Chapter 1.31: Mind Reader

The following week was unnerving for the teenager. She sat in her father's library with a book in hand, but she couldn't focus. All the girl could think about was her subtle control over the blonde. Ezekiel treated her like normal in public. He teased her when they trained and acted holier than thou at times. But when they were alone, it was like a switch went off and he acted so subservient. He would stop thinking, even breathing, until she panicked and hurried to command him to. Leila knew she should be guilty of what she did.

She knew that she should feel like crap for taking away someone's free will. But she always found a way to rationalize that it was a sacrifice she had to make. If she had let Ezekiel tell her father his worries about her revenge quest, a wrench would be thrown into her plans. The teenager needed the man to stay alive for his money and resources. If he found out she was unstable, he'd be wary of agreeing to her trips and training. For her safety, she had to shut the blonde up one way or another.

Thankfully, nobody noticed his change in personality. His men came and apologized to her the day after. They claimed Ezekiel chewed them out for assuming they had some prior relationship. They gave her endless excuses, explaining that a maid had been spreading rumors about her. The teen knew who the maid was but played dumb. She put on her crocodile tears and asked them to show her the maid in question. This led to Seanna being slapped by Cleo's mother, who was also sick of her.

The girl had been teetering on being fired for weeks now. Whenever she saw her, she was sporting new jewelry or makeup. Something that wasn't unfit for a woman but unfit for a maid. This made it harder for her to work and turned the older staff against her. By the time Cleo's mother got involved, Seanna's only allies were a group of younger girls. The four had been hired within a week after the banquet fresh out of school. They treated Seanna like an older sister and Leila caught them picking up her slack often. She almost felt bad for them.

After the slap, Seanna acted like a dutiful servant. But the teenager could see the hate in her eyes whenever she was near. That day, when Leila was trying on dresses, hung heavy in her mind. The teenager didn't blame her, she would feel the same. However, she could quit at any time and be hired by another noble family in need of staff. In her desperate attempts to spite the teenager, she was dragging down the other maids with her. That was something the noblewoman had no sympathy for.

'God.' The teenager slammed the book she was reading shut and leaned back. Her brain was overloaded with everything that was going on.

Leila knew that she'd had to start training her magic in private with Ezekiel. The control she had over him was very weak compared to what it could be. She was inexperienced and to any purple magic user, it would be obvious. If she wanted to continue controlling his mind without suspicion, she had to practice. The man was draining her energy with whatever he was doing today. She had even gotten a nosebleed earlier that morning from the headache she had. It felt like someone was banging a solid iron hammer repeatedly in her skull.

If she became stronger, the nosebleeds would stop. She crossed her legs and wondered what was going on in the blonde's head. There had to be a part of him that knew something was different. The book said it was like a compulsion. You felt like a bond had developed with the magic user overnight. Some thought of it as an abusive relationship. Others stated it was a drug addiction that affected your mind instead of your body. Either way, the user would be unhealthy long term. And she had no plans to damage her health any further.

"Sister," The voice may be hoarse, but she could recognize it anywhere. She set her book aside as the voice's owner walked closer. "You haven't come into my room recently."

Standing before her was Alek, who she hadn't spoken to properly in weeks. Wool night pants hung loosely around his waist as they faced each other. He looked sickly with enormous bags under his eyes and his muscles have disappeared. The man had become a walking skeleton of how severe the torture had been. The teenager wondered if his addiction was also doing damage. Whatever he was taking was harming him, and it surprised her to feel guilty.

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Instead, she gave him a worried glance as she responded. While she intended for him to suffer for his crimes, this was hard to witness. She reached out to touch him. To her confusion, he stayed still and allowed her to prod at his skin. This set off alarm bells in her mind. She should disgust him. But he was just so out of it that nothing mattered. She felt herself become nauseated from how skinny he was. It didn't take much for her to wrap her entire hand around his arm. He watched her passively with glazed eyes and a few body shakes.

Leila struggled to collect herself as she moved back. She held her hand on her chest while talking. "Big brother…what did she do to you? Why are you skinny? Why do you sound so off?" A million questions flew out as she tried to take it all in.

The man shrugged and sat down at their feet. He bit his cracked lips before talking. "You're wearing new clothes. They look expensive."

Her eyes darkened, and she let out a tiny sigh as he drifted. The teenager was annoyed that he ignored her questioning but pushed her feelings aside. By how his voice sounded like he was still high. She'd rather talk with him while he was slurring instead of arguing pointlessly. The green-eyed woman doubted he would even remember their conversation the next morning.

She nodded her head. "I had one of the maids bring me some catalogs. Up in the mountains, they've started to make beautiful pieces like this." Leila had been floored by how cheap mink and fox fur were.

Alek nodded, and she noticed he was drooling. The guilt that had manifested earlier grew. While the man was a coward who deserved to suffer, this just made her feel wrong. Part of her wanted to march up to her mother's room and demand to know what she gave him. But the smarter part knew the answer wouldn't matter, the damage was done. And maybe he was better this way. She could help him get out of this hole while earning his loyalty. Slowly, she lifted a hand and wiped at his lower mouth.

His spit darkened the white sleeve of her top and made it soaking wet. The softness of the material was like cold water hitting the man's hot skin. Alek had a really terrible fever. As she rolled up her sleeve to get the crust from the side of his mouth, he trembled. The teenager wondered if any of the maids had been allowed to help care for him. She doubted any would want to be near him, after the image she created of the man. This made her feel accomplished in a way. She knew if word got out she lied, there would be hell to pay.

But the outcome was worth it. She even felt guilty seeing how badly he had been punished. The man’s body had been broken, and she knew if she observed him long enough, she would see his mind was too. Leila moved her hand back and thought about what to do now. If she acted too blatant with her desires, the man might lash out. Or one of those nosy new maids might eavesdrop. And she knew that gossip would be a headache to dissolve. Looking at his slack-jawed state, she decided to play her cards carefully.

“Alek, come with me, and I’ll take care of you,” Leila said as she grabbed his hands and held them to her chest. There were large calluses and scabs on his knuckles that weren’t there before. She brushed her nails against the biggest ones and he winced. “You can rest in my room and I’ll go talk to mother.”

“Don’t.” Alek’s voice was desperate as he slurred.

The teenager felt a sick sense of pride at his lost expression. All it took was some familial torture and bloodshed to make him fall. Still, she was going to put a stop to it before he became a junkie. “Mother won’t lay a hand on me. Sure, she’ll be mad that I interfered, but she has other people to worry about.”

Alek's glazed eyes crinkled as he continued to protest. "But…" He was unable to finish, as Leila gave him a look. It was soft but dominant.

Her grip on his hands tightened to a point that she was sure his wounds would reopen. But she didn't care. She needed the man to pay attention. If he kept stumbling over his words, she'd snap. His condition was worse than anticipated. The teenager planned to start an impromptu detox soon. All she had to do was convince Cleo's mother to allow her. If Alek had any chance of going back to being a depressed and neglected mercenary, he had to enter recovery. And it had to be sooner than later.

"Alek," She looked deeply into his eyes with a determined glare. The man was so close to just slipping into his drugged fog. "Just say yes."

Carefully, he looked around before talking. "I'll go with you. Just don't tell her yet." She could tell from his skittish behavior he was grateful.

Not wanting to risk him changing his mind, she grinned and nodded her head. "I won't say a word. We'll do everything under her nose." The teenager was lying, but he didn't need to know.