One would think that lying at home in one's room alone away from the day's distractions would be a peaceful time. The quiet white noise that pops up here and there keeps you company while one rests on the bed after a long day. Sadly, moments like those are for normal families.
I gaze around my bed to find Isaac sitting bedside while Michael is preparing the bath. Delic and Xander are doing my rounds for me, and Alex is helping out in the kitchen for dinner. I can move short distances and hold myself up since I did nothing but rest all day in a bed, yet the strength to do long basic movements escapes me with every attempt.
"Did you need something, Lady Viola?" Isaac asks when he notices me trying to stretch out my arms.
"Ah, no, I'm okay. I was just stretching trying to get some range of motion in my arms," I reply with an awkward smile.
The boys have been more attentive to my every move ever since lunch. They all still feel responsible for what happened even though it was none of their faults.
Black Snow has someone in their ranks with the power to get into people's heads and overpower them. Judging from the sound of the voice, it is probably a woman, but the distortion from the earlier part of the conversation could have misled me to believe that.
They also have people wandering the city as everyday citizens. It will be almost impossible to pick out who's harmless and who isn't. If I remember right, the men that Xander and Delic caught a few nights ago had a black snowflake pin. However, I can't solely rely on that clue alone. A pin can come off just as easily as it can clip on. Members of Black Snow can choose to remove it to conceal their identities which will make it harder on us.
The organization wants Isaac and Michael back. Isaac has been in their captivity for eight years, so they would probably use his traumatic experience to get him to leave me. Michael is a fallen angel, and according to the smoky figure, they are extremely expensive due to their rarity. Michael wouldn't be able to be swayed so easily, but evil people like them would probably use horrible tactics to get Michael to leave as well.
If Black Snow found out about Alex and Xander, they would do anything to get their hands on them since twin dark elves are among the rarest of rare right below a fallen angel. In short, I'm housing some of the most valuable pieces of merchandise on the slave market.
I sway my head back against the wall. "What am I supposed to do now?" I mumble to myself with a long sigh.
"Is there something on your mind?" Michael asks as he walks out of the bathroom. "That was a mighty long sigh for someone sitting on a bed. Would you like to talk about it while we give you a bath?"
Isaac slips his arms under me to pick me up and carries me over to the bathroom. He sets me down on a chair in order to remove my clothes without having to hold me the whole time.
Spontaneously, I start petting Isaac's head that's lowered in front of me. This causes Isaac to look up at me. I don't say anything for a while. We just kind of sit there staring at each other as I pet Isaac.
"Um, is something the matter?" Isaac finally asks as his face reaches a red point.
I shake my head no and simply giggle.
Michael looks on from the doorway. His jealousy grows a bit, but something catches his eyes that stops him. He drops his arms and stares agape as a glow appears in the corners of my eyes. He quickly rushes over and finishes undressing me.
"Isaac, can you get the Young Lady's night dress ready?" Michael gently pushes Isaac away and gives him a look of concern. Kind of confused, Isaac agrees and leaves the bathroom.
Michael lifts me over the edge of the tub and lowers me into the water. He takes the showerhead and rinses my hair in order to put the shampoo on. "Lady Viola, are you feeling better compared to this afternoon?"
I nod my head. "My body feels a lot lighter than it did earlier." I peek over my shoulder to glance at Michael, but he turns my head back and continues massaging the shampoo. "I heard that it was your suggestion of having the five of you kiss me in order to wake me up. Are you sure you didn't have any ulterior motives for such a suggestion?"
"I made that decision with the purest intentions, Lady Viola," Michael answers, rinsing off the shampoo. "It was the only thing I could come up with when I heard that my light magic wouldn't work on your condition."
I try again to turn and look at Michael, but he still turns me back around.
Why is he doing that? Does he not want to look at me? Does he not want me to look at him? That's the second time he did that. Would he do it again if I try a third time?
Michael releases my shoulders to reach for the conditioner. I take this opportunity to turn around and face Michael. I am so curious as to why he won't let me look at him. I want to know why. When Michael rises back up from getting the conditioner, he finds me staring at him. We just stare at each other. The sapphire glint in my eyes snaps him back as he jerks me back around to face the wall.
'Why aren't you letting me look at you?' I ask, a bit irritated at his quick reaction.
Michael doesn't answer for a couple of seconds. The mind link is silent until his answer sounds through my head. 'You're eyes. They aren't normal.'
'What do you mean by that?'
'They... they are glowing unnaturally... as if something is coming over them.'
I take a moment to process what Michael said. If what he says is true, then the aphrodisiacal side effects are going to take over tomorrow. I remember Alex saying that my eyes were glowing the day he had to take care of me when I was affected by the side effects.
'Michael, I'm going to give you an option, and you have to decide as soon as I finish explaining. Do you understand?'
'Not really, but I will hear you out.'
'Starting tomorrow, I'm going to be overcome with intense feelings for sexual desire. The twins told you about it before the mind link ritual, so I'm sure you have a basis of what might happen. You are supposed to be the one to take care of me tomorrow, but I'm going to give you the option to switch out with someone else if you think you won't be able to handle it.'
Michael's hands fall into the tub dropping the soap into the water. I peek around to look at him to witness such a strong expression of ponderance. 'Are you saying that you doubt my ability to look after you when you are in such a state?' he finally asks after reaching into the tub for the soap.
'I'm not doubting your ability. I'm just concerned that my love for you and the others might be too overwhelming for one person to manage as I won't have much control over what I do.'
Michael's arms wrap me from behind, embracing me with very little restraint. 'You don't have to worry about that. I think I can handle the love you throw at me. If not, I can just ask for help.'
'A-are you sure? I was told that I can be very demanding when I want something while in that state,' I say as I twiddle my thumbs together gazing at my reflection in the water.
'I'm pretty sure I can handle a demand or two.' Michael laughs as he lets go from his hug to finish washing my body.
"Michael, are you done in there? Dinner is already on the table," Isaac calls out from the bedroom.
"Yeah, almost done," answers Michael as he lifts me out of the tub to dry me.
It was a surprisingly relaxing evening.
"Lady Viola, it's time to wake up." Michael shakes my shoulders a little to see if I would wake up. "Your bath is ready."
I roll over to where the voice is coming from and poke an eye out from under the blankets. The tiny glint Michael told me about last night has now taken over my entire eyes. "Pick me up. I don't feel like walking," I demand, stretching both of my arms out from under the blanket.
Michael lets out a sigh with a hint of laughter. "Is this what you meant last night by demanding?" Michael folds my blanket off of me then scoops me from the bed. I throw my arms around Michael's neck and nuzzle nicely into his chest. Taken by surprise from my bold move, Michael almost trips over his feet as he makes his way to the bathroom.
Standing where Michael put me down, I raise my arms so that Michael can remove my night dress. As soon as the dress is off, I approach Michael then sit on his lap. I lean my back onto his chest as I take hold of his hands.
"L-lady Viola, what do you think you're doing?" Michael stammers flustered by my unusual movements.
I take the hand that's in my grasp and lift it to my cheek to feel the warmth. "I'm not doing anything wrong, am I?" I ask, staring straight into Michael's eyes with my sapphire glow.
Michael takes a deep breath to recollect himself then stands up, picking me up in the process. "You need to get ready for school, my Lady. You can joke around when we're finished."
'You were hard for a moment. Did you know that?' I giggle after I'm sought into the tub.
Michael nearly drops me as he falls into a coughing fit. "My Lady! You can't just say things like that in my head."
'It's true though, right?' I smirk at Michael's blushing face as he quickly turns me around.
"Please do try to keep your teasing to a minimum, Lady Viola," Michael sighs, rinsing my head off with the showerhead. "I know that you said that you won't have any control over what you do, but I wasn't thinking it was going to be this wild."
"Sorry, I had you take care of the Young Lady's morning routine by yourself," Isaac apologizes as he runs into my room. "Alex called for me all of a sudden to help him with something."
"It's fine," Michael brushes off with a smile. "They must be planning on something big if they need your help with it."
"Isaac," I call out leaning over the edge of the tub, "I should probably take another look at your back just to see how it is."
Isaac glances at Michael with a confused expression. Sneakily, Michael motions for Isaac to refuse the offer. Still confused yet somewhat understanding, Isaac walks into my closet to get my school uniform.
"My back is just fine, now, Lady Viola," Isaac answers as he slips out of my closet and into my room. "You don't have to look over it anymore."
I pout crossing my arms as Michael turns me around so that he can continue washing my hair. Suddenly, an idea flies across my mind, and a mischievous smile crawls across my face. I shut the bathroom door with a short burst of snow from my hand, and freeze the door over in ice so that no one can walk in.
"Lady Viola, what are you doing with the door? Now we can't leave the bathroom until you thaw out the door," Michael lectures as he washes out the conditioner in my head.
When Michael reaches beside me to set the showerhead into the holster, I grab onto his arm and pull him into the tub. My body under his, Michael stares astonished at me while I start unbuttoning his shirt.
"It's not good to get into a tub clothed, you know," I whisper as I make it down to the bottom of Michael's shirt.
I smell it. Michael's scent wants this. He wants me to continue, but he's also battling it out within him to control his urges. Michael wants more, yet he is holding himself back.
"There's no need to shy away from your desires, Michael." My glowing blue eyes captivate Michael's attention. I gently put my arms around his neck and guide him over to me.
It's extremely subtle, but there is resistance in him. Michael is trying to win back his senses, but the temptation in front of him is stronger.
"Michael! You have to beat it!" Alex yells from the other side of the door.
"I know it's tempting, but you have to be stronger than Master right now!" Xander advises banging on the door.
It was only half an inch. Half an inch and Michael would have done something that could have affected the relationship not only between him and me but also among the other guys. He fights against my pull and breaks free from my gaze.
"I'm sorry, Lady Viola, but I have accepted the task of taking care of you while you are in this state." Michael stands up, and the water from his clothes drips into the tub. "I knew that what I agreed to might be too much for me to handle alone, but this task was given to me by you, and I am going to see it through correctly."
I chuckle to myself as I rise from the water. "You're no fun. I'm going to get you, though, so let's see if you really are going to be able to hold true to your words." I unfreeze the door, and everyone comes falling in. They find Michael soaking wet as he gets out of the tub while I just smile and wave at the guys on the ground. "Let's see if everyone here can avoid their sexual desires."