CHAPTER 52: LEAVE, IF YOU DON’T CARE

Zeke stood stiff, puke dripping down his jacket. His jaw was locked so hard it looked almost painful.

Sylas was still looking away.

"That’s what you get," Theo murmured after she was done, "Now, you stink,"

Sylas turned to her sharply, "We are leaving, now!"

"No!" Zeke growled, "I’m taking him. Touch him and--"

"Oh for crying out loud!" She half-yelled, glaring at both of them, "Can’t you not argue for once? Seriously, you both sound like divorced couples fighting for custody and I belong to no one!" She snapped, then clutched her head again in pain, "It’s only getting worse,"

Zeke pointed at her, "Stop talking,"

She giggled and slowly looked up at the ceiling, "Everything is spinning. I think I’m floating,"

And then, her face turned pale again and she gagged.

Theo stumbled to the side, gripping her stomach.

"Not again!" Zeke hissed, palming her face and turning it the other way.

"He’s not coming near me," Sylas stepped back instantly.

She took two wobbly steps backwards and then veered left like a malfunctioning robot. Sylas stepped forward and gripped the collar of her shirt, quickly guiding her toward an open window.

She bent over and vomited.

Zeke turned away, then slowly took off his jacket and dropped it by the side. That happened to be his favourite jacket, which means someone was gonna have to die once they got better.

It took longer this time around, and everything inside her that made her feel uncomfortable ran up her throat and out of the window. Sylas held her there till she was done.

Then, he let go.

Theodora didn’t move at first. Her heavy muscles felt more relaxed, and she was beginning to see a little more clearly now. It was just the headache that still lingered.

"Don’t worry," She waved at both of them as she pushed off the window, "I don’t feel nauseous again,"

But her foot hooked on absolutely nothing and she toppled onto the narrow bench by the wall face-first, followed by a soft thud that made her groan.

"The floor is soft," She whispered, "It’s so soft, like butter,"

"That’s a bench,"

"Is it?" She curled into a ball, "It doesn’t matter, I need to sleep,"

Zeke stepped forward, "You’re coming with me, Hellcat,"

"No more walking!" She cried, swatting an arm in his direction, "If you come closer, I’m gonna puke all over you again,"

That was enough warning for Zeke.

Sylas tried this time, "Douglas...,"

"Who’s Douglas? That’s my cousin. I’m Blackthorn," She said sluggishly.

Zeke rolled his eyes.

Sylas tried again, but before he could speak, she beat him to it, "Shshhh," She slurred, her eyes falling close, "Daddy Sylas, no talking. I’m about to have a breakthrough,"

Zeke looked at Sylas, and Sylas looked at Zeke.

Murder hovered in the air.

"If you call him that again," Zeke warned, his tone low vicious, "I’m gonna rip that tongue out,"

"Always with the threats," She opened one eye and stuck out a tongue, "Daddy Sylas, Daddy Sylas, never Daddy Zeke because Zeke already has a daddy that wants to marry--"

"That’s enough," Sylas quickly cut in.

Zeke gritted his teeth.

Theo already passed out almost instantly, and in mere seconds, she was also snoring. A drunken, pathetic, tiny snore.

Sylas sighed deeply, staring at her fatigued face.

Zeke crossed his arms and leaned back on the wall.

Silence flooded the room, and it wasn’t the calm type.

They watched each other, their expressions carved from stone and trying not to explode.

A barely-there shift of his foot angled Sylas closer to Theo.

Zeke instantly blocked the motion

Sylas lifted his chin.

Zeke stepped forward.

One inch from collision.

Neither blinked.

A muscle in Sylas’s jaw ticked, "Step Back,"

Zeke’s aura rose even more, hot and violent, "Or what?"

Theo stirred in her sleep, and they both glanced at her. And then, Sylas shifted his eyes back to Zeke and watched him this time.

Zeke’s reactions were subtle, invisible to most, but not to Sylas. In that brief moment, he confirmed his suspicions.

The tightening of Zeke’s Jaw as her hair slipped down to her face, and the way he leaned forward a bit, like his body wanted to but his brain didn’t.

Sylas’s eyes narrowed. Thoughtful at first, then they gleamed with something dangerous.

Zeke noticed he was being observed and snapped his eyes back at Sylas, "The Fuck are you looking at?"

"You reacted earlier," Sylas spoke quietly and musingly.

Zeke’s brows furrowed, "What are you talking about?"

"When he mentioned the shower incident,"

Zeke’s face hardened, "Watch your mouth!"

"Why?" Sylas tilted his head in question, "It was just a kiss, wasn’t it?"

The way Zeke’s aura detonated like wildfire had Sylas smirking.

Another man would have instantly backed away as Zeke stepped even closer.

Sylas wasn’t one.

Instead, he stepped closer to Zeke and let him head on, "I said, you reacted,"

"I reacted because it was disgusting," Zeke snarled.

"You didn’t react because it was disgusting," Sylas countered softly, "You reacted because it wasn’t you who he kissed,"

Zeke’s shoulders rose and he fisted his hands so hard his knuckles cracked, "Careful, Warden. Or I’ll...,"

"Start a fight?" Sylas interrupted calmly, "Your Speciality,"

Then, he stepped back. Not in retreat, but because he was far too old for all this.

"Leave, Pendragon," He stated after a short while.

"Not happening,"

"You’re afraid to leave him with me,"

Zeke didn’t answer.

"Why does it bother you?"

"It doesn’t," Zeke answered defensively.

"You’re lying,"

"Shut up!"

"You care,"

"I do not,"

Sylas’s tone lowered into a deadly whisper, "Then, leave,"

For a full ten seconds, it looked like Zeke wasn’t breathing. His muscles were taut, strained and a vein popped around his temples.

Then, Sylas added the finishing blow, "If he meant nothing, you wouldn’t even be here,"

Zeke’s nostrils flared, and his fingers twitched by his sides.

What the hell was wrong with him? Why didn’t he have anything to say? And why exactly did it concern him if Sylas was with Hellcat? It was none of his business.

What even brought him here in the first place? Hellcat meant nothing to him. He was just...a means for him to sleep better at night. That was all.

"Fine," Zeke finally spat and turned around.

His shoulders shook with fury he refused to let out and with each step he took, his body screamed with hesitation. The kind he couldn’t explain.

Sylas watched from where he stood. It was slightly amusing to watch Zeke battle with someone he’s never experienced before.

At the same time, it made Sylas grit his teeth.

He didn’t like where this was going. He didn’t like the fact that Zeke was her roommate, and he didn’t like Zeke’s reactions.

The door slammed shut as Zeke threw it closed a little too hard.

Sylas’s eyes drifted back to the sleeping girl, and he murmured, "You’ve attracted far too much than you can handle, Venom,"