Lucas nodded as a greeting, ' What so ever, he was still the Dark prince, even under disguise! Ah... ' he shivered, he was still intimidating and a freak too!
" How do you know Lucas? " Skylar frowned, ' What the hell? Why does it seem like I'm the only one in oblivion? It he really just a hacker, as he claims to be? ' he thought but didn't let his suspicion show on his face.
" We're friends," Lucas said smiling.
" Classmates. " Brenden corrected, " Well, let's get going. " saying that he left.
Both Skylar and Lucas glared at each other but followed behind him.
....
The dining hall, White mansion:
The hall was huge, an enormous table for at least 20 members, placed in the center. White walls, floor-length windows, brightly lit with a gorgeous caricature of angels and cute demons.
There were 12 children all prepared to trek! When Mel entered the hall.
Scarlet was different, dressed in her jumpsuit and boots, she looked off her age for the first time.
Erick smiled at Mel, happily, " At last, you look a little alive, now. "
" Well, maybe, " she smiled back at him. ' Crap was I so obvious? '
Just then Brenden entered the hall, with Skylar and Lucas on tail.
Brenden was joyed to see her like that, lively! He strolled past the crowd to her, in an instant and gave her a generous smile.
The chatter in the hall fell silent.
Did the ice-block just smile?
They had never seen him smile, forget about it being as genuine, ever, from past when he had come. He usually smileed slightly out of politeness, but that was all.
Mel chuckled at his reaction, then she saw her ' brother Lucas', ' Wait, is it Lucas? ' she turned towards Brenden and he nodded answering her unasked question.
She then stared at Lucas in disbelief. " Lucas? Seriously?"
He ran and engulfed her in a bear hug. She graciously let him do so.
"Mel, my little sister," he said twirling her around before placing her down.
She felt like she had met a long-lost friend, a brother in that.
....
Brenden and Skylar walked before everyone with a sulking face, each.
Mel and Lucas have been making fun of everyone since morning and Scarlet was heartily chatting with her friends and walking slowly behind.
" Are you really serious about Scarlet? " Skylar asked, Brenden out of the blue.
He looked at Skylar, baffled, " Why do you care? " he scoffed.
He sighed and shrugged, " You know she is a good friend of mine. "
The reply made Brenden chuckle, " Well, you seem too concerned for a 'good friend' how nice of you." he said sarcastically.
" No, it's nothing like that. Don't overthink it, brother," he said and shrugged it off.
" I'll play along as long as you want me to Skylar," he said getting serious.
' Sh*t this guy's mood swings really creeps the sh*t out of me at times! ' Skylar frowned, " What do you mean by play along? "
" Well, it's not rocket science to see that you love her, brother. " saying that he smiled and walked back to Lucas and Mel.
Skylar stood there, unmoving.
' I tried so hard, so hard to get away from her, that day when she didn't turn up on that date. Even after that, I couldn't let her go, even after she had become my brother's fiancé. I thought that I was good at hiding it but, ' he smiled bitterly to himself and walked into the forest, leaving the trek route behind, ' it seems not! '
He fished out his pocket and called his right-hand man, " Ryder, I'm coming to the base now, get my beauties ready. I need a vent. "
" Yes, I'll get it ready, Dragon."
....
Just as Skylar left, Brenden left Mel and Lucas alone and followed Skylar.
He could still not believe that Skylar had set up his syndicate, Dagon Dagger's base on these mountains.
' He has a good eye for choosing secluded places, but he would never expect his boring, helpful, faithful, hacker cousin to actually be the person, whom he detests the most. Now would he?
' Definitely not!!! ' he jumped gleefully off a tree that he had climbed, to check for Skylar's base.
' Hmm... not bad architecture, too extravagant to be hidden, but looks royal. ' he thought and nodded in appreciation. ' Well, as I've already come so far... ' he smirked, mischief danced in his dark eyes. ' Why not greet a few beauties. '
....
It was almost evening and the sun was almost about to set.
They had planned to settle down as soon as they reached their usual clearing.
Mel and Lucas were giggling their entire way in the trek, later they were joined by a few boys. Spencer and his team were busy flirting with a few girls and Scarlet had got a call from her father, for which she stayed back, to answer in private.
Reaching the clearing, near the cliff edge they set up their tents.
Mel supervised as usual and Lucas, he laughed along with her and played along.
" Melanie, someone asked for you, saying that he wanted to talk to you. " a boy ran up to her and told, panting. She instantly stopped smiling which made Lucas glare at the poor boy.
' What, he had done? He did nothing but tell her that someone was looking for her, was it such a huge crime? * wu...wuu...* '
Mel chuckled at Lucas's reaction and nodded to the boy, " Let the person come here, " after some thought she shook her head, " I'll go, meet that person. I'll be back, brother Lucus." she said to Lucas and ran after the boy.
' Who the hell was it? ' Lucas frowned. Suddenly his mobile rang.
** RING **
Seeing the ID he frowned, he knew that the Dark prince was up to some mischief when he followed Skylar back then.
When he received the call all he could hear was laughter. Laughter?
' Did someone give him laughing gas to inhale, was he being tortured? Nope, it must've been the case, what is going on? '
" Are you alright? " he asked, worried for his friend.
Brenden took a deep breath to calm himself and chuckled. Now, Lucas was pissed, " What the hell, could you tell me what happened or who is speaking? "
" What do you think ' The Vermilion Dragon's beauties, are? " Brenden asked ignoring his questions.
Lucas was astounded by that question, ' Isn't all beauties in the underworld naked women and pro*titutes? What's so funny that made him laugh like a lunatic? '
" Um... women? " he said unsure of his own answer.
Hearing the answer Brenden fell into a fit of laughter again. " Guns. "
" What guns? Do you need them, like now? " Lucas asked even baffled than he already was.
" His beauties were the guns, not women! "
Lucas stood there stupefied.
One of the most curious secrets, of the Vermillion Dragon, was that he was a playboy and enjoyed spending his time with his ' beauties ', and to know that they were nothing but lifeless guns would be a huge embarrassment for the so-called Dashing Dragon!
Well, anyone would be bursting into laughter, let alone his only detester, the Dark prince!
' Poor Skylar! ' Thinking that Lucas burst into laughter.
' Let's see what, Amory has to say about Vermillion Dragon's beauties!!! '
....
Mel and the boy went to the entrance of the clearing, where the forest started. Huge European Birch trees and Maple crowded the entire entrance, screening the clearing.
As soon as the boy showed her the person he turned around and left, as she asked. Mel was startled to see the person who wanted to talk to her.
" Rochester," she said still quite surprised. " Hello. "
He smiled, his blue eyes turning to crescents. He tousled his repeatedly tousled hair and nodded.
" Hi, how are you? " he asked, concerned.
She raised her brow at his concern, " Well, alive? I guess. "
The news that the Lambert family perished under two bomb blasts was no secret to the world.
" How about you? " she asked, as his dad had also perished in the bomb blast.
He chuckled but said no more.
" I wish that I could have your courage, I really thought that you were dead.." he stopped abruptly as he realized what he was about to say.
" It's alright, just don't tell anyone about it. It's not that I am trying to hide my existence or some sh*t but for now, I like the quiet," she explained as he nodded. ' Do I look so courageous? Well, keep it up, Mel! ' she patted herself mentally.
" What are you doing here? " he asked
" Trekking, and you were? " she interrogated.
" Just needed some air so, I came to a villa here. This place belonged to my dad, I just happened to see you and wanted to say..." He frowned and almost seemed guilty.
She looked at his face and knew that this meet had something more to it than what she had assumed.
" What is it? You can tell me, I wouldn't judge. Go on. " she said placing a hand on his folded arms, comforting him.
' Did she want to hear him? Definitely yes! But would it be a piece of good news, if he seemed to hesitate so much?
....
In the clearing, Lucas waited for Mel, he was growing anxious by each passing minute.
' Where the hell is she? Where is Mel? '
His friend heading back and Mel lost- were a hell of a combination which he really didn't want to face.
" Who the hell wanted to speak to her? " he asked lifting the boy, who had called Mel earlier, into the air by his collar.
" He was blonde and blue-eyed... and... " he boy choked on his words.
" Every 6 out of 10 is a blue-eyed, blonde around here! " he stressed and put him down. The boy landed down on his butt, ' * wu...wu...* How do you expect me to know that she would get lost? '
" Are you looking for something? " Brenden's voice echoed, as shivers ran down Lucas' spine!
' What should he say, let's say that...' before he could think of a reply, the boy answered. ' Crap!!!'
" Melanie is lost. "