In all of her high school life, she didn't understand why teenagers in high school movies liked sex so much. She never thought that swapping bacteria was appealing. However, she never had been eaten out in a supply closet.
It was to be expected. They haven't been alone with each other for two weeks. Guardian meetings, punishments (she was dead for skipping school), and overall life prevented them from even a greeting to one another. She won't ever say aloud that she missed him, though. Ever since that time at the Grand Dragon, she thinks maybe they've been wrong about him and that he's really changed. He has been very civil to her friends, not insulting or being overall rude. He hasn't looked like he's been cooking up any nefarious schemes. She even thinks she heard him say thank you one time. But secretly, it brings a blush to her face every time she thinks about him and her, and when she's alone with her thoughts, she thinks about the next time they are alone. But she didn't know that said next time would be in a supply closet, she was missing a history test for god's sake.
A shock of pleasure tore Taranee from her thoughts. It licked up her spine and dispersed throughout her stomach in a white heat.
"Pay attention," Phobos commanded. His tongue teased the area around the clitoris. She clutched his head, guiding him further. She tried to quiet the moans that escaped from her mouth as he gently sucked on the bud of flesh prominently poking out. Her knees wobbled as he slowly dragged his tongue up her clitoris over and over again. His eyes never left hers.
"P-Phobos, I-I have a q-quiz to take," Taranee complained. However, it fell upon deaf ears. The next few minutes were filled with her staring at a roll of paper towels and not trying to attract attention to them. Soon she was lying on the floor, exhausted.
"But what about the history quiz," he mocked her. She mumbled incoherently in reply. She forgot at all about that stupid quiz. Now, all she wants to do is sleep.
"Cedric, have you gotten everything prepared." She heard Phobos said. She had just started to nod off until she heard his voice.
"Yes, my prince," Cedric answered. "We all waiting for your command."
"Good work Cedric," Phobos replied. "It won't be long until we find Nerissa with The Heart of Meridian. Once I've gotten rid of that sorceress and my pesky sister, I shall regain the throne."
Taranee fought the urge to get up and beat his ass, but she knew it would be better to lie still and feign sleep.
"But what about the guardians, my prince?"
"They are of no threat. I have obtained the heart of one guardian, and the other guardians have given me their trust. As long as I keep up my facade, it's only a matter of time before I'm back upon my throne. You can use them as you please when my takeover is complete. But beforehand, parade them around the kingdom before doing so. It'll help quell any troublesome uprising."
"What about the fire guardian? I assume that you have taken a liking toward her."
Taranee soon felt a hand on her back, tracing the tattoo on it. "I'll keep her. She'll make a nice addition to the castle."
The two men talked about their plans for the next two minutes or so. Taranee didn't care to hear the rest. She was too busy thinking of how to relay the news to her friends. I can't believe I was so foolish to start to trust him. To think he would betray us, she thought. It was unsurprising, to say the least, but to think he was cocky enough to talk about it in front of me.
"Taranee," He said as he shook her awake. She pretended to have woken up.
"What time is it?" Taranee asked, innocently.
"It's only been twenty minutes since we left," he answered. "However, I can make him think that we've been only gone for five."
"Okay," Taranee said as she was buttoning up her shirt. She didn't care about any of that. All she cared about was the revelations she received. She didn't know why but she felt this wall that was built up in her chest held her emotions and that with the slightest of movements would've broken it. She needed to leave. "Make sure you go to the nurse and let her think you're sick."
"You're not to stay with me?" he asked. He held up her pants.
"No, I have a quiz, remember," she replied coolly, not looking at him. I just want to punch him in his face crossed her mind.
"Fine." She could hear a hint of disappointment in his voice, but she knew it was all an act. She kinda wished it wasn't. "Are you going to be okay?"
She didn't answer his question. After she finished dressing, she made her way back to her history class. Thankfully, she had half of her quiz already finished before leaving and was able to complete it before the bell rang.
Once she left that supply closet, she felt the weight of her emotions started to trickle out, but on her way to lunch, it became a rush of waterworks. She expected it- she knew it at the back of her mind. He was not to be trusted. You can't change a villain overnight. But why did it hurt so much. Why was she crying?
"Taranee, are you okay?" She turned around and saw Nigel.
"Yeah," she sniffed. "I'm fine. There was something in my eye." She started to rub the nonexistent thing out of her eyes.
"As long as you're okay." He answered, not believing her. "But can I talk to you for a minute."
"Sure," she answered. She hadn't talked to him ever since that library incident. They walked in the cafeteria, ordered their food, and sat in one of the empty tables much to the confusion and somewhat amusement of her four friends.
"So, I hear that you and the foreign exchange student are going out." Nigel brought up. she almost spat out her food.
"Wha-What? Who did you hear that from?" she questioned.
"Matt tells me that he lives with him and doesn't understand the word humble when it comes to his accomplishments if you catch my drift."
Damn him, she thought. Damn him and his overinflated ego. "Yeah, I wasn't sure we were a good match at first, but he's a very nice person if you get past a few minor flaws."
"Oh, that's good. I'm good you're happy. But to be honest, he's a bit of an asshole."
"I know. Trust me, I know." Taranee laughed.
"All I want to say: If he ever hurts you, let me know, and I'll handle it. Well, if your brother doesn't handle it first."
Taranee froze at that. "Does my brother know about him and me."
"Oh yeah, he learned all about you guy's relationship from Matt and really wants to meet him."
"Why hasn't he brought it up to me then?"
"He wants to talk to him alone."
Oh shit, she thought. Who am I kidding, I'd let my brother handle him.
"Taranee, what are you doing sitting by the trash?" a familiar, deep voice questioned her.
"Oh god," she mumbled and turned to look at Satan's incarnate, Phobos. He stared straight at Nigel, trying to bore his eyes into his soul. He held a tray of lasagna that seemed to be bubbling.
"What do you mean by that?" Nigel asked, getting worked up.
"Exactly what you think it meant," Phobos answered. He set the lunch tray down and gripped her arm, dragging her out of the cafeteria.
"What're you doing?" she says. She didn't know how he could treat her as if she was a two-year-old.
"I could say the same for you. A cheap harlot wouldn't even degrade herself to flirt so openly as you were."
She felt something growing inside of her: angry, rage, fury, whatever you call wanting to fuck somebody up; it was there. "You mean talking? You're mad that I'm using one of the basic forms of human communication."
"Don't try to patronize me." Oh, irony, she thought. "I saw you with that idiot. You like him."
"Yes, you're correct. What about it? I like my friends, I certainly like my family. I can't like people now?"
"But your affections toward him go beyond any friendship. I thought I already established our relationship to him. I guess he needs a visual representation."
"The fuck you are." She's getting a bit sick and tired of this lovey-dovey facade they're doing. Her nerves are reaching the boiling point. At first, she was just acting, but then she- somewhere amongst the chaos- actually started to fall in love with him. However, the moment she found out that his feeling for her was a lie, she just wants to wash her hands clean of him. She wants freedom.
"Then stay away from him."
"Why do care so much."
"Because you're mine. I own-"Slap! The sound of Taranee hitting him resonated throughout the hall.
She grabbed his shirt and brought him down to her level. "I'm getting sick and tired of your pompous bullshit. I don't give a shit if you're are only hope or not. If you come to me one more time trying to force me into becoming one of your cheap little concubines, I'll show you that that cell wasn't made to just to hold you back."
The bell rung and Taranee had let his collar go before the student started to pour out. "I'll see you in gym," Phobos said stoically, his eyes an expressionless gaze. She felt a headache coming on. I hope this day doesn't get any worse.
Well, she stood corrected. She never knew how a gym teacher would have disappeared in front of everyone. She didn't see it, but it was the freakiest thing she ever saw. Apparently, after the gym teacher caught someone come into class late and ranted and raved and then- poof-gone.
Of course, she blames Phobos, but she couldn't find him amongst the crowd running away. Fortunately for her, school was let out a bit early due to "minor disturbances." This allowed her friends to have an early meeting and hang out at the mall. She can't wait to tell them the big news and get Phobos out of her life.
"Taranee, behind you!" Will yelled. She narrowly missed a rock being thrown at her head. She let the most essential piece of our plan to restore peace to the universe out of sight.
Nerissa just had to show up, and she had to bring the three mind-controlled former guardians who they barely escaped last time. Just peachy.
She flew behind Cassidy, who had Will cornered and distracted her with a bright fireball. It almost scorched the former water guardian, but it was blocked by a wall of earth. Taranee turned her attention to Kadma, who was hurling gigantic rocks at her.
"Don't worry about me, find Phobos!" Will shouted and struck Kadma with lightning.
Taranee took off. She flew around the city. "Phobos, where are you?" Taranee tried to telepathically call out to him. "Nerissa is here. You are in danger." She got no response.
I hope he hasn't been captured, she thought. It's not like I care about him, but it would put a hold on our plans."
Taranee heard the rumble of thunder overhead. Hopefully, the storm would impair the enemy's' vision of her trying to find Phobos.
"Taranee, Taranee." She heard a faint voice in the back of her head call to her.
"Phobos! Where are you?" She tried to pinpoint where the voice was coming from, but it was if a force blocked her.
"The old woman needs help. She's not moving."
"Oh my god," Taranee gasped. "I'll tell the others."
"There is no time. Come here now." Immediately, she flew down to the Silver Dragon. She entered the tiny window that opened to the garage.
"Where's ," she said, prepared to find anything. But she didn't expect to find the scene before her, Ms. Lin and Phobos were sitting face to face drinking tea before being interrupted by the fire guardian.
"Ah, Taranee. You are transformed. What seems to be the problem?" Yan Lin asked.
"Wha-what is going on? I thought-" Taranee began but seemed to forget how to talk. She thought that Phobos told her that Ms. Lin was in trouble, but she fine What was that voice.
"Oh crap," Taranee realized. How could I be so stupid, she thought. "We have to go. Now."
"It's too late young guardian," she heard the voice she dreaded to hear. She turned and saw the tall, dark-haired woman called Nerissa.
Before she could even conjure up a drop of her power, she was struck by the woman's quintessence. Her vision exploded into stars as her back connected with the wall. Even though her guardian form can take a lot of damage, this was one of the rare times where the pain was overwhelming. She desperately called out to her friends.
"Nerissa….Silver Dragon...help." She managed to scramble out. It was even painful to think.
"We're leaving," a deep voice assured her. Once she finally got over the pain, she noticed that Phobos and herself were inside some sort of force field.
"Where's ?" She asked, trying to peer at the scene, but Phobos was blocking her view. "Take her away from here."
However, the words came out too late, and she felt the strange sensation that was Phobos's magic transporting them to some unknown place.
Which said unknown place happened to be her room. She felt herself detransform into her civilian clothes. The soft covers of her bed made her realize the fatigue from battle. Ever since they left from school, they've been fighting and now is a good chance for her to finally catch some rest. If only the thought of what happened to Hay Lin's grandmother wasn't the reigning question on her mind.
"Phobos," Taranee said slowly, struggling to sit up from her bed. A burning question on her lips."What happened to ?"
She didn't get the answer immediately, but she knew that it wasn't what she wanted to here. "She was taken."
"What do you mean she was taken?" She shouted but she was silenced when pain shot up her side. "You were right next to her." She said in a much quieter voice.
"If I left the old woman, I knew Nerissa wouldn't have harmed her. But if I took the woman, she could've killed you."
"I would've been fine." He was right, she knew this, but she couldn't believe what happened.
"Why don't you believe me?" He looked at her. He seemed tired. "I thought we were in a relationship. I thought you were interested in me. Was I mistaken?"
"Were you mistaken?" She started to laugh. "Why don't you ask Cedric and ask him?"
His silence told her everything she needed to know. "Why are you surprised?" She continued. "You weren't confused when you plotting to kill my friends. No, please don't waste your time answering that. I have to get back them." With that said, she left her room, ignoring the surprise from her family, and went out into the stormy night. The pounding of rain silencing any thoughts she had.
Once she got there, the damage was already done. Her friends and everybody within a ten block radius seemed to be aware of the damage to the Chinese restaurant. Fortunately, no one seemed to know who done it. Hay Lin looked like she felt worse than any pain an enemy could inflict on her. The other guardians seemed to huddle around her in a protective circle trying to calm and soothe the sobbing girl.
Irma was the first to notice her presence. "What happened?" She asked once she got close enough not to be heard.
Taranee took a breath and retold the story of the trick that Nerissa put her in.
"It's not your fault Taranee," Hay Lin sniffed. "At least, my grandmother is still alive." Taranee felt a little better hearing that Hay Lin doesn't hate her for her mistake.
"Yeah, this just means that getting the Heart of Meridian is even more important than before," Will said.
"But if you think about it, Phobos could've protected at any time," Cornelia brought up. "He could have fought back even. It's not like we put his magic on time out. "
"We can't look back in the past at the what ifs," Will replied. "Especially since those what ifs were very risky."
"I'm just saying he could've distracted the old hag and Ms. Lin and Taranee could've left the place," Cornelia said. "Maybe it's just me or we're not giving enough credit to Phobos's powers since he was the one who tried to kill us multiple times."
"This may be the first, but I hope it's the last time I ever say this," Irma interjected. "I think Cornelia's right on this."
"What do you mean?" Will asked.
"Well, I don't know about the whole saving Taranee situation because I wasn't there, but it seems to me that we've forgotten who the person we are guarding. It's like ever since we accepted Taranee and his relationship- which seems a bit fishy to begin with- we've allowed him a bit too much freedom considering our past with him. We don't even really know his stance with Nerissa. Maybe he's cooperating with her."
After Irma said that, it shifted the tone of the conversation. Is he really cooperating with her, Taranee thought. We don't even know the history between the two of them.
"You guys, let's not jump to conclusions," Hay Lin said. "We all know that he wants the throne to Meridian back, so wouldn't it be weird if he's trying to cooperate with a woman who wants to take over the universe."
"She could simply give him the power to rule over Meridian. It's not like it's so significant compared to the rest of the universe." Irma interjected.
"Do you think that he would crush his pride by staying under her for the rest of his life," Will said. This argument went on like this for the next few minutes all without Taranee saying anything. She was too busy having her own internal battle. Each rebuttal that Irma and Cornelia made further solidified her deep mistrust for the man she almost trusted and, daresay, had feelings for.
"Either way, I don't think we should keep trying to protect him," Irma said. "Maybe we could hide him somewhere while we try to think of another solution."
"What 'other' solution," Will said exasperated. "We don't have any time for 'other' solutions."
"Why don't we just put him somewhere while we plan out our attack on Nerissa then we could use him in the final plans," Cornelia said. "It allows us to get our thoughts together without the pretty prince needing saving."
"I don't know," Will said finally breaking down. "What about you Taranee? You haven't said a word this entire time."
"I agree with Cornelia," Taranee replies. This surprised no one. Her friends had an inkling that the relationship the two had was a bit forced from the start and were secretly afraid that their friend would have fallen in love with a psycho.
"Okay, that settles it then," Will said. "It's been a long day. Let's get some sleep."
They said their goodbyes and started walking to their respective homes. While Taranee was walking home, she was looking forward to a nice, hot bubble bath. Then she remembered how she rushed out of the house and how her parents are going to freak. I don't feel like telling them about what happened, she thought. Every time I think about it, I feel like a bigger mess up than before. I need to sleep.
She soon perked up at the sight of her house. However, she started to feel weird. Every step she took felt like she was walking in cement. Her eyesight started to fail as she became more and more drowsy. "H-Help," she tried to cry out, but if anybody heard her and looked out, then they wouldn't have found any trace of her.