And Then There Were Four (Lilith Carrie)

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed by the time we hand landed on the ground, but the moment I

slid from Silas and my feet hit the ground, I knew something was wrong. There was something about the

space we had once been laughing in was off, and glancing around the area, I peered into the darkness

for its source.

Stepping from the shadows, the red–haired figure of a woman caught my gaze, and staring long enough,

I realized it was the school’s headmistress, Inanna.

“Change back now,” she demanded.

A low growl emanated from the dragon behind me as the snapping of bones resonated through the air. I

wasn’t sure why she was upset, but from the glare on her face, she didn’t seem pleased we had a

midnight rendezvous in the sky.

“What is the meaning of this?” Silas snarled as he stepped

forth, buttoning his pants, still shirtless and without shoes. He wasn’t pleased by her tone, and as he

stepped in front of me, her eyes flashed slightly gold.

“What are you doing flying around with her,” she snapped in a low tone, “you know that isn’t allowed.”

Allowed? Were we supposed to have gotten permission?

“If you don’t recall, Inanna, you have no authority over me.”

It was clear as day that Silas and Inanna didn’t like each other, and as her eyes turned to me, she gave

me a sickly sweet grin as she raised a brow crossing her arms over her chest. “No, but I do over her.”

“Say what-” I muttered softly as Silas held out an arm holding me back to which I clung. Tension was

high, and the woman I had seen before around school didn’t seem like the same woman in front of me

now.

“She is still a student at our school and, therefore, under my control and protection.”

Tired of the drama currently unfolding, I shook my head in disbelief as laughter left my lips. I wasn’t trying

to be disre- spectful, but as both of them turned to me, I planned on mak- ing one thing very clear–I took

orders from no one.

“Look, lady, I’m an adult and under no one’s control.”

Inanna didn’t like the fact I spoke to her the way I did as her smile fell, and she narrowed her gaze.

Again, I wasn’t try- ing to be disrespectful, but for her to speak about me as she had, as if I was still a

child, was uncalled for.

“You obviously don’t understand how things work here-”

“Stop,” I quickly snapped, cutting her off. “I have gotten the gist of it, and honestly, you’re interrupting our

date. So do you mind?”

The fact I was speaking to her like this seemed to shock Silas, but with a small smile on his face, he

turned his gaze from me back to Inanna and shrugged his shoulders. He wasn‘ t obviously going to

argue with what I said, and with a scowl on her face, it didn’t seem Inanna was either.

“No more flying, Silas. Get her home now.”

Turning on her heels, she flipped her hair over her shoul- der and continued back the way she had come.

I wasn’t sure why she felt the need to come out here like she had, and from how Silas looked at her

when she left, it seemed he may have been confused as well.

“What was that all about?” I asked him, watching his gaze hesitate a little longer on where she had

disappeared before turning to me.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” he muttered, turning back to where we had been enjoying ourselves. Reaching

down, he picked up his shirt and continued getting dressed, a sense of tension now spiraling between us

as he remained silent.

I hated how the wonderful evening we were having was ruined because Inanna had shown up throwing a

fit about Silas taking me up in the sky. None of it felt right, and yet as he pulled his shirt on and slowly

began to do the buttons, I felt a pull to him I had avoided in the past.

Stepping towards him, I slowly reached up, letting my

hands brush against the muscles of his back, causing him to freeze in his spot before turning slowly to

face me. I wasn’t sure what I was doing, but something inside me told me he was more than he let on.

“What is it that you’re not telling me?” I whispered, staring at him for some sort of answer. I was tired of

people keeping secrets from me my whole life, and as much as I was growing fond of my conversations

with Silas, I didn’t want him to be another person on the list of people who hid shit from me.

“I don’t know what that was about, Cassie. However, I think you may need to dig more into who you are

to find out. It seems there are things even I don’t know here.”

His hand brushed strands of my hair from my face before he reached down and kissed the corner of my

lips ever so gently. Part of me wanted more, but from the way he pulled back, staring down at me, I knew

that wouldn’t be the case.

1. no.

“Silas-” I whispered again, only for him to shake his head

“It’s time to get you home, Cassie. Tonight didn’t turn out the way I expected, but under no circumstances

will I be like other men. You’re a treasure to be loved and not a prize to be won. That was never my

intention.”

It was gentlemanly for him to say what he did, and he took my hand, pulling me towards the brush and

back out onto the cobblestone road. I couldn’t help but wonder what would or could have happened had

Inanna not come and in- terrupted us.

“I had fun tonight,” I admitted glancing at him as we reached the garden by where I was staying. “We

should do it

again sometime.”

Silas chuckled as he nodded his head, pushing his hands into his front pockets. “I’d like that, but perhaps

next time, something slightly different for fun.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I laughed as I swayed from foot to foot, trying to hide the awkwardness I felt. “I will leave

it up to you to surprise me, though.”

“Me.” He chuckled as his eyes went wide. “Do you like my surprises then?”

“I do.”

The smile that crossed my face was all he needed before he fidgeted with his hands and then turned,

making his way back down the path we had come up, disappearing without another word. He was such a

strange man, it turned out, and one with so many stories to tell that completely spun my mind.

Turning, I made my way back inside the building and down the hall toward my room, thinking about

everything that had happened. I wished my night wasn’t over, but of course, things never went the way I

wanted.

“Did you have fun, Cassie?” a cold voice said from beside me as I passed Lucas‘ door. I was surprised to

see him, not having really had a conversation with him since earlier in the day when he decided I was

nothing to him.

I wasn’t sure what his issue was, but the cold glare he gave me wasn’t like anything I had ever seen

before. He was my mate, and regardless of my friendship with Silas, I knew something was wrong.

72 60%

Stepping forward, I opened my mouth to speak, but as I did, a glare crossed his face I hadn’t expected.

“What? Can’t find anything to say?

“What is your problem? You wanted me, had me and then didn’t want me. What is it you expect from me

when you keep acting like this?”

I was confused in so many different ways, and the emo- tional rollercoaster Lucas had me on wasn’t

enjoyable. Grant- ed, I knew I wasn’t the easiest person to get a lot with, but something had to give. We

at least had to draw clear lines or something.

Laughter escaped him as he shook his head. His hand pressed against the door frame as if something

inside him snapped. “My problem? Perhaps you need to look at yourself, princess.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I snapped at him, cocking an eyebrow.

“It means exactly what I said,” he all but spat as he stepped closer to me, “you’re all the same.”

I had no fucking clue what he was talking about but with a look of disgust, I decided not to play whatever

sick fucking game he was looking to enjoy tonight. “Go fuck yourself, Lu- cas. I don’t have time for your

shit.”

The moment I turned away from him, I was snatched back by my arm and pulled close to his chest. His

dark eyes loomed down at me as if he was searching for something he couldn’t find. “You leave when I

tell you to leave, Cassie. I’m far from over with you.”

A sudden rush of fear washed over me as he kept his grip firm on my arm. My heart raced like never

before as I strug- gled to free myself from his grip. “Lucas, let me go.”

Concerned and on guard, I stared into his gaze when Lu- cas broke into maniacal laughter I had never

experienced in my entire life. Something was wrong, and I wasn’t sure what it was, but from the moment

Lucas and I shared the night we did until now… something happened.

Something dark lay inside Lucas, and I had to save him.