Author's Note: Hi guys :) Thanks for the support so far. This new chapter was a little bit delayed, but hopefully you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own SSO. Only my original characters.
Chapter Three:
After they had all eaten dinner, Azalie had called for a meeting in the living room to discuss matters before she headed back to the Tower of Fangs to report the latest developments. Tistiny and Mariabella decided to leave the group to it, and were cleaning up after everyone.
"Going by the information we have so far, the only way we know of to defeat Eran is through the Angel of Life and Death," Hartia was summing up.
"And one of our biggest sources of information right now is Cela," Oprhen added and glanced at Cleao who was sitting opposite him and was busy stroking Leki's fur.
"Not really a reliable source, if you ask me," Azalie muttered under her breath.
"Didn't hear anyone ask you," Cleao replied flatly, not even bothering to look up from the Wolven cub sitting in her lap. Azalie glared at the blonde, but quickly gave up knowing it was wasted when the younger girl wasn't looking.
"So what's the next step then?" Majic asked them all from his place beside his Master.
"Azalie and I will go back to the Tower of Fangs to speak to the Elders once more, and try find some information through Lai and the archives," Hartia replied, on the ball with decision making today.
"And we'll track down Jeremy. Try and get some info out of him if we can, otherwise we'll just have to stop him," Orphen answered seriously.
"Cela and I will get some talking done too," Cleao chipped in, "It's easier for me to talk with her than trying to get everyone in on the conversation."
"Good," Orphen said approvingly, "We're going to need all the help we can get, so we might go back to Alenhatan and see Steph as well."
"I don't want to have to wait until Eran is set free before we can do anything, so if Jeremy can be stopped, we should take that opportunity. But be careful, Krylancelo," Azalie warned her brother, "You're strong, but he is as well. I will try to be back as soon as I can to help you."
"Well hopefully it doesn't come to that," Orphen answered, and tried to give his sister a reassuring smile.
"I have an idea," Cleao announced as she looked up from Leki, who had fallen into a peaceful sleep.
"This should be good," Azalie smirked and settled into her seat, ready to be entertained.
Cleao ignored the sorceress and continued, "I'll speak to Jeremy."
"Absolutely not!" Orphen shutdown Cleao's suggestion instantly.
"Good idea!" Azalie responded the same time.
Orphen whirled on his sister, "How is that possibly a good idea?!"
"She can be bait," Azalie explained as if she couldn't understand why Orphen wasn't getting it.
"That wasn't exactly what I was thinking…" Cleao interjected.
"No, Cleao," Orphen replied in his most deadly serious tone, "I only just got you back, I am not putting you in danger like that."
Cleao flushed red, and although the others were a bit surprised they made sure not to show it. The blonde looked to Hartia for help. The red-headed sorcerer gave her an uncertain look in return, but couldn't say no to the pleading in Cleao's azure eyes.
"Krylancelo…" Hartia started.
"No, Hartia," Orphen cut him off, "Don't encourage her dangerous idea."
"Just hear me out," Hartia said and put his hands up, to imply that if Orphen still said no after his explanation, then he would drop the subject.
Orphen understood the gesture and let Hartia continue, "Fine."
"Whether we like to admit this or not, Cleao is actually quite a strong connection to Jeremy. You know as well as I do, that even though Cleao is no longer possessed by Jeremy's power, there is still a sliver of the link that they previously shared. Something like that doesn't go away so easily. "
Orphen scowled deeply at the mention of this, and Cleao burned a deeper red.
"If you want to avoid violence at this stage, then Cleao's idea is probably the way to go." Hartia continued diplomatically, "And I know that I'm not an expert in relationships, but I could certainly tell that Jeremy had a genuine interest in Cleao. If anyone can get through to him, it will be her."
"And that's supposed to make me feel better about the whole thing?" Orphen asked with exaggerated sarcasm.
"No it's not," Azalie snapped in a business-like tone, "This isn't a matter of the heart, Krylancelo, so don't think with yours."
Orphen's auburn eyes flashed dangerously at this, "Really Azalie? You're so willing to put Cleao in harm's way, when only a few minutes ago you were telling me to be careful knowing the kind of power that Jeremy has. I know you don't like Cleao very much, you never have, but I thought you were better than that."
Azalie was quick to snap her mouth shut, knowing that there was truth in what Orphen had said.
Cleao quickly brushed away the tears that had sprung to her eyes with Orphen's little outburst and called for his attention, "Orphen."
He looked to Cleao and his eyes were quick to soften at the sight of her.
"I know I can do this," Cleao said firmly, "It'll be easier to get Jeremy to talk to me, than it will be if you corner him."
"That may be true, Cleao, but-"
"I know you're worried about my safety, but Cela will be with me and I know she'll help me if I need it," Cleao tried to reassure him, and continued, "I want to help, and this is one way I can. If I can't get through to him, then we'll do it your way."
Orphen sighed heavily. He knew Cleao very well. Whether he gave her his blessing or not, she was going to do it anyway. And it would probably be better if she did it with his permission so he could at least find a way to protect her, rather than not knowing when she was going to go and find trouble for herself.
"Give me tonight to think about it ok?" Orphen asked of his partner.
Cleao quickly nodded, knowing it was the best possible answer right now.
"Well if that's everything, then we better head off," Azalie said and stood up with a languid stretch of her slender body.
"So soon?" Hartia asked, but was quick to follow suit.
"No time like the present," Azalie replied.
"You don't want to stay the night and leave tomorrow morning?" Majic asked the two Tower of Fangs sorcerers.
"There's lots to do," Azalie replied simply.
"Be safe then," Orphen said to them both.
"Keep us updated," Hartia said, "And we will try to be back as soon as we have some new information to go by. And Cleao?"
"Hmmm?" the blonde looked up at her friend.
"Don't go doing anything stupid. I didn't back you up just so you could go and get yourself hurt, you hear me?"
Cleao grinned and Hartia smiled back.
"Do tell Mrs. Everlasting and Tistiny we said bye and thank you," Hartia added to those that were staying behind.
"Will do," Orphen confirmed.
"I guess we'll be heading off then," Hartia said to the others as he followed Azalie out of the room. They would have to pack a few belongings, but would be leaving straight after that.
"See you when you get back!" Majic called after them, watching them leave. "So what now?" the apprentice added, turning back to his group.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to go to sleep," Cleao yawned for effect, then gingerly picked up Leki so as not to wake him. The Wolven cub shifted slightly in her arms, but remained sleeping. "I'll see if I can get in touch with Cela tonight, and let you know in the morning," she added before leaving the room as well.
"Guess it's just you and me, Master," Majic grinned at Orphen.
"You're on your own kid," Orphen replied, yawning to explain his reason for leaving, "Get some rest. If it's not too busy tomorrow, maybe we can squeeze in some practice. Or you can squeeze in some study."
Majic frowned at the thought of theory work, and it wasn't long before he was left by himself – Orphen having slipped out of the room quietly. Maybe he's gone to see Cleao again, Majic contemplated as he gathered himself up, deciding to hit the sack too. Well, things didn't seem to weird between them after they came down for dinner, so it's either going really well or they've somehow managed to sweep it under the rug. Maybe I can ask Cleao tomorrow…
With a yawn of his own, Majic trudged up the stairs and headed to the guest room he was staying in. He quietly closed the door behind him and started to get ready for bed.
Cleao gently lay Leki on the bed, happy that his slumber wasn't disturbed. She went to the bathroom and started to change into her sleepwear. Having already bathed earlier, she simply slipped into a lavender cotton camisole and added a bit of extra warmth and cover by donning her white satin robe she had in her wardrobe for the warmer nights.
She wasn't so sleepy that she'd fall asleep straight away after laying in bed, so she opted for the chair by the window instead. Cleao looked out of the drawn curtains and into the darkness outside that was lit by the speckles of stars in the night sky.
You haven't been overly talkative recently, Cela, so I hope everything's ok on your end… if there is such a place… Cleao thought inwardly, wondering about the world Cela was in. Cleao had heard stories about the Heavenly Beings from Orphen and the others, but to actually be in contact with one was an entirely different matter.
I thought the Heavenly Beings despised sorcerers… Cleao was slightly confused at that part, since now it seemed that they were working together. She'd have to ask Cela about that as well, if she remembered. Hopefully she's around tomorrow, Cleao thought, wanting to know more about all the connections and more about her role in it all.
Ever since Cela had helped her release a hidden power in herself, Cleao definitely felt different. There was something stirring within her and she wanted to understand what it was and where it came from. She also still felt the slightest connection to Jeremy, and while it would hopefully be useful in tracking him or talking to him, it wasn't something she wanted to be feeling for much longer.
Thinking of Jeremy, Cleao felt a bit sad. Yes, he may have been using her to get to Orphen but she wasn't blind or a robot. She felt the care that Jeremy was willing to extend to her. She knew he had wanted her by his side, but for some reason it changed and he had tried to kill her. That was another thing she wanted to understand, and partly the reason she wanted to speak to him face to face. Was it Eran? It had to be. And if it was, then she knew that there was a chance, if only a miniscule one, that she could change Jeremy's mind.
But maybe I'm thinking too highly of myself… she thought in dismay, Why on earth would he listen to me after I went back to Orphen? She quickly switched back to being optimistic, I've got to at least try… If Orphen will let me, that is..
At the thought of Orphen, her heart skipped a beat remembering the moment they had shared earlier that day. It still felt a bit surreal that their relationship had progressed to the next level, especially since it was something she had desired for what seemed like forever.
Cleao felt contentment in her heart and that made her smile. She got up quietly and made her way to Leki, who had stretched out across her bed. She smiled lovingly at her cub and stroked his sapphire fur gently. Leki gave a deep yawn in return and he blinked his eyes open slowly, still a bit dazed after coming out of a deep sleep.
"It's ok, Leki," Cleao whispered softly to the Wolven, "You stay here tonight ok? I'm going to go see Orphen, so don't worry about me. I'll see you in the morning, so go back to sleep.."
Leki blinked at her sleepily, then curled up into a ball and went promptly back to sleep. Cleao felt relief, and hoped that Leki wasn't so groggy from sleep that her message was lost. If it was, there may be a bit of extra drama in the morning. The young blonde giggled softly to herself as she left her room and headed to another.
After he had gone upstairs when Hartia and Azalie had left, Orphen had quickly gotten ready for bed. Although he could work through situations with little sleep, exhaustion would eventually catch up with him, so he was glad to have a bit of a break and get some much needed rest. He knew that the future was not going to be filled with sunshine and rainbows – at least not anytime soon. So he was going to appreciate every little break he got, while he still had the chance.
The sorcerer was quick to fall asleep, but while it felt like he had been asleep for hours, he knew that it had probably only been about an hour since he had closed his eyes and drifted off. He had started to stir from his sleep when he heard the turn of his bedroom doorknob and the slight creak of the door as it opened slowly. Without having to be fully wake, he already knew who it was. Reluctantly, he knew what he had to do. Orphen pulled himself into an upright position and blinked at the darkness. Cleao's slender figure was silhouetted before him, though he could see the slight shine of her blonde locks in the ray of moonlight streaming into the room from his widnow.
"I thought we had fixed your sleepwalking problem…" Orphen mumbled groggily, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, readying himself to carry Cleao back to her room.
Cleao's indignant scoff was enough to wake Orphen up completely. "What makes you think I'm sleepwalking?" she asked crisply as she approached the bed.
Orphen's eyes focused immediately and he quickly scanned the room for the blue furball, "Where's Leki?"
"In my bedroom where I told him to stay."
Orphen relaxed considerably as he expelled a sigh of relief. The pup seriously caused him a lot of grief over Cleao and her sleeping habits.. and was also more than happy to comply with Cleao's wishes whenever she wanted to cause him grief just for the sake of it. "What the hell are you doing here then? Did something happen?" he asked with a bit of caution and suspicion.
Cleao stood before him now with a pout, "I can't come here just because?"
"Preferably not, if it means that I'll get blasted by your pup," Oprhen said flatly and brushed a hand through his dark hair, no longer sleepy.
Cleao sat on the bed beside him and he automatically scooted over. It was only then that he noticed what she was wearing – or what little she was wearing to be exact. Her satin robe wasn't much help either.
"I just wanted to come and be with you for a little while," Cleao replied softly and Orphen could hear the vulnerability she exposed saying those words.
He smiled to himself. Orphen was still getting used to the sudden change in their relationship, but he certainly wasn't unhappy about the new perks. For instance, in the past, whenever Cleao had come stumbling into his room during one of her numerous sleepwalking adventures, he had always had to put her back in her own bed. But this time, she could actually stay and it wouldn't be weird. Hopefully. It's not like he hadn't thought about it before, if he was being honest.
"Get under the covers before you catch a cold then," Orphen half-scolded, "And scoot over, I've got to fit in too." He laughed inwardly at how happy she was, bouncing into the bed and ducking under the covers. It was cute, though he'd never tell her that, for fear that her ego would explode.
Orphen quickly settled in beside Cleao and was amazed at how eagerly he welcomed the extra warmth that she provided. He turned to face her and pulled her close. Cleao slowly snuggled into his chest. Her hair was soft as it brushed his face and smelled of something fruity and floral – he never had been that great with the girly bath stuff Cleao loved to indulge in. But whatever it was, it smelled good.
Cleao let out a happy sigh, relishing the feeling of being enveloped in Orphen's strong arms. They felt even better than her imagination had led her to believe in the past.
"Leki won't be coming, so is it ok if I stay here tonight?" Cleao asked in a soft but hopeful voice, not moving from her spot in his arms.
Even if Leki did come, he wouldn't want Cleao to leave. So he tightened his grip around her and kissed the crown of her head gently in response to her question.
Cleao didn't think she was that sleepy – she definitely wasn't when she was in her room, so maybe it was the fact that she was so happy to just lie there and snuggle with Orphen. The warmth they shared definitely helped the feeling of sleepiness wash over her. She had actually wanted to talk about her meeting with Jeremy as well, but she couldn't form any coherent thoughts. She could just see happy colours behind her eyelids. Well, she was coherent enough to contemplate that she was either intoxicated from having too much Orphen in a way she never had before or this is what happiness felt like – at least one form of happiness. Jeremy-talk would have to wait.
"I… love you.." Cleao mumbled, sleep nearly overcoming her.
"Ditto.." Orphen whispered back, eyes already closed.
It was the bright sunlight that had woken him up the following morning. At first, he was surprised and also a little worried that he had found Cleao in his bed, half expecting to be blasted at any moment. But that moment never came. Instead, a gentle calm and contentment had settled over him as he watched the beautiful girl next to him sleeping so peacefully.
Sure he had noticed her attractiveness before, but now he could really take it in. Watching her sleep this way, she almost looked angelic. It was ironic to know how different Cleao was when she was her usual fiery and troublesome self. What amused him even more was that she was his now, and he was hers. He definitely wasn't looking for love when he started his journey to save Azalie with Majic and Cleao all those years ago. But then again, love was unpredictable. Or so he was told.
He brushed a stray golden lock of Cleao's hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear tenderly. She stirred in her sleep with a little grumble that he found endearing, and watched as her cerulean eyes opened slowly.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Orphen greeted her in quiet tones, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
A smile formed on Cleao's pink supple lips, and she buried her head into his chest. "Five more minutes…" her muffled voice trailed off.
He chuckled at that. He'd let her have a little sleep in, but then they'd both have to face the day ahead. And he knew that sometime that day, Cleao would ask him about his decision regarding her meeting Jeremy.
When Cleao had first suggested it, he was immediately against it. And he still was. But at the same time, he had to acknowledge that there was some logic behind it. Even before Jeremy had changed Cleao, he had noticed that Jeremy had a true interest in her. Orphen had seen it in the way Jeremy had started to look at her. Thinking about it now, it made Orphen angry but it also brought back the feeling of loss that he felt when Cleao had nearly been out of his reach completely.
Realistically, the only way he would be comfortable with the idea is if he was with her for that particular meeting. But he knew that that would never be the case. So the next best option is to have Hartia there, in the shadows, making sure that Cleao wasn't harmed in the process. And he would tell Cleao that today. Then he would get Hartia to come back to look after her. Since he was also going to go to Alenhatan to see Steph as soon as he could to cover more ground. He'd have to tell Cleao that later as well, and she probably wasn't going to take it too well, since he had no intention of taking her with him.
As much as he would prefer to have her by his side so he could keep an eye on her, he wanted Cleao to spend as much time with her family as she could. They were always gone for so long when they went travelling, and this time around, the danger they were facing was too great to ignore. All he was going to do was update Steph, see if she could get any more information and then come back straight away to be with Cleao.
Feeling his resolve strengthen, he was about to wake up the sleeping blonde but was interrupted abruptly by the loud and incessant banging on his bedroom door. And a distressed Mariabella was on the other side.
"Orphen!" Mariabella exclaimed, the panic in her voice clear as her voice rose reaching an unnaturally high pitch, "Orphen, I'm coming in! Cleao's missing!"
The sorcerer didn't have time to react when his door burst open, and the older blonde of the two siblings stumbled in, worry written all over her face. He pushed himself up onto one elbow so that he wasn't lying flat anymore and looked at Cleao's sister.
"I went to wake her up, but she wasn't there! And no one's seen where she is," Mariabella continued in a hurry, tears in her eyes, "We have to go find her! What if she's in danger?!"
Orphen could feel the awkwardness of the situation start to weigh over him, but he was also relieved that Leki hadn't turned up to blame him for the distraught blonde in front of him. He was surprised that Mariabella hadn't noticed the sleeping bundle under his covers, and was even more surprised that all the yelling hadn't woken up Cleao. But he had a sneaking suspicion that Cleao was actually awake and was just making him suffer by not showing herself.
Confusion briefly crossed Mariabella's face as she wondered why Orphen wasn't reacting the way she had expected him to. And the Gifted One took that as his cue to resolve the issue.
"It's ok, your sister is here," he told her reassuringly, and then jabbed the form under the blanket with a pointed finger.
"Ow!" Cleao exclaimed as she bolted upright, her blue eyes clear as day and a petulant pout upon her face. "What was that for?"
"For not answering your sister when she came in looking for you," Orphen replied dryly and sat up against the headboard of the bed. Cleao had a mischievous smirk on her face.
"D-don't make me worry like that, Cleao," Mariabella reprimanded with a flushed face, feeling slightly embarrassed to see her little sister in bed with a man – a man she used to have a crush on, no less – and in such bare clothing too. "And don't let mother catch you, unless you want to explain to her when your wedding is."
It was true, their mother was a bit of a stickler for the old fashioned ways, but Cleao couldn't help but think Mariabella's reaction was hilarious, so all she did was poke her tongue out in reply. And her older sister smiled at that, as if to say she was happy that the two of them were finally together. Cleao grinned brightly and Orphen shook his head at the exchange, wondering what he had gotten himself into.
A second later, Mariabella was taking her leave and was slowly closing the door behind her, muttering to herself about how Leki's lack of concern suddenly made sense. The door closed and left the couple alone once more.
Orphen stretched himself back out onto the bed, happy to have their privacy again. "I wanted to talk to you, Cleao.." he trailed off, not sure which part of his plan to start with.
Cleao blinked her bright azure eyes at him expectantly as she gazed down at him from where she sat.
Orphen's eyes wandered down to Cleao's neck, then shoulders, where the strap of her camisole had fallen down. Her creamy skin was as perfect as ivory and all he could think of was pulling her to him. But he cleared his throat instead to try and disperse his distraction. "I understand why you want to speak to Jeremy," he continued, looking back into her eyes, "And I know that if I said no, you'd go and do it anyway."
Cleao half-smirked, knowing that it was true. She couldn't help being wired to be stubborn!
"So I've thought about it, and I'd prefer that you take Hartia with you. He can cloak himself in the shadows, so I at least know you have some form of protection in case things do go bad," Orphen finished, then watched for any sign of a disagreement on her part.
Cleao let that stew in her mind for a minute as she lay herself back down to join Orphen in bed, then decided to herself that she was getting a pretty good deal. And in this particular case, she would rather have Orphen's blessing than having to go and do things behind his back.
"Ok," she accepted his terms graciously, and smiled at him for emphasis.
"'Ok'?" Orphen's eyes narrowed suspiciously, wary that she might be up to something, which wouldn't be a surprise.
"Yep," Cleao confirmed brightly, "I know this is important to you. It's important to me too. So I don't want to screw anything up."
"That would be a first," Orphen teased with feigned astonishment.
Cleao's brows furrowed as she frowned to show her displeasure at such a comment, but her smile quickly returned – she was just too happy that she got to spend the night with Orphen, trouble free.
"There's one more thing," Orphen ventured uncertainly. He may have gotten through one obstacle, but this next one was just that little bit harder.
"Shoot," Cleao said encouragingly, and tied her golden locks up into a loose ponytail, using the hair tie she had around her wrist.
"I'm going to contact Hartia today to see how soon he can come back. And once he's here, I'm going to go visit Steph to give her an update and see if she can help with anything."
"And you want me to stay here while you're gone?" Cleao guessed the rest herself, which wasn't overly hard judging by the worried look on Orphen had adopted – as if Cleao was about to explode while they lay there face to face.
"I don't like that idea, but I'll deal," Cleao told him honestly, "You were generous enough with my idea, so I'm going to be mature and let you go to Alenhatan without making a fuss."
At this, Orphen cracked a smile and ruffled Cleao's golden hair with his rugged hand, messing up the ponytail she had done earlier, but she didn't care.
"Good girl," he murmured as his hand slid down to cup the side of her face. She saw the love he had for her in his smoldering auburn eyes and her heart swelled.
Orphen leaned in closer and Cleao could have sworn that her heart had stopped completely for a few seconds. His soft lips gently met hers in a chaste kiss and the world seemed to melt away. Cleao pulled herself closer to him, feeling the lust inside her build up as the passion they both felt deepened their kiss. She knew that if things continued the way they were going, their relationship would be heading into some serious territory. And as much as her heart and body craved that physical and emotional connection, she also felt that now wasn't the best time. Not with everything going on. So she pulled away for air.
She was a bit surprised that Orphen seemed disgruntled at the interruption, but she was ecstatic to know that he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.
"…After we get through this," Cleao breathed out as she got herself in check, and she was glad that Orphen had understood what she had meant.
"You're right," he agreed. Cleao wasn't like any of the other women he had been with in the past. When he woke up the next morning, he wanted to wake up next to her. So after they had dealt with Eran and Jeremy, then they could have all the time in the world for just the two of them. But for now, they were both just going to have to enjoy the little moments they shared together.
That was the plan at least.
Author's Note: Please R&R. I appreciate the feedback and would like to hear from you :) Thanks!