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THE DRUNKEN AGREEMENT
"PLEASE DIE, THEN."
If Celestine's face was already as white as sheet, it even had gone paler as those three words boomed inside her head over and over again, body frozen on the spot.
She searched for any sign of jesting in Victor's gleaming narrow eyes behind his eyeglasses but found nothing. Despite his jauntiness, she knew by instinct that jesting wasn't his cup of tea.
Was it one of the reasons why Lucas have said that he's the worst?
"D-Die? You mean . . ." She swallowed the lump in her throat as she took a step back, hitting the door's surface behind. "I have to die?"
"Yes." Victor, nodding his head like it was the most obvious thing in the world, widely smiled at her. "You heard it right, Miss Vasquez. What else do you think it means?"
"Are you nuts?"
It was indeed the most inappropriate thing she had ever spout without thoughtfully thinking of the consequences. She knew very well, but her tongue seemed to think faster than her own mind. Now that she saw how those words became the cause why every ounce of emotions gradually stripped away from the man before her, she badly wanted to take back the words and apologized. Yet seeing his stoic expression she knew that she had already missed the chance.
"Considering your mental and emotional health right now, Miss Vasquez, I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear such impertinent question from you."
Celestine couldn't help but squirm at the ice-cold tone of Victor. The absence of emotion in his narrow black eyes somehow reminded her of a certain man she knew. The man who took good care of her and left without further notice the instance she turned eighteen. Her guardian.
"I'mâ"
"Bear this in mind, Miss Vasquez," he interjected, instantly shutting her up. "This is a place where you can't gain something without working hard for it. Payment if you'd like to call it."
She didn't know where she got her audacity to stare right back at his soul-piercing cold stares. "With all due respect, Mr. Ferriera," her jaw clenched, "getting myself killed isn't on my list so far. I didn't come here just to die in your hands."
He sat back in his leather swivel chair without breaking eye contact. "Who said about killing you, Miss Vasquez? Do you really think that lowly of us?"
"W-What? But you saidâ"
"When I said you have to die, I meant it for the show."
Her jaw almost dropped. "Hold up! Please elaborate! For the show? What do you mean?"
"I thought you're smarter than this, Miss Vasquez." He blew a deep breath as he shook his head.
Had their conversation happened in a different situation, Celestine could have spout some sarcastic remarks at him just to get even with his subtle insult. Fighting the urge to retort back, she kept silent.
"In order to do things without constraint, you have to fake your death. People back your home has to believe you're already dead."
"B-But why? If that's the case, then how can I clearâ"
"How can you clear your name, you're saying?" He shook his head. His hard gaze flickered back to her. "Do you really think those people back there care if you're innocent?"
Her mouth parted.
"They already judged you; gave their verdict even. You got those two ladies killed. They lost them because of you. Your existence from their life did. Period." Tilting his head, Victor continued, "And they're not far from the truth, aren't they?"
Celestine couldn't dare to utter any words of disapproval. Her insides rebelled, but her mind swiftly shut her up. Her hands clenched. Deep down, she knew he was right.
"Had you agreed to my terms, followed my demands; you'd get the answers to your questions."
"And if I didn't?" Her throat gone parched as her insides churned when a ghost of a malicious smile crossed his features.
"Then you're good as dead like your friends, Miss Vasquez."
He's not kidding . . .
She could discern the bitter tactfulness in his tone.
"I honestly couldn't care less about your well-being, Miss Vasquez. If it was me, I won't even bother going through extreme measures just to bring you here of all places he could have hide you."
For some unfathomable reason, she yet again pictured in her mind a particular person as she unwillingly listened to Victor's bitter, taunting chuckles.
"But I guess, trouble effortlessly flows through your veins. I shouldn't be surprised anymore," he added. "You surely take it from him."
"H-Him?" Her voice trembled as she leaned back to the door behind, seeking support. "Were you pertaining to myâ"
"You probably know who is it, Miss Vasquez," he interjected. "And to add to your burden, you only got until morning for your answer. Will you or will you not?" The chilly small smile of his slowly crept back. "But of course you got no choice but the former." He nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders and fixed his eyeglasses with his right forefinger. "So be a dear, and heed my words, young lady. We don't want another casualty here, I tell you."
An alarm tone suddenly blared around the room, startling Celestine. Victor reached out for something in his mess of a table, and it stopped.
He averted his eyes on her and smiled widely. "Now off you go, Miss Vasquez. Happy lunchtime!"
"WHERE IS SHE?" LUCAS couldn't help but raised his voice as he breathlessly strutted inside Linus' Touch.
Once inside, a seemingly grinning fury dog greeted him at the entrance, sitting while wagging its tail. He instantly patted it on the head, realizing it was Dundee, which the dog wholeheartedly accepted with an even wider grin.
He was at that state when the milk-white door across them opened up, and then came out Linus whose face contorted into a deep frown. His once clean and elegant look was reduced to a haggard one.
Lucas couldn't help himself. His eyes raked at Linus' extremely disheveled ash brown hair by which as though someone pulled its every strand, and down to his dirty white sleeves rolled up on his elbow. Not to mention the smudges of eyeliner beneath his eyes, and the glistening of his forehead due to sweat. Indeed, Linus went through an extreme ordeal he wouldn't dare to ask what.
"Lower your voice, darling," Linus closed the door behind, "I'm not deaf."
Seeing the heavy dark clouds hovering above him, Lucas muttered a quick apology. His eyebrows furrowed instantly, remembering the phone call he had received minutes ago.
"Where is she, Linus?"
Linus sluggishly flopped down on the couch beside the door he came from. Lucas watched him as he melted down there with his two arms resting over the back of the couch. "She's inside, darling," Linus jerked his head towards the door. "Just go and pick her up. My gosh! She has an uncanny skill of turning me into a measly frog!"
Briefly nibbling his bottom lip, a small suppressed smile escaped from him as he trudged towards the milk-white door. "Don't worry, Linus. You still look gorgeous in my eyes."
Linus sharply turned his attention to him with a wide grin. "And that's what I like about you, darling," he chuckled, covering his mouth with a hand, "you always know the right words to say." He winked, making swift shooing gestures of his hand. "Now go! That poor girl needs you."
Grimly nodding, Lucas pushed the door open. His eyes instantly roamed around the rectangular spacious office of Linus with cream white colored wallpapers.
There were two single dark cushion seats placed side by side adjacent to another long black leather couch with a low glass table adorned with a vase of hydrangeas in between. Beyond that, a rectangular glass desk was situated amidst the room, facing the door, with few piles of papers and a computer in it. Behind the desk was a four feet high white bookshelf filled with thick books.
The right side of the room was filled with unused and used fabrics sitting on top of a white working table along with some neatly stacked tools and equipment in a small clear container box. Two mannequins, one with an unfinished peach lacy gown and another empty, laid on either side of it.
His eyes flickered to the left side where he could feel the gentle breeze grazing his sweat-dotted cheeks coming from the ceiling to floor glass window opening to a balcony beyond. As he did, his gaze fell on a slender silhouette of a lady bending over the railing with her head jerking back and forth.
Despite the shadows cast by the trees outside, Lucas knew very well who was it.
His feet swiftly crossed the gap and immediately caught the disgorging sound coming from her.
Lucas couldn't help but cringe at the pungent odor lingering in the balcony the moment he stepped afoot there. Walking over to the railing, his foot hit something, suspending him halfway. Lucas watched an empty bottle of tequila rolled over the left corner. Three more empty bottles were scattered on the floor. His brows immediately furrowed as his lips drew in a straight grim line.
Another gagging sound.
His sharp gaze fell back at the vomiting short-haired lady, now gradually sliding down the floor with her eyes closed. With one large stride, he knelt before the lady in one knee and tried to peer through the wavy curls covering her casted face.
"Milady . . ." He extended his right hand to sweep the locks off her face when the lady suddenly caught it halfway, grasping his wrist.
She groaned, hiccuping in the process, never letting go of his hand. If anything, it even got tighter as she slowly lifted her gaze.
"Don't," she hiccuped, "touch me."
She's drunk, Lucas grumbly thought as he unknowingly pinched his nose bridge.
Celestine was reeking with a mixture of alcohol and her puke. The undeniably unpleasant odor was like a punch to his sensitive nose, almost making him nauseous. Propping his free hand to the side, Lucas tried not to crinkle his nose.
"Milady," his voice was gentle, "it's me, Lucas."
Her grip got even tighter as she trained her scrutinizing bloodshot eyes on his face, seemingly studying every inch of it. "You're lying," she said, hiccuping, after few seconds, "my Lucas is more handsome," another hiccup yet again, "than you."
"Is he?" Lucas probed, not helping the emergence of a lopsided grin on his face. His eyes glinting in amusement.
Celestine frowned at him as she let go of his hand. Her bottom lip protruding. "Yes! He's the most gorgeous thing on this earth."
"Really, milady?"
"Don'tcha call me like that," she said pointing a forefinger to him, hiccuping in between. "You're not Lucas . . . and I hate him."
"Why do you hate him?"
"Because he's so secretive!" She flailed her arms. "He's such a creep . . ." Lucas cringed. "He knows a lot about me, but I only know a few things about him. Such a meanie. I hate him." Her fluttering eyes locked with his. "You look a bit like him, mister." She narrowed her eyes even more, puckering her lips afterward. "I hate you, too."
Lucas stifled a burst of laughter caused by her flushed face and child-like argument. As much as those words she uttered meant to be offensive, her child-like expression made everything seemed like an adorable insult coming from a two-year-old kid.
"Milady, let's goâ"
"Ssh!" she shushed, abruptly covering his mouth with her right hand while the other waving in the air in a "no" gesture. "Not that milady again. Celestine." She hiccuped. "Call me Celestine, mister, okay?"
Lucas was about to voice out his disagreement, but Celestine clamped her hands tighter to his mouth. She even leaned forward, propping her free hands on his knee for support.
"I will hate you to the depths of Tartarus if you do not call me by my name!"
He just nodded for the sake of ending their silly argument. And besides, their proximity was too much for him to handle. And he was sure, it was not because of the alcohol reeking every time she spoke.
Slowly and gently, he removed her hand clamping half of his face. "I'm taking you back to your suite, miâ" he coughed, "Celestine."
"Don't wanna." She fervently shook her head, crossing her arms close to his face. "I hateâ" her chest jerked upward, "âthat room. Too many unbearable mem'ries torturing my sleeping hours. Can't sleep well." She sniffed. "So, yada." Celestine swayed in all directions. "Take me somewhere else."
Lucas blew a sharp, deep breath out of his mouth. Gazing at the twilight sky, it would only take an hour or two before darkness completely fell over the horizon.
Almost his entire day was spent searching for Celestine who just disappeared without notice after he left her to clean up. He knew that even he made her promised not to do anything reckless, it was still bound to happen. For someone who was deprived of truth and secrets, Celestine would surely find a way to get the answers no matter what it cost her. Such fact was as clear as the summer's midday sky to him.
If only he didn't saw the Esotera Court's assistant manager, he might be still looking over the secluded areas of the island, assuming she wandered there.
What he didn't assume was finding her in such a bleak state. But then and again, he should have seen it coming. He couldn't blame her; gaining was almost as equal as losing something in return. In her case, it was her sanity. Drowning herself with liquors was only a defense mechanism, a barrier perhaps, she resorted to keeping it intact. No matter what, it was much better than watching herself bleed yet again.
Indeed . . .
"Come on, miâCelestine . . ." He gently held her in both arms. Celestine only groaned in response as he held her up to sit on the nearby rattan chair. "Would you like a piggyback ride?"
Celestine giggled like a kid as she leaned back in the chair with her eyes closed. "Gimme a piggyback ride, mister!" She spread her arms and giggled yet again. "Don't you dare do anything funny to me, okay?" she muttered on his ears as he successfully deposited her on his back. "My Lucas will kill you."
"Nothing to worry about." He faintly smiled even though he knew she didn't see it. "Who am I to dare, anyway."
"I WAS IN AN ORPHANAGE since I can't remember, and then my Uncle Noah â that senile old man â came and adopted me when I was nine. And then . . . And then . . ." Her chest jerked against his back. "And then . . . I don't remember well. You smell great though." She buried her head at the crook of Lucas's neck. "You smell familiar, mister. Your funny white hairs as well. Are you a grandpa already? 'Cause you don't look like one to me."
Lucas' eased his gritted teeth as he swallowed the huge lump in his throat. Adjusting his hold of her, he sharply exhaled. "Oh, Jesus," he muttered.
"Oh, you're a Christian, eh? Tessa and Stella were, too!" She chuckled. "They're my bestest friends. In fact, the only friends I have 'cause I don't do well with Homo sapiens."
"You mean people?"
"Yep!" Chortling, she continued, "Socializing isn't my cup of tea, you see. That's why those two always tried to drag me to any social events, which I successfully dodged . . ." she drawled, "except for that particular night."
He could feel her shoulders sagged. Her heartbeat started to pick up a pace as she tightened her arms around his neck.
"S-Some goons kidnapped us that night, and . . . and . . ." Her shoulders shook as her lips grazing the skin of his neck trembled. "I g-got them k-killed."
"It wasn't your fault, Celestine. You didn't have any idea that it will happen. None of you did."
"But Lucas said someone wants to kill me! I was supposed to die, not them!"
"Don't be stupid!"
"Don't yell at me!"
"I'm not yelling!"
"You are!"
"Look," he conceded with a frown, "stop blaming yourself for their death."
"Butâ"
"It wasn't your fault. Someone with psychotic tendencies did. Blame it to him . . . to them."
"Blaming someone I didn't know is rude."
"Torturing someone to death for entertainment is the crudest thing on earth, either."
"You sound like my Lucas, mister. Do you know him? Tell him I'm sorry, okay? I was a meanie last time we spoke."
"He doesn't mind."
"How did youâ" she drew an exaggerated gasp, "you mind linked him? Are you a werewolf?"
"No, I'm not."
She clucked her tongue. "What a shame. Jacob Black is the hottest werewolf I've ever know."
"Is he?"
Celestine faintly hummed in return.
Lucas waited for anything she might randomly say next, but all he got was the soft snoring and grumbling. He could also feel the even rise and fall of her chest; an indication that she had fallen asleep in his shoulders.
As much as Lucas enjoyed exchanging talks with the drunk Celestine, he knew he shouldn't.
Picking up his pace, he trudged through a brick path illuminated by lamp posts that were leading to a quaint cabin. He had only managed to step a foot before the wooden door adorned with lush wreath when it abruptly opened up from inside.
"What the hell is she doing here, Zarek?"
Lucas connected his deadpan eyes to the man who had emerged from the door. His hard, blazing coffee eyes were trained on the unconscious, groaning lady on his shoulders.
"Good evening to you, too, Leo. Would you mind stepping aside?"
The man scoffed. Crossing his well-toned arms across his chest, he blocked the doorway. "And why would I, Zarek?"
A taunting smile crept on Lucas's face. The domineering aura the man tried to exude was meant to intimidate him. A shame, he might have in the next life. "Because it's my place, you idiot, and you're just an intruder."
The man's proud aura immediately dissipated into thin air. Stepping aside, he let Lucas in as he followed behind towards the six-step concrete stairs, leading to a door with a hanging metal letter L at the surface.
"What happened? She looks like shit."
"Lady Sumire spilled the beans."
The man clucked his tongue. "Leave it to that blabbermouthed chica to ruin everything." He sneered. "Though I couldn't say that I'm surprised. This shit is bound to happen, anyway. She just have to suck it up or let it screw her."
Ignoring him, he gently laid Celestine down to the bed.
"Stop looking at her like that, Zarek. You're creeping me out."
Lucas sighed. Sometimes this man who had self-proclaimed his best of friend really got into his nerves already. All thanks to his presumptuous personality.
"What's running inside your filthy head is the polar opposite of mine, Leo. So don't you misunderstand anything," he said as he fished out something in his pants' pocket.
"Who're 'ya calling?"
"Do yourself a favor and stop talking Leo. Every time you open your mouth, air pollution gets even worst."
"Was that supposed to offend me?"
"That's supposed to shut you up."
"How about that one?"
Lucas shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the room, dragging Leo behind by his shirt's back collar. A series of complaints plagued his ears as they descended the stairs. He only let go of him when they were finally in the small living room which was by the left side of the stairs.
Huffing at him, Leo flopped down the leather couch with reddish-brown carpet underneath a rattan center table. He reached for remote control on it and switched on a forty-inch flat-screen television fixed by the wall adjacent to him.
Lucas let him grumbled his heart's out and dialed the second one in his contacts. Not even a second later, someone picked up the call.
"What can I do for you?"
He absentmindedly scratched the side of his head at the ice-cold tone of the lady in the other line. Quickly uttering his intention, and fortunately earning her yes, the other line immediately disconnected.
He heard Leo taunting scoff. "I could do that instead. Why call her?"
Lucas shot him a flat look. His lips thinned. "I fervently suggest that you should stop spouting nonsense before I kicked you out of my house, Leo."
Leo grinned. His eyes twinkling with mischief. Before he could even fire away anything else, Lucas went back to his room to check on Celestine. Leo's lighthearted joshing never left unheard behind.
"L-Lucas, is that you?"
His eyes briefly grew wide a bit after finding Celestine already sitting with her back against the headboard. Her tilted head was resting against the wall behind. Her eyes were squinted, the forehead was etched with deep wrinkle lines.
"It's me, milady."
Remembering the tantrums she threw earlier about calling her by her name, he almost wanted to correct himself, but seeing the glint of recognition in her wavering eyes, he knew he didn't have to. She was sober somehow.
Celestine groaned, squinting her eyes at him even more. "Why am I seeing two of you?" Her hoarse voice wavered. "W-Where did you learn Naruto's kagibushin technique?"
It was now his time to furrow his brows. "Pardon, milady? Kagiâwhat?"
"Where were you when Naruto Shippuden was aired on TV, Lucas?" She was frowning excessively at him. "What a lonely childhood you had. Do you even know SpongeBob? That little yellow square thing with two big front teeth, and is living in a pineapple under the sea?" she sang.
Though he wanted to answer, Celestine already gestured him to come close, missing his chance. Patting the space beside her, Celestine wryly smiled at him. "C'mere, Lucas."
He did.
"Turn around."
Lucas sat with his back on her. He almost laughed at himself for exactly doing what he was told like an extremely obedient dog to his master. Yet what happened next was something he didn't anticipate. His back reflexively jerked upward. Attempting to look over his shoulders, a hand tightly gripped his arms.
"Don't move."
His gaze fell on the slender hand gripping his upper right arm, and then to the other one which was clutching a handful of his white sleeves by the left side of his waist. He caught a glimpse of the gauze hiding underneath the long sleeves of her black blouse by the wrist. Behind, he could feel the warmth she radiated caused by their proximity and her left cheek resting on his back.
"You feel nice."
He sharply exhaled, training his gaze on the door parallel to him without even seeing it since his thoughts gone far through those walls.
"You need to take a rest, milady."
Celestine hummed. "Lucas. . ."
He hummed in return.
"How far would you go to protect me from those people wanting me dead?"
He almost laughed at himself since the answer came instantly to him. "As far as I can, milady. Your safety is my duty and keeping you alive my responsibility. Had I failed, that would be synonymous with death. So, just tell me anything. I'll heed no matter what it is."
"Anything?"
"Anything, milady," he affirmed. "Just say the words."
"Who the hell did decide that for you?" Celestine grunted. "You can't just go around offering your total obedience and loyalty as if your own freedom doesn't matter anymore."
The statement brought a faint, wry smile to his face. "It's what we signed up for. The moment we step a foot in this place, freedom is no longer a word for us. We're just another disposable property. That's us, Esotera Court's aides."
"Life's really unfair for us, huh?" Celestine bitterly laughed. "Don't you leave me, then." She sniffed. Lucas felt his back got wet. "You're all I've got now, so don't you ever dare leave or abandon me, as well. Understand?"
"I'm yours for the taking, milady."
She clucked her tongue. "Idiot. How could you just agree in a heartbeat? Don't you love yourself?"
"Such is a luxury I can't afford."
"Idiot. . . " She yawned. "Don't worry though," her voice had gone smaller as she snuggled closer to him and yawned yet again, "I will love you for you. Sounds fair, right?"
The devil must have had gotten his tongue. It seemed like time temporarily froze for a moment with those words rendering him mute. His widening eyes fell on the limp left arm slithered on his waist. A faint smile crossed his lips as he lifted his head and stared at the round hanging simple chandelier in the ceiling.
Only her soft snores can be heard.
He shook his head. "Please don't utter such thing you surely won't remember once you wake up, milady."
Leo's call downstairs cut him off from his reverie. Carefully pulling her away from him, he laid her back again to the bed and sauntered out of the room without looking back.
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