•••¤ Chapter 7 ¤•••

“How could you eat after meeting him?”

I cut my croissant into small pieces. “I met him in Jericho’s vampire club. Do you think they serve human food there? No right? Gosh, I am seriously hungry here, so please stop with your nonsense.”

Robert and L sat at opposite me and my huge teddy bear in the same booth. The teddy bear became centre of attention. When I walked into a restaurant under the Covenant in Paris, the customers thought I have a great date with L. The restaurant looked like an abandoned building on the outside. All the buildings under the Covenant were mostly used by vampires and sorcerers.

When Robert arrived, he smirked before he sat beside L. “Are you planning to elope with him?”

“Now that sounds attempting,” I said. L stared at me with his mouth open. “Which is not the reason why I asked you to come,” I amended.

I launched my story straight to meeting Gabriel only.

“You accepted his gift?” Robert asked. “He is romantic than I thought.”

I rolled my eyes. “Robert, I accept any gift even though they are from my ex-boyfriend. Gift tells you that people adore you unless it is a bomb. Beside it’s cute.”

“Cute? Sorry, are you ten now?” He snorted. “I thought you were going to reject him, heartbreaker.”

“At least we know he does not want L,” I ginned. “Should we report this to the Covenant without taking away the teddy bear?”

Robert pointed the door. “You can ask him.”

The restaurant grew silence when a black hooded man stepped in. It was my ex-classmate, Caius. We enrolled together in the Covenant’s Academy. He became superior at his young age due to his expertise in controlling three element. He has black smart haircut, pierce cold green eyes, and a white skin that never gets tanned, my guess.

Soundlessly he approached us. “Nina Morgenstern, it is a pleasure to meet you again.” He arched his eyebrow on my teddy bear. “Apparently my sit is taken.”Caius took the extra chair wherever he got that from. “I am assigned to investigate about Gabriel Wentz, the rogue master vampire.”

 As he settled himself, I launched my story without Robert’s interruption. Caius listened and remained expressionless.

“Gabriel cannot be trusted. What makes you think that he will let go of the vampire he created?” Caius asked me once I had finished my story.

“He is man of his word. From what I observed, he had no interest in L.”

Caius looked at L. “I believe this boy is a vampire?” He saw Robert and I gave nod. “Very well then. Robert Jensen, you are assigned to protect the sight boy, Sung Yeol. And as for you, Lady Morgenstern,” his eyes focused on me. “You orders are still the same. Find more of Sight. Do not engaged Gabriel Wentz or receive any gift from him without The Covenant’s authority.”

“So you are going to take the teddy bear?” I pleaded.

“No. It looks harmless.” Caius stood up. “Have a good day, may the Covenant protect you.”

As soon as Caius left, the restaurant customers returned to their conversation. It was like the time stop when Caius arrived into the restaurant. Meanwhile, Robert translated what Caius say to L.

“So you are free now. No sorcerer will disturb you, not even the Covenant,” Robert said as he finished.

“But I still can go to the Headquarter, right?” L asked me.

“Of course, we cannot deliver human blood to your dorm. That would be hectic,” I said. “You are welcome to occupy one of the room so as Sung Yeol.”

Robert smiled his evil smile. “You should make friends, Nina. Hang out OR,” he look at L and back to me. “Dating. That will show Gabriel that you moving on.”

The idea of hanging out sounded startling. For the past hundred years, it has been only Robert and me. I never hang out with same gender. What do you do during girls’ hangout? Shopping, I have enough different style outfit. Movie, Eunji is a celebrity. I do not want extra voice while watching movie. That . Perhaps talking about K-pop will help me improve my k-pop knowledge. Instead...

“His declaration of reconciliation love is so romantic.”

“Romantic from the lips of my evil ex-boyfriend?” I shook my head. “Could we talk about this upcoming Music Bank, please?”

Eunji set up our girls’ hangout at the waffle shop in Korea. It was almost full when we arrived. We had to choose the huge window view couple table. I ordered my favourite combination chocolate waffle while Eunji chose peanut waffle. I had to glamour Eunji’s face into another common face in Korea.  She wore a beige beanie, a gray coat and a brown pink striped sweater which all was contrasted with the face that I had created.

Eunji was not an easy person to drop topic. “What about that black man’s coat the other day? Who is the owner?”

Since when did my personal life become a topic here? I thought. “You have to keep this as a secret from Jensen.” She crossed her heart. Her vampire hearing had been advantage to her especially gossips. I whispered, “EXO’s Lu Han.”

“Wow!” Her eyes were brightening with Lu Han topic.  She continued, “How did you meet him?”

I told her my story about the first and the second time meeting Lu Han without my stupid imagination of Kris’ eyes.

“Now, can we talk about something else?” I claimed when I finished.

“Find me again, and then I will give you sounds cliché. Where did you learn this romantic gesture?”

“It’s not romantic,” I said sharply. “Robert said I should have some new friends. You are one of them.”

“I doubted that Lu Han feels that way,” she said, reading my face. “What about L and Sung Yeol? They are not in your list?” She continued before I could reply, “Speaking of L, did you read his photo book? He is so gorgeous especially his eyes.”

I always got a glare eyes from him. Why should I buy his photo book? Yet I spotted that Eunji was blushing. “You like him?”

Her cheeks turned scarlet. “Do you think he will like me back?”

“Of course, you are funny. Guys like funny girls. If he does not, keep trying. Who knows you will be the next Gabriel.”

Probably that was another mean joke. As I looked at Eunji’s face, her expression showed me that she was serious about her feeling towards L. What is love? I thought. Because of my bad judgement in man, I lost my brother together with my love. I could never love any other –

“Oh my god!” Eunji screamed, looking outside. I frowned before I followed her gaze.

“I found you.”

It was Lu Han muttering his words while waving his hand from the outside window – all smiling. How in the world did he find me? I felt so predictable. But thank god it was not Gabriel. He entered the store with Min Seok. We then joined our table. Lu Han sat beside me while Min Seok sat beside Eunji. I introduced Eunji to them. She acted like a crazy fanatic girl. A good way to lie. Yet, Lu Han’s eyes were all on me. He took out his phone which he scrolled for an application.

Lu Han smiled and gestured his phone to me. “Shall we exchange e-mail?”

“I will never take my back my words,” I said while taking his phone. “How did you find me? This must not be a coincidence. That would be cliché.” I started keying in my phone details into his phone.

“I just did,” he chuckled. “Anyway do you want to watch our EXO’s Showtime?”

I nodded. He scrolled his phone while I held it. Stealing my gaze to Eunji who was entertaining Min Seok with her funny jokes. Lu Han started the video which we both watched together.

“This guy is cute,” I pointed at one of the EXO member named Chan Yeol. Suddenly I felt a shot pain on my leg. “Ouch! Eunji, you kicked my leg.” I touched the pain on my leg. Did I say something wrong? I was confused by Eunji coughed which sounded like “Bluhan” so as Min Seok who was clearing his throat. Something maybe too much dust got stuck in his throat. I turned to look at Lu Han but his head was down. For the moment I was totally clueless. What is wrong with them? I thought. “Hey your coat, do you want to have it back?” I asked Lu Han.

“Huh?” he replied sadly, “Sure, you can bring it to me if we meet again. I will bring Chan Yeol too, if you like.”

How stupid of me, I should have been able to spot the problem. “You are cuter than Chan Yeol, in my opinion.”

That  brought back his smile. “Really?” His cheeks went bright pink again. “No Chan Yeol in our next meeting. Let us watch the video together until the end,” he suggested.

It felt like we went on a Korean version of Japanese blind date, Gokon. We stayed together for two hours or more until Eunji said that must returned to her dorm and the EXO boys bid their farewell as I took a different route. Meeting Lu Han relieved my mood but not my sleeping trouble.

Claude, please! I want to stay with you.

There was a hand on my right shoulder shaking me. I squeezed my eyes not to lose my brother’s face in my head. However, the shaking came with an unfamiliar voice. My defence mode was activated that I choked the person who was trying to wake me up.

“It’s me, Sung Yeol.” He hit my hand softly, “I can’t breathe, Noona.”

I woke up and released my grip off his neck. “Sorry, you startled me.”

Dizziness from the sudden wake-up call. I sat up on the living room sofa, my heart was still pounding. Spell books messed up on the coffee table and papers cramped with scribbled drawings and handwritings scattered around where I sleep. I was in barefoot, wearing an Angry Bird oversized long sleeve shirt and a green pyjamas bottom decorated with dancing monkey.

I yawned. “You should have a better reason for waking me up.”

“It is about eleven in the morning.” Indeed a good reason, I thought. He continued, “Robert tries to contact you but you did not answer for three days. So he sends Eunji to check you out first but she told him the front door got stuck. Then, Robert tried to portal directly inside, yet he failed. Neither of L, Eunji and Robert could enter. When I tried, strangely it let me through.”

“Nice ... a wakeup call from a K-pop idol. Not to mention a cute one too.”

He blushed and said nothing. I tore a paper which has no scribbling and told Sung Yeol to open the front door. I waved at L and Eunji to earn their . They walked in together side by side. Such a cute couple if they were start dating. I shared some flirting tips to Eunji. Evidently, judging from L’s face, there was hardly any progress. What a cold hearted fish.

Eunji frowned as she sat beside L. “Unnie, what did you do to the door?”

“It was not the door. I practiced a warding spell to protect Sight from any threats outside including magic. I passed out before scribbling one. That is why only Sung Yeol can reach me.” I brushed my hair with my fingers. My head was still dizzy. “Where is Robert?” I finally asked.

Surprisingly Sung Yeol answered, “He will be here. Some weird business he said.”

“What business? Never mind, do not answer that,” I said. “Since Eunji and L are here, I can teach them mind compulsion.”

Mind compulsion is a exclusive ability to master vampire and normal vampire. It allows the vampire to control other people’s mind by making eye contact. However, they could not compel a sorcerer and a werewolf. My previous assignment, he could compel a multiple target which was dangerous for human kind. Hearing about his ability, the Covenant assigned me to keep an eye on him.

I stood in front of Eunji and L and grabbed one of their hands. “What I am going to do is to burn your hand and you will try to compel me to stop.”

“Are you crazy?” Eunji flinched. “You will burn us.”

“Be glad I am in control with my fire. My previous assignment which was ten years ago, I nearly burned his whole house.” They gulped hearing me, reminisce my story. I chastised, “Focus in my eyes when you give your command. If I detect your compulsion, I will let go of your hand. You may pull your hand away if you could not stand the heat.”

“I am ready,” L said confidently. Eunji gave me a weak nod.

I concentrated my magic only on my hands. My hands were glowing reddish orange like a metal being heat up. Hissing sound came from L and Eunji’s hand. The smell of burning flesh consumed the air between us. Both of them looked up to me and attempted to compel me. After few seconds, Eunji pulled her burning hand. Her tears started to fall because of the pain. Sorry my darling.

Determination was roaring inside L’s y eyes. I placed my both hands on his burning hand. It looked like he knew that I would do that. I ignored Eunji and Sung Yeol who was yelling me to stop. My world turned between me and L. I focused at his eyes which occasionally were flashing red. It was like drowning into a sea of blood.

“I want you to stop, Su Jeong sshi,” L said in a voice I had never heard him use before. It was smooth less husky than usual.

My head shot me a command to pull my hands away. My magic concentration abruptly stopped from casting against my will. I snapped out of it instantly when Robert voice me out from my teaching. I turned to look at him. He was smiling abnormally. Unusual smile from him means he have something special for me.

“Nina Morgenstern, I found a new Sight.”

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