Footsteps echoed in the pavement where Emy walked on. Rain did not pour on this part of the manor, but Emy always wondered why the pavement was wet, then she realized that this type of pavement gets moisture a lot especially after a rainy or humid night.
The hallway leading to Emy's destination have been graced by her and Ziron's presence multiple times. Five years before, when she was ten years old, Emy came in this place with her grandfather for the first time. It is the manor's training ground. Underneath the manor is an equal sized cemented hall where Ziron, his father Godfrey and other gifted Kandas before them trained with their Kowadja.
"This hidden chamber is old. It is interesting how your ancestors managed to maintain it throughout the years." Emy heard Dmitry's voice echo throughout the hallway.
She stopped in her tracks looking at the back of the man who noticed her halt.
"Do I still make you uncomfortable?" The young man turned around as he asked. His gaze alluring and cunning.
Emy could hear her sister's warning whisper into her ears once again. 'Don't trust him. He is hiding something.'
Later that morning, before Emy followed her grandfather's instruction to take Dmitry on a tour of the training ground, she secretly went to her twin sister's room. To her surprise, Jade had woken up and was sitting silently in her bed, still with the monitor attached to her.
'Are you okay?' Emy, with concerned tone, asked.
Jade gave her a weak smile and held her hands when Emy sat on the edge of her bed.
'I tried to "peek" at him. But like you, I think I can't. Don't try to do it okay?'
'Why not?'
'I think hewas able to know that I can read people's thoughts.'
Emy, who was still pondering her sister's claims,was suddenly shocked to see a small ball of fire twirling around her. The fire, to her surprise, was not hot but was just warm enough to take her attention. Its' flame was bluish in the outside and orangey in the inside.
"Your Kowadja?" Emy asked Dmitry who was standing a meter away from her. He nodded as a reply.
"A Botatew?"
"Shalang. Come here you're scaring Princess."
As per command the small ball of fire floated away from Emy and floated steadily on Dmitry's shoulders.
"This is my Kowadja, Shalang. I was told that our Kowadja are similar making it easy for me to help you control it. However, there is something that we have to work out before I could help you."
"And what is that?"
"I am not your enemy. I am here as a member of the family."
Emy did not make any reply. She was formulating words that she could use to reply with, not too cruel to be honestly saying 'I don't know if I can trust you' nor too clingy as to lie saying 'I will trust you'
Not hearing a reply, Dmitry walked towards Emy who noticed the intention and became flustered. Unexpectedly, yet again, Dmitry took her hands and nestled them on his. He sighed and softly whispered, "Among all the members of the family, aside from Uncle, you are the first one I am to interact with. I hope you would learn to trust me enough to treat me as part of the family."
After saying this, he let go of Emy's hands, turned away and headed toward the main training ground. Emy followed suit and heard Dmitry mumbled, "This family of yours is the only one I have left after all."
While sitting in the passenger's sit at the back, Jade tried to distract herself by looking at the orange hued sky. The car swiftly but safely passed buildings, trees, houses, and hills. Though her eyes seemed concentrated on the scenery, her mind was trying to decipher something else.
This man, Dmitry, is dangerous. The young man knew that Jade was trying to read his mind. Jade was sure, that Dmitry is fully aware that she had read some part of his mind and that made her worry more since the man did not seem to care. Jade and what she did were of no threat to him.
"Are you alright?" Jade heard Hannah ask. The nurse sat in the front passenger's sit.
Jade smiled at her and nodded. The girl saw Ivan, who was driving, peek at the overhead mirror to check on her. The trio just came from Dr. Cyprus' clinic. True to his word, Ziron just sent only Ivan and Hannah to accompany the young miss.
'You have to grow up and fend for yourself. You have everything that you need to take care of yourself.'
Jade chuckled remembering those words coming out from Ziron.
"Alright." She mumbled.
Looking confused, Hannah and Ivan gave their attention to their mistress.
"Ivan, how long have you been my grandfather's employee?" Jade asked.
" Almost ten years miss."
"And you Hannah?"
" Three months"
"Both of you are employed by my grandfather. I understand that your loyalties lay on the person whose paying you."
Hannah was about to verbalize her thoughts, 'My loyalty is to my friend', but the driver's voice resonated within the vehicle, "I am Ziron's employee. My job description is to serve the youngest daughter of the household. There, my loyalty lies."
"Of all my grandfather's household, besides my parents and my sister, the two of you are the ones I come to trust the most. Ms. Hannah knows my weaknesses and Ivan has been with me since I was a little child. Can I ask a favor from the both of you?"
Sensing that the little miss has something important to say, Ivan drove to stop at the nearest place he could find. When the engine turned off, the two turned their attention to the girl at the back of the car. Jade sat there contemplating their minds.
"What do you know about this Dmitry?" she asked the two.
Hannah shook her head, "I just knew of him today."
Jade turned to face Ivan, who was with the household longer than Hannah.
"I'm sorry little miss, but I only learned of him the other day as well. Your grandfather sent me and my senior chauffer to pick-up him, Miss Emerald and Rue from the university. The two ladies went home but the man stayed."
Something picked Jade's interest. "You mean he stayed with the woman and the beast?"
Ivan nodded.
Jade fell silent for a few seconds and asked again, "Ivan did you drive for Grandfather last night?"
Ivan shook his head, "Calvin, the senior chauffer, usually drives for Ziron"
"I see. Do you know where they went?"
Ivan and Hanna looked at Jade in surprise. Reading their thoughts, Jade answered them,
"Yes. I want to go there."
"You don't like that man, do you?" Hannah queried with a wry smile.
"No. Not yet. My family, especially my father and grandfather don't have the same sentiments as I do. I have this feeling that that man is lying and keeping a lot of secrets. Those I see as threats to me and my family and the safety of my family is my priority."
The two servants saw pride and dignity emanating from the girl's pale face. It took for a while before both nodded.
"I will ask where they went Miss." Ivan assured
"Thank you, Ivan. Both of you be careful of that man too."
The engine started once again and the car drove through the same scenery. Jade returned to her own thoughts. She cannot help but be suspicious of this new cousin of hers. It is up to her now to learn about this man before anything dangerous could happen to her, to her family. She has everything that she needs to take care of herself anyway.