Immediately we touched down to the community via teleportation, I quickly started down the road to Peter’s huts, glad they had arrived at the same spot where we had taken off from.
“Maya, wait!” I heard Diana call, and faltered in my steps, coming to a total halt when she barreled into me.
“You couldn’t wait for me? Why?”
“Well, I had thought the queen would have need for the magicians of the community, seeing that you are a high class mage, just like earlier.” I answered, resuming walking, stopping again when I heard Raul call my name.
What again? I turned around this time, to look at the company of witches that were already dissembling, each heading to their houses. And then I saw Adam staring at me, even with Rachel in his arms, even with Rachel talking about whatever.
His eyes still remain fixed on me, undeterred, when Rachel stomped her feet, after realizing she wasn’t the center of his attention; when she glared at me after finding out that I was the object of his attention.
“What is wrong with him? Can’t he see that he would make your life harder and miserable by doing that? My sister can be quite venomous! Are you sure there is no history between you and him, that yesterday was the first time you both met?”
Great. Now even Raul had noticed. What was wrong with Adam? Why was he so fixated in unraveling me? Was it the mask?
Taking note of Rachel’s upturned lips, and her mother’s grim ones-the woman must be thinking that I was trying to steal her daughter’s groom-I turned away from the company, and began to walk to our compound with Diana and Raul, forgetting for a minute that Raul wasn’t supposed to be in the house.
Laura wouldn’t like that. She still hasn’t forgiven his brother for what the latter had done to her prodigy.
“Raul, I think you should go with your family.” I stated a few minutes later, when I saw the furrow lines on Laura’s forehead.
I didn’t know when she had gone ahead of us, but there she was, before us, her arms across her chest.
Raul must have read the tense atmosphere, for he nodded, and with a sorry excuse of a wave in Laura’s direction-who didn’t even acknowledge him-he turned away, and headed home.
“What was that for?” Diana asked, as we stepped into the house.
Home sweet home.
“Nothing,” I answered, leaving the sitting room, and heading to my room. I needed to breathe without the mask for a while.
Yet, Diana followed me, as I had presumed. She won’t let me rest until I revealed the reason why her mother had rebuffed Raul, her crush.
What should I say then? Should I tell her of her mother’s reservations about the family? I didn’t think it was a good idea.
She followed me into my own room, her hands folded across her chest, not moving when I gestured her to go away before laying down on my bed.
“Diana, I want to sleep. Can you let me be for a while?”
“No, you have to tell me first, why Raul isn’t accepted here.” She kept on stubbornly, taking a seat on the long stool by my bedside.
I sighed, sitting up straight on the bed. There was no getting around this. “Diana, Raul isn’t banned from this house. I just think that your mother wants some alone time with family, seeing that we just came back from being with others for two whole days. I believe that if Raul comes another day, there wouldn’t be a problem.” I finally spurted a nice lie, hoping that Diana would buy it, making sure to keep my voice steady so that she wouldn’t be able to tell that I was lying.
I saw the moment when she bought it over, and sighed in relief.
“Do you think I can invite him tomorrow then or next?” She asked, cutting my relief short.
I knew if she did invite him, Laura wouldn’t be happy about the development, but she wouldn’t also chase Raul away. So, I nodded my head.
I will leave the explanation to Laura to make tomorrow. They were mother and daughter; they would have a way to get around the situation that was the queen’s family. I refuse to insert myself in that.
“That’s great then. See you when you wake up.” She enthused, jumping down from the stool, excitement riding over her in waves, as she strutted out of my room.
**
“Maya, wake up..”
Why was Diana whispering like that as if we were conspiring to commit a murder? I wondered, cracking an eye open.
What was it this time around? I mused, feeling my body ache like I had run a marathon around the community twice.
“What is it, Diana?”
I sat up on the bed, confused when I saw her in her pajamas.
When the information finally sunk in, I darted a glance sharply to my window, shocked when I saw that it was dark outside. What the hell! How had I slept that long?
“What is the time, Diana?” I asked, swinging my legs from the bed to the floor.
“A few minutes past seven. I had tried to wake you up earlier for lunch, and dinner, but mother had thought it wise to let you sleep. She called it the recovery sleep. Personally, I think it’s because of the pill-side effects. Remember it happened yesterday too, although I will have to agree that today’s own is off the tops. I didn’t tell mom though that you finished the drugs yesterday.”
“Thanks Diana…” I muttered, running my hands across my hair, a furrow lining my forehead when I saw a long white strand of hair in my hand as I dropped it down.
Since when do I have white hair? I was still aghast when Diana broke into my thoughts with her next words.
“Adam is here.”