"Hold on Lily, we are almost there," Leo assured Lily trying to keep her as active as he could. They had gotten closer to the houses ever since they had began journeying back. And at this particular moment, they were just a few minutes away from Lily's house.
Lily from time to time, pointed towards the direction of which to turn inorder to help Leo in getting them there easily. By this time, it was almost past noon and Lily had already begun getting worried since she wasn't sure if they still had enough time to get to her grandmother and break the spell before it was too late.
"We're here, that is my grandma's," Lily pointed faintly as she looked towards the entrance of her grandmother's house. Before they could get any closer, Chris had already seen them and hurriedly rushed towards them.
"Lily," Chris was both confused and worried. He quickly ran towards Lily and took her from Leo's side, looking at him with a little tinge of anger. He did not trust him at all as much as they did not know each other.
"What happened to her and who are you?" Chris questioned Leo who was fully concentrating on Lily. "She needs help and I think it's best if we concentrate on that for now," Leo still not diverting his attention from Lily, replied to Chris.
Chris noticed this and could not help but feel upset. He wasn't sure if what upset him was how this guy responded to him as if he was not of importance or the way the guy kept looking at Lily as if he knew her better than he did. And just like that, Chris didn't like the guy from the very beginning.
Chris helped Lily into the house and sat her on one of the cauches carefully, ensuring that she was not straining. "Lily are you okay, I told you it was dangerous to go there by yourself. This is all my fault," Chris paused looking at Lily's pale face. 'I shouldn't have listened to you, I should have just followed you there and that way you'd be safer," he continued.
Chris turned towards Leo and still flooded with emotions and worr, he addressed him, "look whoever you are, thank you for bringing her home but you may leave now." Lily hearing what Chris had said, she opened her eyes and spoke faintly, " please get your mother now, I found it."
"But I can't leave you here with this strange guy Lily, we don't know him and you are not in a good condition at all," Chris answered eyeing Leo who was just standing a few steps from him.
"It's fine Chris, I know him. Go get your mother right now," Lily insisted as Chris got up reluctantly, still giving Leo the eye. He rushed out of the house leaving Leo and Lily behind, something that he really did not want to do.
"Leo... Leo," Lily called out faintly. Leo quickly rushed towards her and held her hand. Lily did not push him away at all. She just looked at him and Leo could see how strong she was as she was really struggling to keep steady. "How bad is it..." Lily asked Leo, her eyes searching for a few seconds into his.
"You are okay forest fairy, it's not that bad," Leo pushed a forced smile across his face. He did not want Lily to worry about so many things at once, he had a feeling that it would only make her condition get worse than it already was.
Lily softly gulped and with steady breaths, she begun closing her eyes. Judging from the expression on Leo's face, she knew she was not looking good at all. At this point she really wanted to know so bad what was behind the attacking she was experiencing and how it was slowly eating into her.
"Keep your eyes on me Lily, don't close them," Lily heard that voice sounding close to her and with some reason, it felt really soothing. She kept blinking and she could see total darkness then the moment she opened her eyes she could see him looking deep into her eyes.
She noticed he seemed very troubled and once again she had that strange feeling that seeing him being sad did not sit well with her. 'What is happening to me', Lily questioned herself inwardly and one would think it was about her condition but really it wasn't that at all.
She didn't understand the pull she felt and neither could she explain why she could clearly feel his heartbeat which was beating steadily. Lily tightened her grip on Leo's hand and closed her eyes, "don't leave...," Leo heard her speaking softly.
His heart skipped a beat and he found himself gently brushing her hair with his hand, "I'm right here Lily, you'll be alright," Leo responded and suddenly had the feeling of protecting her and ensuring she was alright at all cost. He really could not explain the feeling or where it came from.
Lily was not in the best condition but she looked stable and from the looks of it, she was really trying her best to hold on. The attack she was experiencing did a very bad timing as she had so many things to take care of and no time to lose at all.
With her eyes closed, she called out inwardly, 'Titus, it's not safe don't come out,' Lily warned Titus telepathically. She knew that Leo was strong enough to sense Titus if at all he was to appear anywhere around them.
Knowing what Leo was, she knew she had to be discreet and careful as possible anywhere around him. 'Do you have any idea what this could be? Whatever attacked me must be very strong,' Lily continued.
There was no response for a few seconds then she heard him, ' unfortunately I have not been able to track anything just yet. And it seems like whoever that is or whatever it was, has some knowledge about you.' Titus finalized.
He was also worried about Lily, as and in that case even more worried than any other person since his bond with that of Lily was way stronger than any other person's around there. And just like Lily, Titus also was aware that whatever was attacking Lily was succeeding in doing so just because Lily wasn't allowed to use her dark element just yet.
Just as Lily was continuing to communicate telepathically with Titus, she felt as if her entire body had been frozen for a second. The feeling made her experience unimaginable pain all through her body.
She felt as though a strange element had attacked her conscience without warning and was battling it. She then opened her eyes at once and found Leo still staring at her but this time his hand was a little bit closer to her pendant and was brushing it slightly.
She quickly understood it was his energy that had seeped through the pendant and since it had been corrupted by whatever it was that was attacking her, the pendant could not protect her for the time being.
Additionally, this happening was like something shaking her back to reality and reminding her that Leo was the most dangerous thing she could possibly expose herself to Incase she was forgetting that.
She immediately had a slight feeling of resentment towards Leo and the hate she had for his kind. She knew they were not of the same world and could never mix at any given moment. They were sworn enemies and she wanted to try her best to not forget that guardians never mixed with her kind.
Completely submerged in the contempt that emerged out of nowhere, Lily rose up and tried to sit herself up. Leo quickly helped her up and keenly studied her to ensure she was okay. Just one look at Leo and Lily was back to where she was again.
She wondered how just a few seconds ago she was feeling like she shouldn't be anywhere near Leo and now he was staring at her the way he was doing. She thought of how helpful he had always been to someone he wasn't aware was his greatest threat.
Chris and his mother's entrance quickly disrupted the stare that Leo and Lily had as they quickly made their way to the couch. Christopher's mother first attention was drawn to Leo which was only normal being that she did not know him.
After all, she could not sense who he was since she was just a simple healer and did not posses that great of a power to be able to detect Leo's strue identity. She quickly shifted her attention towards Lily and gasped in shock.
"Auntie please take care of grandmother first, I found it," she looked at Leo who quickly got out the piece of cloth in which he had kept the flower and handed it to Christopher's mother.
Christopher's mother quickly rushed to Tabitha's room to prepare the herb. Lily too got up with the help of Leo who was supporting her as she was approaching the stairs to go up to her grandmother's room.
Chris looked at Leo helping Lily up the stairs and he still did not want him there. He followed behind them and as Lily got to the door to her grandmother's bedroom, she requested to go inside alone.
Leo nodded and quickly went back downstairs leaving Chris still standing by the door clenching his jaws with displeasure. He then followed back downstairs and walked towards Leo who was now standing by one of the windows gazing outside.
"Look uuh whoever you are, thank you for helping Lily back here but you may now leave," Chris spoke to Leo who had his back to him. Leo didn't give much of a reaction and just turned around calmly. "I can't leave until I know she's out of danger," Leo calmly responded.
Twitching his lips a little, Chris got closer to Leo and tried hiding the irritation under his voice, "maybe you don't understand the urgency of the situation, this is a family matter." Leo looked at Chris and smiled slightly before he walked out, "tell Lily I'll be back when she asks for me," Chris heard Leo speak on his way out and he couldn't explain just how irritated those words made him feel.