XXVII

Aurum tried to bite me? Kimi thought, his hand cupped around the area where Aurum had licked him.

“Kim—”

Aurum swallowed his words as his nose flared, the smell of blood tinging his senses. He wheezed and held his throat. Aurum hacked and leaned forward, cupping his hands over his gaping mouth and dry-vomited into them. The smell of fresh blood was grimly intoxicating to his sharp senses.

“Shit!” Caim quickly crouched and laid Aurum on his back when he started jerking violently. “Why would you try to drink blood when you know that this will always happen?!”

Kimi’s head shot up when Aurum started shrieking like he was in agony. He watched silently as Caim bit into his inner wrist and placed his hand against Aurum’s parted lips. Kimi gripped his neck as he watched blood roll down the corner of Aurum’s mouth. He shifted his gaze, avoiding the clear sight of fresh blood.

Drinking the blood slowly, Aurum watched the bulb in the ceiling, light tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. When he felt that he had drank enough blood, he turned his head to the the side. Caim’s blood dripped onto his cheek and he gritted his teeth.

“Lord Caedis you didn’t—”

“Clean it off!” Aurum hissed softly as he closed his eyes tightly, afraid of looking into Kimi’s eyes.

Caim gently shook his head, moving his wrist closer to Aurum’s lips. “But Lord Caedis you need to drink—”

“And I said that you should clean the fucking blood off! NOW!”

Kimi shook at the intensity of Aurum’s voice. Caim sighed in defeat and took his bleeding wrist away from Aurum’s face. He pulled a neatly folded handkerchief out of his pocket and used it to wipe the blood off Aurum’s face.

Opening his mouth to let out his clogged breath, Aurum slowly peeled his eyes open. He blinked away the little tears in his eyes and fixed his gaze on Kimi. His brows pinched together as he grinded his teeth, his eyes slowly morphing back into its normal silver.

“Kimi... I’m sorry,” he whispered as Caim helped him sit up.

Kimi swallowed stiffly and looked to the floor. He held his legs to his chest and leaned against the table that was beside him.

“I...” Aurum rushed to stand and Caim held his arm when he lost his footing. “I can stand up by myself.” He angrily tugged his arm out of Caim’s hold. He firmed his stance, but still walked to Kimi with disoriented steps.

Kimi froze the second Aurum shadowed him. He felt small and caged, his face pushing into his knees.

“Kimi?” Aurum flinched as Kimi shuffled away from him like he was a disease. “Kimi I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.” He dropped to his knees and clasped his hands together, silently asking for mercy. “I don’t know what that had happened,” he said as pressed his face into his hands. “I don’t know what that had come over me. I’m really, really sorry.”

Kimi started rocking himself, his mind simply singing, I still feel fear! I still feel fear! I still feel fear!

Caim quietly observed Kimi and Aurum with his glazed over eyes. His gaze shifted from Kimi to Aurum, feeling pity for his master. He exhaled a small breath before he carefully whispered, “Kimi.”

Kimi flinched at the mention of his name. He tightened the hold that he had around his legs, his heart beating like a small talking drum.

“Lord Caedis didn’t mean to bite you.” He pointed at Aurum’s vibrating form and calmly said, “look at him. If a cadaver takes blood they go into a frenzy. But Lord Caedis isn’t like any other cadaver. He and blood are like sworn enemies. He struggles to live without a normal dosage of blood.”

The room was still and quiet, Kimi pondering over Caim’s words with a confused expression. His eyes dropped and they were instantly drawn to the deep, black tattoo that was over Aurum’s heart. A warm feeling spread throughout Kimi’s body as he studied it. It was a tattoo of his name. Each letter had been done in capitals and with an intricate font. The name was encircled by connecting thorny roses of varying sizes. He tilted his head at the sparrow-like bird that was beaking one of the roses.

When Aurum noticed the fond look in his eyes, his eyes followed Kimi’s gaze to the tattoo. “Oh...” He placed a hand on the tattoo and warmly said, “I had this made after I had met you in Egypt.” He swallowed, his throat bobbing as he croaked, “a-after I had left you.”

Kimi raised his gaze, his eyebrows creasing a little bit as he asked, “why my name? Why not something else?”

“Because you’re more important than my heart, that’s if I really need a heart.” A small, affectionate smile graced his lips as he whispered, “because I care about you and your wellbeing. I cherish you and your happiness Kimi. And I wish to protect them all with my life.”

Kimi’s face warmed slightly, his breath hitching as Aurum raised a hand to cup his face. Aurum’s  fingers merely grazed his face before the endearing atmosphere was turned upside down by the scream that shook the hallway.

“Somebody help!” someone shrieked loudly.

Kimi recognized the voice as Clover’s voice. What is it now? he thought, angrily rolling his eyes.

Aurum’s outstretched hand fell as he looked over his shoulders to the door. Caim was already out the door like a flicker. “Stay here and don’t come out,” Aurum said as he stood and walked to the door.

More screams had followed after Clover’s, shattering the silence of the night. Heavy, pounding footsteps shook the hotel as people ran haphazardly, the sound of them running complementing the scared shrieks.

Someone barrelled into Aurum as he ran down the dimly lit hallway, his eyes wide in fear. “So... Som... It...”

Aurum held onto his shoulders, confusion in his eyes as he asked, “what’s happening?”

Rapidly shaking his head from side to side, the man swiftly stuttered, “so-someone is bleeding in the h-hallway. I-I saw something. It l-looked like a person.” He dug his fingernails into Aurum’s bare arms, eyes widening tautly, his teeth chattering. “S-She had blood on her mouth!”

What’s going on? Aurum thought as he let go of the man, his brows knitting in confusion. People ran into him as they ran away from whatever or whoever it was. He quickened his pace as he walked down the winding stairs, the shrieks getting louder.

“Orpheus stop!” yelled Homer, his voice getting carried up the stairs with the loud shrieks.

Aurum’s eyebrows shot up at the sound of his voice, his speed becoming vampiric as he flashed towards the voice. He came face to face with a tattered-looking Homer and Orpheus. Orpheus was spotting a feral smirk as he tried to move past Homer’s widespread arms. Various shivering people were knelt behind Homer, their heads hung in fear.

“Orpheus cut it out! What’s got into you?!” Homer groaned as Orpheus ran into him again, his glowing eyes trained on the humans.

Aurum caught on to the situation and raised a hand. His senses didn’t waste any second and latched onto every cell in Orpheus’s body as he squeezed his raised hand into a tight fist. Orpheus instantly froze and dropped to the floor, a long growl rumbling in his chest.

Homer looked up and a weak smile broke onto his face at the sight of Aurum. “Thank you.” He swiftly spun on his feet and dropped on his knees to face the shaking humans. He raised a hand and quietly mumbled, “sleep.”

A soft, silent lull drew them close to a pool of unconsciousness and dumped them into it. All their eyes slowly drooped as their head swayed to the side and they slid down the wall, falling into the arms of the sleep that Homer had trapped them in.

“Do the same to your brother,” Aurum hissed as he moved closer to the still growling Orpheus.

Homer nodded and rushed to his brother. He pressed his fingers into his temple as he mumbled the simple word. The same force seized him and his eyes instantly dimmed before they snapped shut in rest. And immediately, his whole body froze, his claws retracted, and the angry wrinkles on his forehead dispersed together with his extracted fangs.

Aurum dropped his hand, frowning at the smell of blood that was invading his nostrils. “What the hell is happening?” He turned down another hallway, Homer following behind him.

Homer shook his head, his fingers toying with the many tears in his shirt. “I don’t know. I had gone down to the ship to meet with Zee and Raaf like you had told me to before the concert. By the time that I had got back, Orpheus had already gone after a few humans.”

Aurum cocked a brow as he said, “just a few? And what about the Hunters?”

Homer moved his head from side to side, the corners of his lips quirking into an irritated snare. “I haven’t checked on them.” He gritted his teeth as he hissed, “even if they are drunk on something shouldn’t all this ruckus wake them up. I thought that they’re instinctively drawn to a feral cadaver.”

Aurum stopped at his words. His face scrunched up at the smell of blood that was becoming stronger. He pinched his nose with his fingers, his voice nasal as he asked, “did you just say drunk? What did they drink?”

Homer shrugged a shoulder, his eyebrows flying up as he caught sight of Caim trying to hold his sister away from a bloody Clover. “Just... that I saw a bunch of empty plastic bottles... everywhere,” he said quietly, his voice becoming shallow when he realized what that had happened.

Aurum’s eyes widened. He wanted to ask Homer another question but he was already rushing to his sister, a worried frown on his face. Could this be the same thing from before? he thought as he rushed to an unconscious Clover.

“Qharis?!” Homer cupped her cheeks and got a hiss in return. He shook, wincing at the sight of fresh blood that was coating the bottom half of her face. “Hey, Qharis. Qharis snap out of it!”

“Stop trying, she won’t recognize you,” Aurum said, his hands busy with pressing a lump of Clover’s torn cloth to her bleeding neck. He looked up into Homer’s scared eyes and frowned. “She’s been poisoned. Put her to sleep.” His frown deepened as he sharply said, “a long one.”

Homer nodded brokenly, turning back to face the monster that was his sister. He cupped both of her cheeks and forced her into the realm of unconsciousness. Her eyes raked from left to right as his powers drowsed her, her breath thinning as she slowly fell limp against Caim. The lustrous glow in her eyes slowly deemed, and tears came rushing down her face as her eyes slowly shut.

“I’m... sorry...,” she said quietly, finally giving way to the sleep.

Homer gritted his teeth and carefully took Qharis into his arms. He laid her on her back, his fingers curling into fists. Caim looked up at Aurum, his eyebrows furrowing at the sight of Clover in Aurum’s arms. He could clearly see the irritation on Aurum’s face at the sight of her blood.

“Lord Caedis let me.” He moved to Aurum and took Clover out of his arms.

Aurum whispered a small word of gratitude as he wiped his bloody hands against his trouser. He gazed at Homer and he scowled in irritation as he asked, “you had said that you saw bottles everywhere?”

Homer nodded in affirmation to his words, concentrating on using the edge of his cloth to wipe the blood off of Qharis’ face.

Aurum growled lowly. “Caim I want you to get that girl to an infirmary. Stop the bleeding and go to Zee and Raaf. Tell them to send some Level Os to watch the borders. Nobody should leave this island without my knowledge.” He turned to the exit and said, “Homer come with me.”

Homer let go of his sister and stood, giving her one last sad look before he rushed to meet up with Aurum. “What should I do Uncle?” he asked as they rushed out of the reception.

The wind weaved through Aurum’s almost-white hair as they rushed down the steps that led out of the hotel. “Homer I want you to put everyone in Ashville into a long and hard sleep.”

“Why should I?” Homer asked, raising a brow in confusion.

“Because Ashville is a hundred percent cadaver. And someone has poisoned everyone.”

Homer stopped in his track, his eyes widening in terror. “W-what? How... Is that po—”

“Yes Homer.” Aurum flexed a shoulder as a growl filled the night. He narrowed his eyes at the figure, clenching his hands into fists. “And whoever it is that did it is one and the same with the person who had sent those Level Os to attack Zee’s ship.”

“Fucking shit,” Homer quietly said, replying both to Aurum and the sight of an extremely feral-looking Tobe.

“And a big one that it is.” He raised his fists, his eyes becoming lustrous as he mumbled, “and a very smelly and ugly one.”

Tobe hissed at them, his claws extended and sharp. It glistened in the moonlight as he raised his hand. The metal poles of the streetlights wailed loudly, following after his action.

“Go!” He gestured at Homer with his head, his eyes wide. “Now!”

And just like that, Homer was gone with the silent wind, his movement causing Aurum’s bangs to tilt to the side. And then it was only Aurum and Tobe in an open battlefield. Each rumble and groan of the metal poles elicited a hiss from Tobe. Aurum squeezed his fists even tighter, his eyes unblinking.

“I never thought that they’d be a day that we’d get to fight each other Tobe,” Aurum said tightly, shuffling closer to Tobe. “And I apologize for any future casualties.”

A loud electric rumble made him pause. He looked from one dancing streetlight to another, a frown working its way onto his pale face. One after another, the lamps bursted open, and the electricity they held was drawn to someone who was approaching them.

“Oh you have got to be playing some messed up game,” Aurum said as he watched Lydia step beside Tobe, her eyes a glowing green. “Give me a break. I just came out of a freaking grave.”

They both hissed at him. The electricity lighted every cell in Lydia’s body, her hair flying into the air. The poles slowly got squeezed into long, pointed spikes that floated into the air. Tobe bared his sharp teeth as he threw his hands forward and two spikes came flying at Aurum.

Aurum dodged them by sliding to the side. But they twirled and came after him again. This time sparks were licking at their tips. He dodged them again, narrowly escaping a graze as Lydia came into view and clawed his cheek. Aurum hissed, having no time to even bear the pain as four more spikes were added as they ran towards him, making loud, whooshing sounds. He managed to dodge three of them, but the rest sliced at his chest, thighs and an arm.

“Fuck you both!” he growled loudly, shuddering because of the electricity that coursed through him.

Lydia tore her skirt as she kicked his chest, sending him flying into the long staircase. His back arced in pain when Lydia appeared before him and drove her pointed heel into his chest, sending the electricity that ran through her veins into his body. Aurum groaned in pain as his flesh fried. As if it wasn’t enough torture, a pole dug itself in his heart, directly blazing his heart.

But all Aurum could think of at that moment was if the tattoo had been destroyed. He gritted his teeth in pain, looking down to it. His breath hitched in silent gratitude at the pole that narrowly missed the tattoo.

Lydia hissed as she kicked off his head like a football. It flew through the sky and thudded against the paved street below. She turned to leap to the head but Aurum’s hand grabbed onto her leg and swung her over his body. She tumbled into the hotel with a screech.

Aurum’s body rushed to his head and picked it up. He swiftly placed his head back and a long sigh left his parted lips as his anatomies snapped back into place.

“Playtime’s over,” he growled through his teeth, lifting a hand. He fisted the hand, and Tobe’s growls seized up. He raised his hand to his throat when Aurum hissed, “stop.”

Tobe trembled on the spot as he dropped to one knee, and then the other.

“Lie forward,” Aurum commanded sharply, and at once Tobe dropped to his chest. Aurum sped to him, held his neck and snapped it. “I can’t believe that you let them rid you of the pride of being a Pristine Tobe,” he muttered with a sickened frowned, watching Tobe’s eyes droop as he became unconscious.

Aurum kept his eyes on Tobe for a while, studying the sick, grey lines that crept under his eyes. The silence was sliced short by the sound of a loud, pained hiss. Aurum looked over his shoulder and smirked weakly at the sight of Jioazi holding up a shrieking Lydia with a wobbly liquid that was around Lydia’s neck. It ran like a coil and was connected to her raised index finger.

“What took you so long?” Aurum asked slowly.

Jiaozi’s tinted brown eyes shifted to him and she mumbled, “I was trying to calm down a very a sick and raging Level O.” Her eyebrows dropped in sadness. “She’s dead.”

Aurum’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry.”

Jiaozi lightly shook her head, moving down the steps as she said, “it was long due. It seems that I still can’t produce Level Os.”

Aurum turned around fully, his lips pursed into a thin line. He opened his mouth to say something but stiffened as he saw Kimi walk out of the shadows.

Kimi was breathing rapidly, his eyes wide with a glint of rage in it. His eyes shifted from the spring of blood around Lydia’s neck, to Lydia’s feral face, then to Aurum’s bloodied figure. Then he finally let it rest on Tobe’s unconscious body.

Aurum raised a hand. “Kimi no don’t—”

Kimi ran back into the hotel, his arms raised to his face. Aurum had caught sight of his tears and he clenched his jaw, sudden anger taking over him.

“Lord Caedis!” Jiaozi shrieked as Aurum rushed to Lydia’s elevated form, tugged her down into the pavement and snapped her head to the side.

Aurum growled, his hands around Lydia’s neck as he snapped, “I want you to find Homer in the village. Tell him to wake Orpheus.” He glared up at her and said, “tell Orpheus to fucking wipe every human’s memory.”

Jiaozi nodded rapidly as she sped past him and ran into the dark streets. Aurum’s shoulders heaved as he looked up to the night, an angry growl bubbling in his throat. His nose twitched as he gritted his teeth tightly and punched the floor beside Lydia’s head, breaking it.

“Just when I had got Kimi on my side.” He went on his knees and hands and loudly growled, “fuck you fate! Fuck whoever that did this! Fuck you!”

*

Tension and silence muddled, hanging over the room, creating a heavy atmosphere. Everyone was putting on a glum expression, their lips sewed in silence. Aurum was sat on the windowsill, his arms folded over his chest. He had been giving the rug a strong, blank look for a while now. His mind had been running through various things. Things like how someone had got them. Things like how Kimi will react after seeing all that he had seen.

From his position on the floor, Tobe exhaled loudly before he mumbled, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what had come over me.” He passed his hand over his lap and looked through the corner of his eyes at Lydia.

Lydia’s head was bent in shame, and she held it with hands that had extremely chipped, red-painted nails. “I’m... so—”

“Enough with the apology,” Aurum whispered, his eyebrows slowly creasing into a calm frown. “I have a question for you all. Answer sincerely.” He stared at everyone from the corner of his eyes, digging his tongue into his cheek. “Did you guys drink whatever that had been shared?”

Lydia flinched and croaked, “yes.”

He looked at her, his eyebrow cocking slowly. He sighed softly and moved his eyes to Tobe. “You.”

Tobe shook his head. He pulled off his glasses and placed it on the table that he had been resting against.

“Excuse me?” he said, his voice sharper than intended. He watched as Lydia jumped at that, her breath hitching loudly in panic. “Orpheus?”

“I didn’t,” Orpheus said slowly, massaging his pounding temples.

Aurum shifted his gaze to Qharis. She had been crying softly into her hands since they had walked into his suite. Homer was comforting her by slowly rubbing her back, his gaze on the rugged floor.

“Qharis?” he asked with a small voice, not intending to heighten the blame she was already putting on herself.

Qharis sniffed loudly, her hands quickly wiping off her tears. She looked up with dull, bloodshot eyes and shook her head so swift that her hair whipped from left to right.

Aurum clenched his jaw, his voice harsh as he said, “then how did you get infected with the poison?”

Couko—from her position beside Claren and Sibyl—stood off the wall, her eyebrows flying into her hair. “Pardon my interruption Lord Caedis. But... poison? Cadavers can be poisoned?”

Aurum stood off the windowsill, his arms falling limply to his sides. “Yes Couko... poison.” He looked at Tobe, Lydia, Orpheus and then Qharis, his fingers slowly curling into tight fists. “Apparently you were poisoned. And so were the Hunters. Because if they weren’t, then where the hell are they right now?”

“What do you mean by Hunters getting poisoned? Is it possible?” Jiaozi said softly, her heartbeat quickening in fear.

Aurum cursed under his breath and turned to look at the sky. It was slowly getting orange by the impending dawn. “You know how cadavers connect with Hunters. And you know that when our maker had created Hunters and cadavers she had wanted to create a form of checks and balances between these two kinds.” He placed his hands on the cold windowsill, frowning as he muttered, “and the result was the claret.”

“The what?” Homer asked sharply in confusion.

“The claret. It’s a rare plant that has varying effects on either a cadaver or a Hunter. If used on a Hunter, they get weak and tired to the point that they loose what that makes them Hunters.” He turned back to the room, a brow raised. “And the effect is different on cadavers. It heightens our instincts to the extent that all we can think of is blood, more blood and always blood.”

The affected cadavers froze due to his words. Qharis started crying again, this time harder and louder. The twins gave their sister worried looks.

Tobe frowned at the floor, clasping his hands tightly. “Then why haven’t we heard of this sort of thing before?”

Aurum exhaled through his nose and shut his eyes. “Only a few know about it. And because she made it impossible to find. Only when a Level A or Pristine murders a Hunter shall it appear.”

Orpheus stiffened so hard and obviously that Caim, who was standing beside him, lifted his brow very high.

“But... if it’s during such an occurrence,” Jioazi started, walking to the centre of the room. “How did they come in contact with it?”

“I don’t know.” He opened his eyes and raised his head to the ceiling. “Maybe someone did what they’re not supposed to.”

This time Caim’s eyebrows furrowed as Orpheus drew in a sharp breath after Aurum spoke. He simply avoided the matter and instead shifted his gaze to Aurum. “Lord Caedis if that’s true then how did Qharis, Lord  Ọbafi and Orpheus get infected if they didn’t digest the drink?”

“Through their nostrils.”

Tobe slowly stood with a confused frown. He picked up his glasses and put it on. “How’s that possible?”

“During the concert. Whoever that did it wanted to make sure that everyone was infected. Even those who hadn’t taken the drink had still taken in the poison. We were all infected one way or another, even if the poison had a slow effect on some people.” He looked at Homer and Caim. “The only reason why Homer and Caim weren’t infected was because Homer had gone down to the seaport and Caim had been running an errand for me on the other side of the island. And Zee and Raaf are okay because they had been at the docks during the concert. And Rin had never left his hotel room and you all know why.”

Caim nodded and looked at Aurum’s bandmates. Couko, Claren and Sibyl were holding onto their necks, an innocent look in their downcasted gazes. Even if they weren’t extremely crazed like the rest, he had found them fighting for blood bags when he had gone to their room to summon them to the meeting. The corners of his lips twitched in amusement.

Jiaozi slowly shook her head, a small frown forming on her face. “But... Principal Aardvark and I had not attended the concert. Then why had Principal Aardvark been infected and not me?”

Aurum blinked rapidly, turning his head towards her with a confused expression. “Had you taken the drink?”

She shook her head. She held her chin as she frowned in thought. “Principal Aardvack had gone down to the kitchen to order for a cup of blood. She hadn’t returned and”—she sharply exhaled—“I had gone to search for her and was met with a carnage.”

“Wait what?!” Homer sat straighter, a little bit confused at her words. “Are you trying to say that someone in the kitchen—the very kitchen that literarily worships Uncle Aurum—tried to poison him?”

Tobe looked at Aurum with an irritated gaze. “If that’s true then we need Illiad to read their emotions and find out who’s—”

“No. I had sent him to Kimi’s room. He shares a room with the Hunters and I need him to watch over all of them.”

Tobe nodded, moving further away from Aurum with a shameful bow of his head. If someone had been watching them—and didn’t know the whole truth—they would have raised a brow at Tobe’s submissive behaviour. He clearly and visibly looked older than Aurum.

Jiaozi’s forehead creased in confusion. “But if the drinks and the air had been poisoned wouldn’t we have perceived it?”

An unamused chuckle escaped Aurum, his eyes tracing the ceiling. “And that’s why the claret is even more dangerous. It’s colourless, odourless and tasteless.”

“Oh shit you guys just got poisoned with water,” Homer said with a dramatic gasp. The whole room glared at him, not finding his words funny. This made him drop his gaze in shame and he muttered, “sorry.”

Aurum held his chin as his eyes landed on a camera that was in the corner of his bedroom. “Jiaozi I want you make a call to Zee’s ship. See if she can send someone who can operate the CCTVs.”

Jiaozi nodded and pulled her phone out of her pocket. Everyone watched silently as she tapped away at her phone. They all groaned tiredly as she seized her typing, her eyes going wide. They were already tired of more drama after more drama.

Homer broke the silence and asked, “what now? Can’t the world leave us alone?”

Jiaozi’s breath hitched before she said, “someone had uploaded a picture of Clover on all the school’s social media accounts.” Her expression was ghast as she held up her phone. A picture of Clover’s bloodied form and her torn skin was displayed on her phone.

“How did it happen?!” Aurum hissed as he rigidly folded his arms over his chest. “Whoever that did that is still here.” Aurum looked at Orpheus and growled, “find them and—”

“Sorry for being the item of bad news,” Homer said, cutting Aurum’s words short. Aurum shifted his glare to him, and he yelped lowly before he rapidly said, “Orpheus had already wiped out everyone’s memories. Illiad can’t even read their emotions at this moment.” He jerked tremendously as Aurum growled and flung a seat across the room. It landed against the wall and its appendages came undone.

“Shit!” Aurum growled loudly, his hands furiously ruffling his hair.

Everyone in the room gave him tensed looks as his shoulders shook with each hard breath he swallowed. Those who were sitting stood and all of them took careful steps backwards as his eyes started morphing into shining, lustrous silver.

“L-Lord Caedis?” Lydia said softly, a fist to her silent chest. “Are you—”

“Shut the fuck up! SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Aurum growled loudly as he drove his hand through the wall, creating a giant hole in it. The other cadavers jerked at his actions, shifting or limping away from him as he placed his forehead against the wall.

The phone in Jiaozi’s hand started vibrating hastily. She turned on the screen and stiffened at the sight of the various messages that had been sent directly to her phone. They all were from various parents who were demanding that their children should be returned. She gulped loudly as she looked up. Tobe peered over her shoulder at the sight of her pale expression. When he saw the extremely furious messages, his lips started moving rapidly in silent curses.

“Um... Lord Caedis?” Jiaozi asked, her tone as soft as it could ever be. Aurum’s shoulder raised in response to her call. She swallowed slowly, raising the phone as she mumbled, “we... have a problem.”

Note: While writing this chapter, all I could think is, “Why is Aurum shirtless in the midst of chaos?” And then I remembered, “He didn’t have the time to tug on something. Thank heavens that he was not nude or putting on just a towel.” ಠ_à²