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"I've been thinking about you-"

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I STARED UP at him for a moment, pursing my lips, fists tightening around my bag straps. My gaze took a small sweep around my surroundings registering the foreign glances that were being thrown our way.

I stared at the ground, trailing up to Harvest when he suddenly left, passing right by me, the sway of his coat leaving a short breeze behind it.

All eyes swished to him as he walked down the hallway, as confidently as ever.

My eyebrows arched at this in confusion but that was soon cleared up when a shiver broke out down my spine, hearing his voice in my head-

"Library."

I frowned at this, breathing out slowly shaking my head, and rubbing my tempo. I hated that he could do that.

I stared down at the hallway where David had disappeared huffing for a second, shaking my head before turning a 180, moving in the direction Harvest had just made for.

As I trod down the hallway, I couldn't help the pace at which my nerves were tingling. I didn't know why he was summoning me.

Yes, I was a little anxious and dare I say it scared, nothing new, but I was a lot more curious.

If this was going to be a usual thing I might as well take it to my advantage I figured.

There were a lot of mysteries about Kingsland but he seemed to be the biggest one of all.

I took the corner to the library catching a glimpse of the great hall inside, exhaling softly as I walked through the double doors.

I paused, eyes searching the space, spotting his dark coat traveling up the stairs- he paused, turning around slightly eyes on me for a second before turning away, and walking up the stairs to the first floor.

Biting my lip, I looked around desperately quite afraid people were watching but no one seemed interested.

I made my way after him, running up the large stairs softly, my legs feeling slightly tired as I skipped a few stairs to make it to the higher floor.

I broke out in the aisles, pausing to catch a glimpse of him, his coat disappearing right behind a bookshelf.

Huffing, I followed after like a monkey, trying to catch a glimpse of the bastard until, peeping through rows and isles, only ever seeing a trace of his coat, as it slipped drawing me deeper and deeper into the library until I couldn't remember which turns I took anymore, coming into empty aisle.

I stood confused for a moment, checking three more, and came back up clueless. I had no idea where he had gone, standing in the middle of an aisle, completely clueless.

"Hot," a clear voice said, and my eyebrows furrowed, I took a few steps backward-

"Cold."

I shivered at the echo of his voice in my head fighting off another. Hated it, hated it, hated it.

I moved six steps forward to the next row, seeing him with a book in his hand, flipping it over like he had been there a while.

"Hello," he greeted, still turning a page of the ebook, " finally here," he grunted lowly.

I stood there awkwardly watching the side of his face-

"I've been thinking about you-" he began turning slightly to face me, shutting the book he had been holding with a soft thump, his eyes now set exclusively on mine.

I paused for a moment, my heartbeat seeming to have increased at what he was saying, eyebrows drawing together at those peculiar words.

"Thinking about ways to solve our little problem," he sighed, folding his arms, a ringed hand tapping the side of his arms.

I noticed he did that often when he was calm, or in deep thought.

My eyes trailed from that to his eyes, eyebrows furrowing in mild confusion.

What problem?

"Your little Dilect problem," he grunted more specifically, probably having read the clueless expression on my face.

My mouth shaped into O. Eyes falling to the ground. That's right. He knew I had no idea what my Dilect was, that's if I even had one.

But if Harvets Adam's could see my Dilect I was given slightly more hope that it did exist.

I do not know why I was calling it hope.

"I can't have anyone on my team who is unable to play a part-" he explained slowly, "so since your failing so miserably on your own," he grunted, "I have no other choice...but to step in," he refinished, taking a step forward.

I bit down on my tongue as if that would help me from his torturous gaze-

"But I won't," he suddenly sighed, turning back around, placing the book back into its empty spot, "lest I become a victim of your vicious poetry once again, I will use the more civilized approach this time around-" he grunted causing my eyebrows to arch.

What was he talking about?

A  silence trailed between us for a moment, his eyes searching mine from a gap away.

He let a moment fade before speaking clearer, "I'm giving you a choice Talanda. I am offering my help, it is yours for the taking- if you want it," he added, slowly raising an eyebrow,

"or you can try to figure it all by yourself, I have no doubt that way is going excellent for you," he remarked.

I could sense the mockery in his words, as I stared up at him. he held my gaze, tilting his head slightly, and I stupidly watched his curls fall forward slightly.

"If you decide against my help, you can simply leave," he added, lowly, eyes still watching me for a second before returning away, back to viewing the books he had been invested in.

I watched him for a second curiously. Unable to fully understand the male before me. Did he ask me?

Giving me a choice?

For a moment I wanted to laugh. This had to be a joke. My eyes narrowed at the sight of his face.

After all this time he was giving me a choice? So If I walked away now it would be the end of it? I-I would be free.

I may not be very experienced in a lot of things, but there was one thing about Harvest that I always repeated in my mind like a record every time that I saw him.

The matter of the fact was, he was handsome and charming to some troubling dark extent but only for one reason, a reason I could feel in my bones- to lure and disarm.

Just like the sirens.

I wasn't that naive to not think that this sudden 'change of the heart' could not be a trap.

Just yesterday he said he was playing a game. I would not fall for his trap. Not this time.

No, I wanted nothing to do with Harvest Adam's.

I felt a sense of relief wash over me and I turned away happily, crushing down the feeling of the opportunity I was handing away just because I didn't trust him, but I convinced myself that this was the right way.

I felt light!

I felt free!

I was about to turn the row and get out of the vicinity but my body suddenly froze in position.

"Really?" Harvest' barked, the sound of his heavy boot following after, standing a few feet inches behind my frozen frame, his lips close to my ear.

"The one time I try to be polite and you choose to be stubborn-" he scoffed.

He turned around, standing in front of my frozen frame for a moment-

"Let's try this again," he began as my body was freed and I tried to take a breath, "Step by step- " he began walking forward and I trailed backward eyes wide-

"YOU CAN NOT conjure your dilect," he stated, his scorching blue eyes searching mine, walking forward and me in my backward walk,  "and yet somehow you found yourself on Kingsland."

My eyes went from drowning in his to sky diving to the ground, grinding my teeth together, nails digging in my bag straps, gaze shifting as he kept on talking, registering a low mock in his tone.

"You know nothing about your abilities and or how to handle them and yet you refuse the help of someone who has had the longest experience with his. An original," he added, cocking an eyebrow.

When he put it like that, I felt stupid.

My back bumped into a ladder

And he locked me between his frame and the ladder, one hand caging me in.

He looked at me with hooded eyes, "You kind of are."

My eyebrows arched at this statement, pursing my lips.

He sighed lowly, standing straighter as he folded his arms, looking down at me like talking to me was one of the stubbornest toddlers on earth because my way of thinking was way too simple and ultimately too basic for him.

"For your information, It might be early signs of madness to refute my help-" his eyes narrowed on me, " You should know this is a once-in-a-lifetime offer. Literally. " he added, "This is the very first time I have chosen to be generous. I suggest you make good use of it."

I hated to admit it but he was right.

I knew absolutely nothing of my so-called dilect even the small fact that it might exist.

As the worst luck would have had it, only through him was the quickest way to activate it,  as I sucked on my own-and yet trusting him felt like a trap.

I couldn't trust that he was offering me help from the 'goodness of his soul' could I?

Ever since I met the boy all he had been was a brooding storm of arrogance.

"Therefore my generosity has been renounced and the decision has been made for you since it seems you can't make any good decisions on your own," he began, causing my eyebrows to furrow-

It had always been too good to be true. To think I was a foot away from freedom.

"We are going to find a way to activate your dilect- if it isn't for your good- then consider it to be mine. I shall not have a loafer on my team."

I gritted my teeth at this. Loafer? He was acting as if he wasn't the one who forced me to be on his dreaded team.

He took a step closer to me, eyes in mine, " After all, what is it you have to lose?"

I searched his eyes for a moment, my secret echoing in my ears. He knew I had one. I could see it in his eyes.

My brain registered that I had already lost a say in this, that despite my deepest warnings I was going to be at the mercy of him for all my stay here on Kingsland.

This was my fate- whether I trusted him or not.

But I could use this for my good. I could somehow turn this around to work for me, after all, he was right-

What did I have to lose?

Breathing out slowly, I made my decision slowly nodding. A shallow grin immediately placed itself on his face.

"Good- this will all be over in a second," he suddenly said, covering the distance between us in one long stride to my surprise, his hand reached out to me, and on instinct, I stepped back breathing heavily, about to topple over when I hit the ladder, eyes set his approaching hand.

I panicked about to lose balance but he smoothly pulled me back, his hand tugging at my jacket, and putting it in place.

"Could you hold still? Just so we can get this over with," he grunted, but I slipped out of his hold breathing harshly as I stared at his hand.

What had he been trying to do?

Get into my head like- like the oranges? Is that how he would help? By rummaging through my thoughts.

He paused, seeming surprised for a second. Our eyes met and I shook my head slowly, gaze shifting back to his hand, unable to control the fear that had suddenly spiked in me.

His eyes searched mine for a moment, hands falling.

"You're scared." he plainly stated, tone low.

I didn't say a word, my throat dry, my heart still hammering inside me. I looked down at the notebook in my arms, my shaky hand taking out the pen as I wrote, coaxing my fingers to grip it steadily but unable to hide the persistent shake in them.

I printed down the words, shakily showing them to him.

NO DILECT

His eyes traveled down the words, before shooting up to me, holding my gaze once more before he scoffed, however, placing his hands in his coat, gaze momentarily shifting away from me, but back to me in a second.

"You do understand that it is the fastest way to do it. You could know what your ability is in the next minute if you just let me-"

I shook my head firmly.

As enticing and easy as that sounded I wasn't going to risk it.

The truth is, the only thing that scared me more than Harvest himself was his dilect.

Whenever I could feel him inside me, prodding in my mind was the worst feeling on earth. I didn't want him digging around in my brain, or seeing anything as Raskei had when she entered the chambers of my mind.

His eyes narrowed on me for a second, seemingly irritated.

"Is there a switch in your mind that always chooses to be difficult?" he grumbled, momentarily touching the bridge of his nose like I was bringing in an unwanted headache.

"Fine," he grunted suddenly turning around, his back to me, "The long way it is-"

I stood there watching as he moved down the aisle, hand behind his back, eyes searching up the shelves.

"To activate a dilect-" he turned to face me with a stern look, " manually," he added as if it was the worst thing on earth, "we will have to expose you to a conductor of some sort-" he paused, eyes narrowing down on a certain place.

Conductor. Ooh. We just learned about that one. I felt good I knew what he was talking about. What tree did I have to touch?

He reached out, taking a book, and I watched the side of his face curiously, flipping the pages until he reached a certain place.

His hand trailed through the pages for a moment, before nodding.

"Yes, this will do-" he was about to turn the page until he suddenly froze, shutting his eyes, and breathing out slowly.

"I swear you two are built like a homing device," he grumbled turning to face me.

My eyebrows drew together not understanding what he was saying when I heard a familiar voice behind me, accent thick on each word.

"It isn't hard to find you, all we have to do is follow the thunderclouds," someone chuckled.

"Ah, I get it brother, thunder clouds. Because he is so dark and broody,"

I turned to see both Rangi and Lwangi standing there, both sharing their joke. Their signature staffs in hand.

"Yes, Lwangi, that was the joke," Harvest grunted, shutting the book closed.

"Talanda," Lwangi began, a slight shine in his eyes, "See, I have remembered as I promised," he replied with a wide smile to which I signed back

'Indeed.'

I could feel Harvest's eyes on us.

"It is a marvel to see you here," Rangi began, his eyes tailing between Harvest and me, making me feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Tell me," he replied slowly, his tone lower this time, "Are you here against your will?"

Harvest scoffed at this but didn't say a word, one hand in his coat, the book swinging at his side

I glanced at him momentarily before looking back at the twin, slowly shaking my head.

"Mmm," he grunted looking back at Harvest who merely cocked an eyebrow.

"As the saying goes. Innocent until proven guilty, brother," Lwangu started.

"Unfortunately," came the reply with an amused chuckle.

Lwangi chuckled at this, tapping his staff into the ground once,  "Life is full of surprises," he added glancing between Harvest and me.

I felt slightly centered at this before Harvest spoke up.

"So, what does Gravis want this time?" He grunted, looking between the both of them.

Rangi was the first to speak, "The Crimson Blood moon, we must start the preparation for next weekend. It will be your duty to keep an eye on the shifters whilst Lucas is behind the wall. He wishes to discuss the precautions, and procedures we should take."

Harvest let out a loose breath, seeming rather annoyed or inconvenienced.

"I'll be there." he finally finished.

Lwangi and Rangi nodded, Lwangi's eyes trailing to me, "We are leaving sister, and hope to see you soon," he grunted before turning to Harvest, "smile a little, you can't be raining thunder clouds all day-" he grinned.

Harvest only rolled his eyes as Rangi chuckled, "We will be waiting for you," he added, before walking away.

"With an Umbrella!" Lwangi added before they disappeared.

Harvest watched them leave momentarily, sighing as he looked down at me for a second raising an eyebrow.

"Sister?" he echoed.

I shrugged, not knowing how to explain it all. Not wanting to explain it at all.

He rolled his eyes at this.

"Why am I not surprised?" he said beneath his breath, a statement I took slight offense to.

"I have to leave, " he finally said, his eyes resting might, "We will meet tonight- you will know where," he grunted looking down at me for a moment as if seemingly searching my eyes before moving past me, in a soft breeze.

I was left in the section of the library I had no clue how to get back.

Stupid boy.

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That was an intense chapter lol. Enjoyed every bit of it and the Twins are everything ❤️. Leave me a comment! Remember, comments make an author 😊

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