King Valentine (One of the Kings Ruling New Era City) (Shadow, Lucian, Lucifer, Valentine).

My eyes stared across the room towards the young lady on the bed, her breath coming out softly and her features delicate like nothing spectacular just happened a day back.

“What do you think?” Lucifer asked lowly and a sigh left my lips, I didn't even know what to think.

“I can barely think, it's like a replay in my head” Lucian whispered softly, his hands moving with him and I nodded, it was the same for me too.

I couldn't stop seeing how quick her expression changed and if I wasn't perusing the maidens, I wouldn't even have caught it.

First she called out to the tiger like it belonged to her, like it pained her that the beast was there and then she let him die in a way that left the crowd crying out her name and how compassionate she was.

And then she killed that five headed snake beast with so much anger and hate that it left the crowd speechless at how brutal she was and then she passed out.

No one knew what to make of it, we pulled up her file and got nothing but timidity and bored words about her.

No one knew how she did what she did and her serving girl wasn't talking at all. She had been by her side the past few days and was diligently looking after her.

“Fuck. I've got my shadows on her trails but nothing seemed off, I checked on each of the places she was last or ever seen but found nothing at all. She wasn't even trained” Shadow, spoke up with a tight face and I knew we were all at our wits end.

This was new to us a-.

“Are you done?” A voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I gently turned around to find the girl staring at us with cold eyes and her hands were held tightly by her maid but she paid her no mind.

“You're awake” I spoke up, voice calm and composed as usual and she cocked her head at me– she sniffed before her eyes widened.

Good that she recognized us.

“You hold a very strong magic within you, each of you do” she said, calmly taking off the maid's hand to stand on her feet like nothing ever happened to her.

That was it…? I thought she recognized who we were, not what we were.

“How do you know that?” Shadow shot out and she gave him an appraising look.

“It's not that hard, your aura dances around you” she said as she stepped closer to us but then stopped and cocked her head around before turning her back on us like something insignificant.

The fuck?.

“Essie, could you give us some privacy?” She asked and her maid, Essie nodded before she bowed down and left through the sliding doors and she turned to us.

“I presume you must either be the whole of the Kings or one of you might” she began and I gave a small nod.

“Why do you ask?” Lucian asked from beside me, voice tinged with suspicion.

“ I want a withdrawal from the selection” she said like it meant nothing but something dark reared it's head inside of me and my lips opened before I could think.

“No”

“Impossible”

“Highly unlikely”

“Impossible”

She gave each of us a funny look before taking a few steps backwards then forwards again before she spoke up.

“Not even for a small burden removed?” She asked and I shook my head, eyes glancing at the others.

“Why do you want to leave?” I asked and she gave me an unimpressed look.

“Look around you, who wouldn't?” She turned the question back on me and I glared at her.

“Point made” I mumbled and she smiled.

“Good” like she was scolding a small pup. My cheeks reddened softly and surprise flashed in her gaze as she cocked her head at me with curiosity.

“What happened in the arena?” Lucifer asked, his voice leveled. He hadn't spoken up all this time and her gaze instantly cut across to his.

“None of your damn business” she replied sharply and he stepped forward but I held him back.

“Be careful, we still don't know what she is capable of and if she can see our aura then don't underestimate that she can also be able to predict our moves too” I mindlinked him through our special bond and he nodded with understanding but then she spoke up with a smirk.

“Don't worry, I can't predict moves, but I can break them”she crossed her arms and it took me a whole minute to understand what she was saying and hinting at.

She heard me?.

“Did you.. hear anything?” I asked just to be sure, my eyes meeting with that of the others.

“Yeah, he seemed like he wanted to fight me but you stopped him so I predicted that you must think I have some hidden ability or something. I don't” she replied, voice calm and curious and I breathed out a soft sigh of relief.

“She didn't hear” shadow said from behind me and I gave a subtle nod.

“Still, we have to be careful with this one” Lucifer added and I nodded my confirmation too.

“I don't trust her” Lucian communicated and I sighed.

Who trusted her?.

“Your battle today was commendable, the price is to have a date with one of us. So choose?” I said and she gave me a funny look.

“ I'm not that stupid, give me something better like a favor or something” she said and my eyebrows shot to my head at what she had just said.

She was saying that choosing one of us to go on a date with meant that she was stupid.

“A favor?” Lucian asked and she nodded.

“Should I spell it?” She asked and his eyes shone bright red with annoyance but she didn't blink or back down.

“Bu-”

“Brothers” a tiny voice screeched loudly from the door and Melinda came rushing into the room with the brightest of smiles on her face.

“Mel, how did you get here?” I asked as I bent down to her height but she waved me off as she walked up to the lady.

Melinda was sixteen this year and her birthday was in a week but she was a little bit smaller than her average age should be.

“You're the lady with the insane moves” she said as a matter of fact but the lady gave her a bored glance before she turned her gaze to us and began to leave.

And Mel tagged along with her, going to grab her hand and I saw when her eyes turned icy but Melina didn't and she twirled around, and ice daggers were already forming.

I lunged forward to stop her but then she gave the still smiling Melinda a curious look then stared at her hand and the ice bled away from her eyes and then her hands too.