With the man behind me, I bent forwards and threw the him.

Someone else come from behind me and I elbowed him, kicking him in the area. Since the lights were off, it was hard for me to find anything that I could use as a weapon. I couldn't even decipher how many were they.

Just as I am about to move, my world almost stops as someone stabs knife in my arm and threw me away. Before a scream can escape my mouth, someone stuffed fabric in my mouth. I yelp in pain as they move my arm and tie them with a rope. My previous wound had not been completely healed yet and now this.

I try to move up but they throw me back against the wall again. I yell and scream but they all are muffled due to the fabric. I hear some shuffles and the opening and closing of drawers.

I push myself up to stand. I blink away the tears that pain brought. What is happening?

Just as I try to move to the door, I am pushed back again, this time, I am held back by a man. 'Stay bitch.' He hissed.

I wail as his nail dig right in my wound. I bring my head back and hit him. As he losses his balance, I kick him in his stomach.

The door opens and Leo, holding his laptop, comes inside. 'Elsa, I was thinking— what the fuck?' Without thinking, he reached for the man who was surfing through my drawers. He punched the man and directed the man's gun to his head and fired.

Before Leo can get to the man holding me back, he jumps out of the window.

Leo ran to the widow and looks down. 'Who were they—oh shit! Elsa!' As he ran for me, he turned the lights on while I fall on the ground. 'What happened?' He kneeled beside me, helping me sit.

He untied the rope and took the fabric out of my mouth. My hands instantly shot up to my wound as I panted.

Leo, taking his shirt off, wrapped it around my wound. 'Come on,' he picked me up in bridal style. 'Let's go to hospital.'

***

I close the bathroom door behind me only to find Leo, laying on my couch, with his legs on the handle. 'What are you doing here?'

Leo looked up from his phone. 'How are you now?'

'Much better.' I sit on the bed. 'You didn't answer my question.'

'I was just here to check up on you.' He scratched the back of his neck as he sat.

'You are the seventh person to check up on me in one hour.' I tell him. 'I mean like, geez, chill. We are agents. These things happen besides, it's been five days.'

'Yeah but still,' he ran his hand through his hair, 'How did they get in here in the first place?'

'Marie.' I told him. 'She must've sent them.'

Leo rolled his eyes. 'Come on Elsa. We need to think logically.'

'What? Do you think it's not logical enough? Just think about it,' I threw my hands in the air, 'who else can know about our door passwords?'

Leo shook his head. 'I don't know but I am sure as hell she was not the one.'

'Why don't you believe me?' I asked, frustrated.

'Because she can't do it.'

'Why can't she? She must've wanted the ring Dad left for me and she sent the men.'

'Listen to you,' Leo raised his voice. 'this is your mom you are talking about.'

'Leo,' I stood up from the bed and sat with him on the couch, 'believe me. I saw her when I was kidnapped. I am deadly sure she's the one who kidnapped me.'

'And why would she do this? Huh?'

'The ring!' I exclaimed. 'She wants the ring.'

'Elsa,' Leo turned his neck to look at me, 'I have known her my whole life. She can't do this. Never.'

'Okay then! Don't believe me! I will soon prove it to you whatever I am saying is correct.'

'Listen, I know you have hated her but she is your mother.' Leo twisted to look at me. 'She loves you.' Just as he said those words, my stomach churned. Part of me wanted to believe it but, part of me still thought it was my own mother. She left me, how could I love her?

'Bullshit.' Now it was my turn to say this as I stood up.

Leo sighed. 'Stop thinking about it. We'll find out soon who did that.' He said as he left the room.

I spent the rest of the day figuring out what happened. Dr. Madison rung me up in the afternoon informing me that she has analysed the diagrams of the brain I had sent her and according to her, it was made for artificial intelligence. Someone planning on to build an army of robots with much advanced AI.

At the very second, I knew who she was talking about. From Hades' headquarter, I understood he would only use robots.

'Yo! Elsa!' The door of my room opened, revealing an excited Austin.

'What?'

'We're going to a club. Wanna join in?' I raised my eyebrows. Club? We are not allowed to go to clubs.

'Are you nuts? Marie would kill us.'

'Yeah, she would if she'd find out.' Austin wiggled his eyebrows. 'Come on, let's go. Everyone has agreed to.'

I narrowed my eyes in slits as, without even considering, I said, 'Alright! I'll be down soon.'

Austin smiled widely. 'I knew you won't disappoint me! We'll be leaning in ten. Get ready.'

'Okay.' He closed the door behind.

I sat on the bed as if to reconsider what I just agreed to. But when I really thought about it, it was nothing to worry about. Not that I really cared about Marie's rules.

I walked to the closet to see what I had. Instead of black jackets and shirts and pants, I had nothing else. For just a moment, I thought about borrowing something from Chloe but then as I thought about it, I gagged.

I took my newest black t-shirt out and my black pants. After wearing them, I stared into the mirror.

I looked dead.

My bags draped around my eyes and my face paled. My blond hair were a complete mess. Since my left arm was injured, I did it know if I could do much with my hair.

So I, working with only my right arm, pinned a section of my hair to give an edgy look. Then I ruffled the other part of my hair to give them volume. Well, it looked okay.

Digging deep in the closet to find a make up bag, I found copper long shoes instead. I applied my makeup consisting of a sharp eyeliner and a little blush and dark purple lipstick.

I wanted to look edgy and when I glanced in the mirror again, I certainly did. Wearing my copper shoes, I hid a knife in the boots and walked downstairs.

Jake was the first one to notice me. 'God, dammit, Elsa! You look like you're on fire!'

I smiled at him. 'Thanks.' Listening to Jake's remark, Leo, who was sitting on the couch using his mobile, lifted his eyes up to me.

'Ah! Finally, you look like a girl.' Dave remarked but I waited for Leo to say something but he didn't.

Soon, everyone who saw me, complimented either my hair or my outfit as we sat in the cars the twins had rented. We couldn't use our own as they had trackers on them. 

After ten minutes, we were outside the club.

I bit my lip as adrenaline rushed through my body. It was my first time and surely, I won't regret it. The twins managed to get us in by showing the fake id's.

I walked in between Leo and Jake. The music pulled through the walls and the lights flashed through the room. My body was into the mood as I began tapping my feet.

'Careful for your arm.' Leo whispered in my ear. Try twins arrived and handed us drinks.

'LET THE PARTY BEGIN!' They yelled as we cheered and sipped the alcohols. The bitter taste on my tongue almost shook me but I drank it nevertheless.

Just as I drank alcohol, I felt more lively and more brave.  I threw my right arm up in the air and swayed my hips. At this time, I didn't care about the world, about our mission, Hades, my kidnapping, mom or even Leo. I was free like a bird who tasted the fresh air after many long nights.

I jerked my head side ways, sending my hair in the air.

'Hey beautiful,' a boy came in front of me as he danced.

'Hey, handsome.' I flirted as I saw Leo's eyes flick up to mine.

'You're really hot.' His fingers caressed my cheeks and might I say, I was disgusted but I was too happy to punch him.

'Elsa,' I tried to bite back my smile as Leo shoulder last the boy. He grabbed my hand and dragged me away from him.

'What? Let me dance.'

'You weren't just dancing nor was he.'

Leo pulled me to him to save me from a girl who almost got crashed in my injured arm. 'Urgh, Leo.' I pulled away from him. 'Stop being a mother. Just let me enjoy.'

'Yeah, go but be careful.'

'Why do you care?'

'Hey Princess,' Before I could argue further, Jake came by my side and outstretched his hand, handing me a beer. 'What're you doing here? Let's go dance.'

I drank the alcohol and throat burned. 'Yo, babe. Enjoying?' Stephen who was clearly drunk, grinned at me before he disappeared again. I cleared my throat. 'I'm coming.' I said as I jerked my hand off Leo's grip as I walked with Jake.

He smiled as he held my hand and we swayed however we liked, ignoring the smell of sweat and people bumping into me. Jake took my hand and made me roll like a yo-yo under his arm while I laughed.

I glanced back to see Leo, leaning against the bar, staring daggers at us. 'What do you think is wrong with him?' I asked Jake.

'Who? Leo?'

'Yeah, he looks ...' I trailed off as I almost lost my balance. 'he is so grumpy.'

Jake laughed. 'He sure is. While you are so sweet.'

'I'm not sweet. God, I am anything but sweet. You are sweet.' I blinked twice to see if he is Jake. 'You are really sweet. You call me princess.'

Jake's face broke into a smile. 'Because you are my princess.'

'Really?'

'Yeah.'

'Then what am I to Leo?'

Jake let go of my grip on my hand. 'I don't know.' I swayed my hips and almost tripped as I lost my balance again. The world spun before me that I blinked further.

'Am I nothing to Leo?' I told to no one as Jake was nowhere in sight. What is happening? I tapped Jake's shoulder. 'Here you are. I thought I lost you.'

He turned around and I withdrew as I noticed he was not Jake. 'Hey, sexy.' He placed his hand on my waist but I slapped it away. 

I took steps back to be away from him but winced in pain as someone bumped into my injured shoulder. I immediately held it and was to walk away when the man whom I assumed Jake came towards me again. 'You are too young to be here.'

Just as he reached out for me, I am pulled back. Relief draws upon me as I see Leo's face. 'It's time to go back home.'

He said as he dragged me out of the club. 'Leo,' I tried to stop him. 'Leo, you're hurting me.'

He stopped abruptly as he turned around to face me. 'I told you to be careful.'

'I was.'

'Yeah,' he let go of my arm and I instantly stumbled that he had to hold my hand again to balance me. 'I can see that.'

'Stop it.' I said. I blinked twice to clear my vision of Leo's face but it all got blurry. 'Can we go home later?'

'Why?'

'I don't know. I don't want to go back to my cruel mom and grumpy Leo.'

'Excuse me? Grumpy?'

'Yeah. I told Jake that you are grumpy and even he agreed.'

Leo rolled his eyes. 'Can you walk?'

'Do you think you are not grumpy?'

'No.' He said sternly.

'See? You are grumpy.'

Leo rolled his eyes once more before he slid his hand under my legs and my back to pick me up in bridal style. 'If you behave well, I might not be too grumpy.'

'You still would be. Even you say the word "grumpy" grumpily.'

Leo deadpanned. 'Don't drink again.'

He placed me on the passenger seat and leaned down to buckle me up. His cologne enter my nostrils and I was dizzy again. He went around his car and sat on the driving seat.

The drive was silent as he didn't say anything nor did I. When the home arrived, he put in the password of the door and picked me up from the seat.

'I can walk.' I told him.

'But I can't wait for thousand years to finally make to your room.' He climbed upstairs and entering my room, gently laid me down on my bed.

He took my shoes off and my jacket as he drew the covers on me. Just as he was to go away, I held his hand. For some odd reason, I wanted him to stay. 'Stay.'

'Go to sleep.'

He jerked his hand off my grip and my stomach churned. Leo was about to leave the room when I said, 'You know what Jake said?'

He turned around. 'What?'

'That I am his princess.'

'So?'

'What am I to you?' He was taken aback by my comment.

'Why are you asking this?'

'I just want to know.'

'You are my partner.'

'Just partner?'

His adam's apples bobbed up and down. He was nervous. 'Just partner?'

'Yes.'

'Okay.' I said as I changed my position that my back faced Leo. Even though e didn't say anything much to me, his words stung. For once, I thought that if he is caring for me then, maybe, he, well, likes me but I was wrong. All wrong.

I heard footsteps drawing closer to me. I instantly rolled back to see Leo's face inches away from mine. 'You wanna know what you are to me?'

I nodded. 'If it is not bad, then, yes.'

'You are my Riff.' He named me. 'Isn't that enough?'

I heard the name and groaned. I turned away from him. Couldn't he come up with a good name?

My heart wavered as Leo planted a soft kiss on my temple. 'Now, go to sleep.'

***

If you liked the chapter then please vote and comment.

Also, I am writing The Glass Oath these days. You are welcome to read it.