Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Laura, Craig, and the guy in a white robe bowed at a perfect ninety degrees, almost touching the floor, and said in unison to both the innkeeper and Linda, “We’re sorry”
Linda was at a loss for words.
The young man in white was made to join in the apology. Fighting to get to his feet, he shouted, “You smashed up the place, not me. Why am I being dragged into this apology?”
Laura smacked him so hard he crashed straight into the ground, leaving a crater, and didn’t get up for ages.
The innkeeper was so scared he was about to cry,
Craig said, “Don’t worry. Laura wouldn’t even hurt a fly”
But when he turned around, he saw Laura crouched down next to the young man, digging a hole,
Craig whispered again under his breath, “She really wouldn’t even hurt a fly”
The innkeeper shuddered, hands shaking, “Please, big shots, spare us. We’re just a small business. Whatever you want, just say it. We’ll give it to you.”
Craig was speechless. ‘Seriously, we’re not here to rob, he thought.
He glanced at the ruins and fished out the last two Luster Shards he had to cover the mess.
Feeling awkward, he turned to Laura and asked, “Laura, you got any left?”
Laura hauled the young man in white over. “Nope, but he does.” She didn’t hesitate to dig around in his clothes and pulled out a whole bag.
“Those are mine!” the young man in white cried out.
“Not anymore. They’re mine now,” Laura said.
Linda squinted at the young man, studying him for ages, trying to recall his face. After a long pause, she finally asked, uncertain, “Rafael Vaughn?”
“Eh?” The three instantly turned to Linda.
Linda asked, “You guys know each other?”
She had seen all three of them before, so she thought to herself, ‘Wait, do they all know each other?”
Craig and Laura had already handed over all their Luster Shards, but it still wasn’t enough to cover the damage. And Rafael just wouldn’t cough up his own stash, no matter what.
“Can’t you just spot us for now?” Craig tried.
“You think you can actually pay me back?” Rafael retorted.
Craig was speechless.
The two of them were about to start brawling again.
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4:33 pm PPD.
Chapter 7
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Linda walked over to the shattered windows and doors, muttering under her breath, “No need to make things so complicated.”
She pulled out a sheet of Vellum of Inscription from inside her robes and drew a talisman on it.
Then, the vellum flared with a bright, magical glow.
In an instant, an unseen force swept through the room, gathering the shattered doors and windows and restoring them. perfectly to their original places.
Craig and the innkeeper could only stare, mouths agape.
Even Laura’s eyes lit up with amazement. “That’s incredible.”
But as soon as she finished speaking, suddenly, two windows came crashing down.
The street fell silent.
Linda muttered, “Guess that Vellum of Inscription wasn’t exactly top–notch.”
Craig said, “Seriously, that’s enough.”
Craig and Rafael got stuck fixing the rest of the windows, and the clanging was going on all night long.
Laura tried to help out, but Craig quickly waved her off. “Laura, seriously, let us handle this. It’s just a minor fix.”
Rafael was sweating bullets.
If Laura got involved, the whole street would probably get wrecked.
Laura could only stand at the door, holding Behemoth by the leash and waiting.
Linda stood nearby, watching.
Laura was tall and lean, with long limbs and some muscle. Standing next to Linda, she looked fit and was half a head taller than her.
Laura’s gaze softened with a touch of sympathy. She fished out a sandwich from her robe and offered it to Linda.
Linda was momentarily stunned.
“I saved it before dinner. It’s clean,” Laura said.
hands, Linda realized Laura must have noticed her meal sitting untouched on the table when the inn got
t and took the sandwich. “Thanks.”
grinned. “No problem.”
When Laura’s smile reached her eyes, a name flashed in Linda’s mind: “Laura Farrell, a student of the First Unity Coven.
“Born with monstrous strength and an Celestial Earth Affinity. In her previous life, she was set up by her lover–her core and heart ripped out, her body left in pieces.”
Just for a split second, Linda remembered Laura’s face; her eyes were still open, refusing to rest in peace.
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Chapter 7
Linda’s face turned as pale as a sheet.
The sandwich slipped from her hand.
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Before it could hit the floor, Laura caught it, shot Linda a look, and pressed the sandwich back into Linda’s palm.
Laura’s touch was warm, and her tone was gentle, like she was trying to comfort Linda.
Recalling the horrific memory flashing through her mind, Linda couldn’t help but shudder.
Laura glanced at her and said, “You look pale. Did he mess with you? Want me to rough him up?”
Rafael, the one Laura was pointing at, just stared in disbelief.
He was about to explode, but Craig grabbed him. “Dude, how could you bully a girl?”
“Me?” Rafael pointed at himself, totally stunned. “Are you talking about me? What did I even do? I don’t even know her.”
Craig just shot him a look that screamed, “Yeah, right. Like I’d believe that.”
He said, “She came all the way out here just to find you. You must’ve done something, right?”
Rafael threw down his tools, about to lose it, but since Linda was a girl, he held back and muttered, “I refused to join First Unity Coven. Is that really a reason to go around ruining my name?”
“See? She’s about to burst into tears,” Craig said.
Rafael insisted, “Seriously, this has nothing to do with me.”
Craig joked on, “Whoa, she’s actually crying. Look, tears and everything!”
“I swear. I really don’t… know her,” Rafael muttered, sounding less and less sure of himself.
As soon as Laura’s hand came swinging, Rafael practically leapt in the air, dodging like his life depended on it.
When he saw Linda’s eyes really start to water, Rafael scrambled over in a panic. “Whoa! There’s no way I ever did anything to you, right? I honestly don’t know you. This has gotta be the first time we’ve met, unless I’m totally losing my mind.
“Look, the worst thing I’ve ever done is sneak into the First Unity Coven and maybe lift a couple things from them. I swear, I never took anything from you.”
Rafael was scrambling, practically panicking as he tried to explain himself.
Even Craig just stood there by the door, looking totally lost.
Linda reached up and touched her face, only then realizing she was actually crying. Her voice came out a bit awkward as she said, “The wind’s just too strong. It got in my eyes.”
Rafael looked like he was about to cry.
“If you don’t say something soon, my good name is done for,” he blurted out.
After a whole night of fixing up the place, they finally got the doors and windows back in shape. Without wasting another second, the four of them slipped out of Evord Town under the cover of darkness.
Rafael kept his distance from Linda, but Craig just shoved him right over. “Get over there!”
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4:33 pm PPD.
Chapter 7
“Then give me Maelstrom back!” Rafael shot back.
“Confiscated,” Craig replied without missing a beat.
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The two of them were muttering to each other, but Rafael could feel Linda’s gaze locked on him the whole time, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
But honestly, he just couldn’t recall having any connection with Linda. She was way too pretty; if he’d ever met her before, there was no way he’d forget.
“We knew each other in a previous life,” Linda said calmly.
Laura and Craig shot each other a look, both raising their eyebrows. “Whoa, plot twist.”
Rafael was speechless. He snorted, “Seriously, how could you remember anything from a previous life?”
“I remember,” Linda said, locking eyes with him. “Everything you did after you turned three, I remember every bit of it. You told me all of it yourself.”
Rafael was stunned by her stare. “I don’t buy it.”
Linda’s voice dropped. “Back then, you said if I ever got into trouble, I could come find you, and you’d always have my back.”
She looked straight at him. “Does that promise still stand?”
She cocked her head, looking at him.
Her eyes were clear and bright.
Rafael couldn’t even deny it. He scratched his head, looking more baffled than ever. “That’s totally something I’d say, but I really don’t remember ever saying it.“.
Craig glanced at the two of them. “Laura, so what now?”
‘Dewitt only told us to bring Rafael. Are we supposed to bring Linda along, too?‘ he wondered.
Laura said bluntly, “Take them both.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
