"No, I..." she wondered what to tell the little girl. She couldn't argue with the little girl who was shipping them. She hid her embarrassment by looking away from Xander's gaze.
Kora then appeared at the gate, and her face lit up on seeing her. "Goodness gracious, Mayana," she hugged her tightly, "I knew it, ha! Of course Xander would do everything to save you. C'mon, give him a chance," Mia widened her eyes, and Xander just got inside the house with an unfathomable expression, he was thinking of other things, not paying attention to them. Mia heaved a sigh of relief.
Their house looked much better than before. This time, it was kind of modern, with the walls painted white. Their was a chandelier in the living room, a small dining table with a red furry carpet, there were sofa sets, a small kitchen, four rooms and one underground room, perhaps a basement. Everything looked so different, including their clothes. They now had coloured clothes and some ornaments.
Mayana recalled the last time she was here, the house was almost falling as it was made from intermingling plants, there were only 2 rooms with nothing but beds, their clothes were plain grey. For this transformation, it took only a month? Then she must have been gone for long.
They all settled at the dining as Kora had offered to serve them. She had prepared a lot of delicacies Mia had never seen before, and dessert for later. Their meal was not as awkward as Mia expected it to be. Sophie and Kora chirped a lot, making the atmosphere enjoyable. They were so happy, happier than before. Xander as usual, sat quietly, and talked whenever asked a question. He also ate less food, that was pork, and ignored all the fruits and other dishes.
"Mum, I think Mayana's boyfriend hates your cooking, you'd have let me cook instead," Kora laughed heartily at her daughter's insult. "Eat more Xander, or are you on a diet?" she lifted one of her eyebrows amusingly.
"I hate eating too much, Sophie, the food is just fine," he answered with a smile.
"No, stop lying, you just want to look more attractive so that sis Maya would fall for you," Sophie answered naughtily. Xander laughed satirically. "Not really little one, I have no intention to please anyone, I have better things to take care of than waste my time to please a female, hm? But you are too young to understand all this, quite a chatterbox, I see where you get it from," he said jokingly, eyeing the mother, and sipped red wine.
"Huh? You speak wayyy too mature for your age Xander, who raised like this you cold hearted child, don't you know am 50 years older than you, yet am considered young? Xany darling, you shall fall in love, even at your a hundredth year, or maybe 50. At that time, you shall be trying so hard to impress your girl not to be taken by another man," Kora said rolling her eyes. Xander stayed quiet, got up, went upstairs and shut the door to a room.
"Did you perhaps upset Mayana's boyfriend mommy?" Sophie asked concernedly.
"I don't know, " she sighed shaking her head.
"He's fine, he is just thinking of some other things and doesn't want to be around people right now, maybe plotting something serious in his head. As far as I know him, small matters like this can't piss him off," Mia answered casually as if she knew his thinking.
"You seem to know so much about him," Kora winked at her.
"I don't, just his age and name, not even his background," Mia answered, and thought of him as mysterious, "By the way Kora, you seem like a young mother, why do you say you are way older than Xander."
"When you were at Dracula's palace, Xander shared some part of his life with me. He told me he is currently at the age of forty, and am proudly ninety, am a young mom. Most of us have children at a hundred. And you dear, so young, he said you are only thirty, you kids. He was born by outcasts, but since he was just an innocent child, Queen Mother took him in."
"What do you mean by outcasts," Mia's curiosity was now at its peak.
"This generation of kids like you know nothing. During that time, there was a pyrex combination not allowed to interbreed nor fall in love as it would bring shame to the society, but Xany's parents didn't give a damn. They fell in love and...blah blah behind everyone's back, then the baby happened." Kora made the story interesting with her humorous disposition.
"Which kind of pyrex were not allowed to interbreed." Luckily for Mia, Kora didn't seem annoyed of her interruptions and questions.
"Like for example, you belong to the water family pyrex as Xander told me, and he belongs to the fire family, so during that time, you two would not date. But now its allowed. If you two have a baby together, it would have both water and fire plus extra unique powers. But queen mother acted suspicious, she banished Xander's parents, but all other people who committed the sin were banished with their prohibited kids." It was so weird of Mia to think of having babies together with Xander.
"I guess she kept Xander because she sensed he was much more powerful than normal interpyrexes." Mia filled in the puzzle thoughtfully.
"Exactly! Xander is special, I can feel the radiating power within him. In fact, he is too powerful, but... he doesn't show it, he conceals his powers with some magic so as to go unnoticed. Immediately Xany's mom gave birth, her son was taken away, they didn't even know what he looked like."
"Sad," Mia said as she recalled her life, almost like Xander's, but she spent hers in an orphanage.
"You are also special. Xander confirmed to me you are an interpyrex, but I feel no power coming from you, so weird because I feel it from everyone else." she narrowed her eyes and Mia maintained her composure.
"As you said, us interpyrexes are born with some unique powers, I guess you can't feel my powers at all, one of my powers, also, my hibernation takes longer than other pyrexes, that is why I still don't have my powers back yet." she answered smartly to receive a nod from Kora.
"Oh, before I go to sleep, can all pyrexes from your power family feel how strong someone's powers are like how you do?" she asked hoping not as it would be dangerous for her.
"No, not all, am a special sphinx, only I can do it, I'll tell you more about myself another day, go rest," she directed Mia to her room and went to sleep.
Her room was spacious with some books, walls painted white, an empty wardrobe, medium sized windows with white curtains, a big plushy bed with a white furry carpet, a shelf with some books, a washroom, and a separate bathroom with bathtub and shower.
She thought about Clyde for sometime, and drifted off to sleep.
********
A stream of knocks woke her up the next morning, and she groggily walked to open it. The tall masculine figure stood in front of her, clad in khaki jeans and a tank top. His hair was neat in a bun. Was he the one who usually tied his hair?
"Let's go," he said with his authoritative demeanour.
"But, wait where? Let me wash up first," she felt embarrassed. She still had her clothes from yesterday and her thick curly hair was on her face.
When she was just about to shut the door, Xander put his leg to stop her.
"You want to wash up, yet there are no clothes for you to change into. Mine would be too oversized for you to wear as you are tiny, don't be stubborn," Mia obliged, and they headed out. The sun rays were not scorching, and many bats hang on several trees.
After a short trek, the stopped near a road. People who walked on foot seemed like hustlers, compared to those who were riding in chariots.
They wore fancily, others modern and others traditional but expensively. A chariot pulled up, and the driver couldn't keep his eyes to himself.
"Your destination sir and lovely malady, may I know your name first?," he kissed Mia's knuckles, and she retrieved them uncomfortably.
"Mayana," she clearly didn't want more conversation with the man.
"Beautiful name, but you are more beautiful," he grinned, revealing his fangs.
"Take us to Sharma Market before your hollow red eyes would pop off from their sockets vamp," Xander said sardonically, provoking the man.
"Don't act tough you weak phoenix, tsk.." he clicked, cracking his knuckles.
He got off the chariot and approached Mia, who was struggling to get on, because of her short black dress from Dracula's palace, and heeled shoes.
"Allow me, malady," he put his hands around her waist, but before he could lift her up, Xander caught his shirt.
"Did I say I was incapable of helping the girl? Take your dirty hands off her before I break your pale fingers," he said calmly, and the driver was almost erupting with anger.
"If it weren't for my profession, I would have killed you by now, malady didn't object, who are you to object," he said walking nearer Xander.
"Actually, I prefer my b...boyfriend t...to help me climb, thank you sir for your kindness," Mia answered after gathering some courage.
"Oh, okay malady, I didn't know this was your boyfriend, as you wish," he said disappointedly with a bitter smile. Mia knew this was the only way to evade the situation without a fight. This wasn't the first time she lied about Xander being her boyfriend anyway.
He lifted Mia up and got inside, no words were exchanged throughout the journey. After reaching their destination, he tipped him five gold coins, and unexpectedly held Mia's palm.
"Go get a girlfriend, respect any female, whether beautiful or not and don't be a pervert. All perverts are imbeciles, treat women like the way you would want your mother to be treated. Have a nice day," this made Mia raise her eyebrows with shock. This was the most sensible thing she had ever heard Xander say. They walked away, leaving the vampire ranting and raving.
The market was huge, with bustling people everywhere. This reminded her of the busy cities in the human world. The most surprising thing was that pyrexes, witches and vampires were mixed together, all working in harmony.
Xander held her palm more firmly as they walked, and entered a mall. They went into the clothes section first. There was an old vampress on the counter and she smiled upon seeing them.
"Xander, good to see you back, I see you've brought your girlfriend, she's so cute," she lowered her spectacles, and greeted Mia. Though she had worn heels, Xander was still tall, Mia's head reached his shoulder.
"Miss Elliot, find for her fitting clothes and shoes of all kinds and purposes, whether traditional, casual, ceremonious, modern, pajamas or sphinx clothing," he said and sat down.
"Nira, come," a girl with short brown hair and bangs came towards them. She blushed upon seeing Xander.
"Hello, Xander, I.. I we didn't expect you so soon," she bit her lower lip. From the first time she saw Xander, she had been dreaming about him ever since. She didn't care as she was a vampire, she was madly in love. She would have confessed her feelings but Miss Elliot stopped her, since King Dracula had not yet said it was legal.
Xander noticed the girl's behavior towards him but he didn't care. He acted oblivious, minding his own business.
"Nira, go with Xander's girlfriend, find her all types of clothes and shoes, take her measurements too in case he would order more clothes for her," her face went pale as she eyed scornfully at the beautiful girl with the most beautiful natural hair she had ever seen.
She blinked away her tears and told Mia to follow her in low spirits. Mia was too distracted to notice her surrounding. The shop also had ornaments perfumes and rings. They took her measurements, and they had to admit that the petite girl had a good figure. From her full breasts, to her ant waist and curvy hips any man would lust for.
"You are so perfect," Nira said, accepting that she couldn't compete with her, even if she would undergo a plastic surgery, the girl would still remain a living barbie doll.
Mia quickly understood "Thank you, but no one is perfect Nira, you are so pretty, please don't compare yourself with other people. Okay? Let people like you for who you are, if they don't, then its their loss, let them bounce." This brought a smile to her face. She didn't expect a girl like her to be so nice, she expected insults.
Unexpectedly, Xander ordered everything from the store that fit her, including the ornaments. She tried to object as they were expensive, but her please fell on deaf ears. He also told them to keep making more clothes for her.
The clothes would be delivered soon, and they entered a grocery store, he bought foodstuffs, a lot of it, but carried none as they would be delivered too.
The Saki Dimension changed tremendously after the invasion of witches and vampires, everything looked more human as development was still taking place. They came across a boy selling bracelets. His clothes was in tatters and his shirt was full of patches. Mia pitied his condition, and stopped Xander, who was emotionless.
"Hello little boy, how much for the bracelets" she asked politely.
"Hi sister, thank you for stopping, it depends on which one you choose." he said with a bright smile.
A specific type of bracelet caught Mia's attention. It was decorated with different colors, and had different letters.
It cost only a gold coin and Mia asked Xander if they would buy them, he just nodded, and Mia picked two. One with letter X, and the other with letter M.
"Bring your hand," she said excitedly, and tied the one with letter M on his wrist. "Take this, tie it around my wrist too," he did so without questioning.
"There, wow, it looks good." she beamed like a little child. Xander wondered why she was so easy to please with the smallest things. If only her happiness would last forever.
"Why am I wearing letter M, and also, there is a heart dangling on the bracelet, if I complete it with your bracelet, it will form a love," he lifted an eyebrow.
"M stands for Mia, and X for Xander, we each put it on each other, and yes, it will form a love if we join the bracelets," she smiled.
"I get it Buttercup, you are indirectly declaring you love me and want us to be in a relationship," he said rather seriously without his mischievous tone.