"My lady." 

Zeidan opened the door on the other side of the black car in the compound and stretched his arm as if he was a chauffeur. Lyne bit back a smile as she placed her hand in his and stepped into the vehicle. She was dressed in a blue t-shirt and jeans with boot heels. A typical dress of a city girl and a black leather jacket over the t-shirt. Her hair was brushed and a few strands were braided on each side of her face. She dotted her face with light makeup. 

Zeidan walked into the driver's seat, also dressed the same way, except he wore an expensive Italian pair of shoes. He always had good tastes when it comes to dressing up and she noticed that about him. She mostly envied his sense of fashion especially when she looked into his rack of clothes. They were always dresses bought from a designer's company. 

In truth, she isn't at all feeling intimidated but she always wondered what fascinated him about her when she was just a boring young adult. Even so, it was comforting to know that he still loved her and she was grateful that he loved her when she was her real self. Lyne pulled her jacket tighter around her as he started the engine of the black expensive Audi E-Tron. The sharp smell of after-shave and cologne hung heavily in the air. It was, if possible as if Zeidan sat right close to her nostrils. 

They drove on in silence and Lyne enjoyed watching him drive. His strong hand gripped the steering wheel and his stern face focused on the road made him look sexy. She bit her lips as she remembered how he had grabbed her waist in the washroom with those powerful hands. She was smiling to herself.

"Keep doing that and I'll have no choice than to lay you bare in this car and act sweet."

She looked away immediately, blushing hard. He laughed hard at her innocence. 

"Embarrassed?" He called at her, glancing at her for a short while as she stared out the side window.

"Well, of course, a little bit. I am pleased that you knew what I was thinking even though you don't have your telepathy powers anymore." Lyne's voice held both regret and satisfaction. She was happy that they could connect and she wondered if this was because they had known each other. He had known how to ignite the fire within her and toy with it. He knew how to make her feel loved and wanted but could she say the same for him?

Well, she had saved his life. That was something at least.

"I must admit, not having my powers feels a bit odd. I have never been without them so I don't know what it's like not to have them." They passed by tall trees that covered the sun that was high in the clouds, spreading out the shadows on the road in the middle of the forest. 

He pressed the radio and switched to music where he played hold me while you wait by Lewis Capaldi. Lyne leaned her head against the window panes as she watched the trees move past them or they moved past the trees.

"But I made you lose them the moment I came into your life." Lyne speculated, her heart sinking as she thought about it. "Everywhere I go, I take bad luck along with me."

"Stop it, Lyne." Zeidan placed his warm powerful hand on hers, his eyes still on the road.

"Very well." Her tone was a bit sharper than she had intended. It wasn't his fault that she was born with bad luck. She had in fact affected him with it. It annoyed her knowing that there was nothing she could do about it. "I'm sorry. I just can't seem to get it past my mind."

The car pulled to a stop on the line quiet road and the only thing she could hear apart from the birds chirping and the soft whooshing of the branches by the wind is his heartbeat. Weird. She thought. 

"Look," Zeidan turned to face her. "I don't mind if losing my powers will make you still stay with me or stay strong. As long as you're happy having those powers. You deserve it. I mean, you have stood for what is right even before your powers."

Lyne looked up at him, her eyes hopeful.

"You think I've been right about Wikh?"

"Kind of. I'm not fully convinced but knowing you will never lie and I trust you not to make mistakes, maybe Wikh is innocent."

She didn't know when she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him fully in the mouth. Zeidan pressed her head so he could return her kiss. When they were done, Lyne looked into his eyes, her heart fluttered and her stomach tingled. Did she deserve this man's love? Maybe not. But he still showed her regardless.

"Thank you." She muttered and he smiled down at her before facing the steer wheel and starting the engine again. 

"Let's head for the city."

"Are you certain the new pharmacist will be willing to tell us anything?" Lyne inquired as they reached the gate that indicated they were heading out of Vampire city. 

"Maybe. Maybe not. But I am full of hope right now because you are my hope."

Lyne tried to smile but her brows furrowed as her memories flashed back to when she was a kid. She'd overheard her father yelling at Azrael about someone joining the army and he told him.

"I can't let her because she is my only hope."

She couldn't lay a finger on who he had talked about but now that Zeidan had said the same thing, she wondered if he referred to her.

"Are you okay?"

Zeidan asked and she nodded. They turned into a road where people were going and coming. It was loud and there was hustling and bustling on the road. People were shouting and she could see kids licking rigid milk that stood on a cone, melting on their hands. She stared at them for so long that Zeidan was forced to park nearby.

"You hungry?" He nodded towards a short bald man who was selling the ice cream by the side of the road. He ran towards them with enthusiasm and she guessed it must be because of their car. He must be very happy to sell to such rich people. 

"What's that?" She asked when two cones of ice cream were handed to them. 

"Ice cream." She took a bite and she fell in love with it.

"Mmh. Tastes better than milk."