowers his gaze. ‘I hope you believe me when I tell you this but…if I had known that your parent’s reactions would be so cruel, that you would end up miserable, I would have set you free the very first moment you asked.’

I feel my eyes widen. He would have? Really?

I watch Leo stand and walk towards the kitchen. He returns with a shiny fork in his hand.

He sits back down on the couch and begins cutting the cake into slices.

As he eats, I lean forward over the arm of the chair. ‘I was honest with you. I told you exactly what happened with your mother. I think you owe me that as well. I want to know why you picked me to be your bride. No smart mouth answers, just honesty.’

Leo finishes his mouthful of food. ‘You are going to think that I am insane.’

I already do.

I shake my head. ‘I won’t say a word, I swear.’

Leo glances at me. ‘I chose you because you were a sign,’ he says.

I feel my body rush with tingles as that unexpected answer comes out of his mouth. Now I kind of get why he assumed I’d think he was nuts.

Leo digs the fork into the cake, it remains upright. ‘You think my life is wonderful. But it is not. And it is not that I simply missed out on things such as high school. My existence, every minute, is what I am told it will be. I have always accepted that and played their game. But a year ago, Father started pushing me to secure a bride before my mother passes away, so she could meet her. I was already stressed enough. I had training in the morning, meetings during the day and bride matches at night. By bedtime I could not close my eyes because the noise around me made it impossible to sleep. So, I left the Tower without telling a soul where I had gone. Yet word somehow got out that I was alone. For a whole week I was chased down by hired gunman where-ever I went. As far as I travelled, I knew leaving this place would never be possible. I had to come back. And on my return, two assassins shot me in Poridos. When I was lying there, I was hoping…no, praying that it would end. I actually wanted to die so it would be all over. Then I open my eyes and suddenly you were there, like a sign telling me that life was not over yet...’

I’m shocked, utterly stunned. I had no idea he felt that way about me, that I’m so special to him. It’s kind of nice.

Leo eats a piece of cake and laughs. ‘But, of course, I ruined this like I ruin
everything
. I yelled at you and hurt your feelings. I even… threatened to rape you…What is wrong with me? I cannot believe that even came out of my mouth. It goes against my Livolism faith principles to commit such an act. But I would understand if you did not believe me.’

Leo sighs painfully. ‘Oh spirits in the night sky: I am a failure! Take me out to the sea and shoot me.’

‘I would love to.’ I giggle. ‘But your mother asked me to try and be your friend. So you kind of have to be alive for that.’ I pull my legs up on the chair. ‘In the interest of becoming friends, why don’t you tell me about you? Let’s start from the beginning.’

Leo frowns. ‘The beginning? You are not going to delve into my childhood, are you?’

‘Actually, forget that. Childhood stories always end up depressing. Let’s talk about something more current. What do you like to do when you’re not working?’

Leo takes a bite of his cake. He thinks for a moment. ‘That is hard to say, it feels like I am
always
working.’

‘You do seem to punch in a lot of hours. What is it a Successor does anyway?’

‘We learn mostly,’ Leo says eating some more. ‘We study the court system and laws and we sit in on the odd trial to ensure current rules are working. Once we get older we also go to various towns to help with negotiations, sort out problems and such. Then of course there is whole becoming the next Lord or Lady Guardian part to consider. So there is a lot of learn about how to present yourself, how to speak in public and other such topics.’

‘That seems… like a lot of work…’ I moan. As a bride would I have to do all that stuff too? I’m falling asleep thinking about it.

Leo keeps eating. The conversation falls still. I rest my head on the arm of the chair. Before me I notice something and sit upright. I leap out of the chair and run to the other side of Leo. There are two controllers on the ground. I squeal once I’ve visually confirmed what they are.

I yell, ‘No way! You have the new GameSpace 1.10? I saw a poster for it on a billboard in Poridos. It’s supposed to be the best gaming system in the world! But, wait, I didn’t think even the
pre
-release was getting issued for another two months?’

‘Oh,’ Leo says twisting his head. ‘I had a pre-pre-release.’

‘Is that even a thing?’ I ask sceptically.

I think he means he gets killer privileges. The game company would have been itching to give a Successor an early trial.

Leo says, ‘You can play it… if you want to?’

Jumping up and down once I cry, ‘Are you serious? Please tell me you’re serious!’

Leo nods, finishes his mouthful of cake, and walks over to the screen. He picks up the flat, palm-sized controller and holds it out to me. I take it very gently. It’s unbelievably lightweight.

Leo offers me a seat on the main couch. I take it and he perches next to me. ‘So…you like flight boards
and
games. You could be a boy.’

‘Gee thanks,’ I say rolling my eyes. ‘I can’t help it if I get excited by new technology. I mean I don’t have a flight board or anything like this at home; it’s all way too expensive. My parents don’t…’ I stop talking and lower my hands a little. It seems even mentioning those two shoots pain through my stomach. That’s not my home anymore.

‘Ah…I should start a new game for you then,’ Leo says quickly. I smile. He reaches over and touches my flat controller with his finger. There are no buttons, everything moves by his touch. He clicks open a main screen and then opens up a game.

I read the screen aloud. ‘Lippy & Loopy and the Haunted Treasure Cove…? Isn’t this game a bit childish for you? I mean I would play it, but I’m a girl, so there’s a certain level of justification there.’ Leo smiles as he enters in my name and details. ‘I thought teenage guys were only interested in games where you’re constantly shooting things and blowing stuff up?’

Leo says, ‘I get shot at in real life, on daily basis, so those games do not appeal to me.’

‘Oh, right.’ I turn my head away and gulp. Does that mean people are going to be shooting at me too? It was scary enough getting attacked by that one small girl.

‘We are in,’ Leo says. ‘The first person you are going meet is the Gate Keeper. He tells you about your quest. If you want to move forward you push your finger across the controller, the same goes for backwards and sidewards. But for hard turns you need to move the whole controller.’

I work through a demo and try and do as Leo says. But it takes a bit more skill than I first thought. Leo reaches over the back of me and puts his hands on mine, showing me how to do it. Once I get the movement right, we are suddenly both aware that we’re basically holding hands. He lets go and we both say nothing for a few minutes.

I start to play the game and get my first mission. Leo guides me though the levels with a lot of patience.

As the game progresses, we start to let our guards down again. We both agree that the Gate Keeper looks like Dorkarn with long hair. Then we sarcastically derail the creepy looking bad guy and both cringe when I temporarily die. I grin and glance at Leo out the corner of my eye. I never imagined he could be this enjoyable to be with. Having fun with him like this, a friendship suddenly doesn’t seem so impossible.

When I get to that inevitable part in the game I can’t overcome, Leo offers to help. As he scoots his way through the level, I sit a little closer. It’s getting late. I’m coming down off an exhausting day filled with high-sugar treats and balls being shot at me.