Freedom (-open-)

[Adara Snow]

Her skin seemed warmer somehow, and though she was unaware, her blush deepened at his compliment. "Thank you," she said, looking back up at him. Her hand disappeared beneath her cloak, fingers twisting lightly into the side of her robes. She could still feel the places where his mouth had touched her, and it was unnerving, though she wouldn't give the sensation up just yet.

[Emilian Sota]

"You're very much welcome," Emilian said, and couldn't resist touching her cheek. "Do they do that often?" he teased. He was purposefully being more reserved than he normally was, mostly in an effort to prove to her that Ryan was wrong and that he was right, but also to keep to the deal. Once the God-forsaken week was over and she trusted him, he could do whatever he pleased.

[Adara Snow]

"Do what?" Adara asked, only a moment passing before she made the connection and her cheeks flared, a striking contrast of rose against her pale skin. Her free hand rose, a halfhearted attempt to cover the evidence. "Not really," she confessed, almost immediately realizing how that must sound. She was sure by now that it must be obvious what she had been thinking.

[Emilian Sota]

Emilian smiled at her, "It definitely adds...something to you." He wanted to push farther, but he couldn't, just couldn't. It had only been a day, he could last longer than a day, at least, he knew he could. He pulled his hand away from her and shoved it in his pocket.

[Adara Snow]

"Thank you," she said again. "Are your hands cold?" She had noticed that he tended to keep them hidden away, and it was chilly out, not to mention the icy breeze which swept in now and then from the lake. "I have gloves if you'd like." They were small, but that could easily be remedied with a flick of the wand. Adara reached beneath her cloak and pulled out tiny black suede gloves lined in some silken fur and offered them to him.

[Ryan Magby]

Ryan sighed and decided it was time to leave, but he would do one more thing before he left. He stood up and pointed his wand to the sky above the lake and shot red sparks that formed a sentece. It read:

"Savannah, Pandora, and Storm.... Do not let yourself be the next one on the list."

The words flew into the air not to far away from Adara to where she was facing the words. As they hit the sky Ryan sighed and turned and walked away.

[Emilian Sota]

"No, thank you. I'm fine." Not to mention that his hands were naturally cold. Emilian didn't want to take them, he figured he'd probably keep them locked away in his drawer and she'd never see them again. He had always been bad to keep little mementos.

[Adara Snow]

Adara's attention shifted away from Emilian as she caught sight of Ryan's message. She still wasn't entirely sure what he meant, what he was warning her about. "Who are those girls?" she asked. "Savannah, Pandora, and Storm." She read the names almost absently, then turned her gaze fully onto Emilian, sure that no one could tell a lie to another person's face without showing some trace of guilt.

[Emilian Sota]

Emilian turned his head and rolled his eyes before turning back to her. "Savannah's his ex, the other two are close friends of mine," he said, emphasizing close, but not planning on telling her what kind of close they were. Not planning on really telling her anything other than what was absolutely necessary. That had been a low shot by Ryan.

[Adara Snow]

"Oh." This didn't seem to clear things up at all, regarding Ryan. But it was nice to hear that Emilian had friends. If he had other friends, then perhaps it was unlikely that he was any of the things Ryan had said. She dismissed the words that Ryan had left behind. They were only a reminder of the terrible confusion he had brought today. She didn't want to lose his friendship, and the only way to do that now would be to look past his words. "I don't see why Ryan doesn't like you," Adara confessed. She felt incredibly bold looking up at Emilian as she spoke.

[Emilian Sota]

Ah yes, those were the magic words. Emilian shrugged, "He's not liked me since the day I arrived." Now he just had to try and wait out the rest of the week. If she met up with the right people he was screwed. He would just have to try and keep away from her for the week and yet keep her from everyone else, so that he still had a chance. This was getting very confusing. His eyes glassed over slightly as he tried to work it out.

[Adara Snow]

Adara saw the way that Emilian's eyes had faded from her, and easily misinterpreted things. "Are you all right?" She shifted closer to him, reaching out to rest her hand on his arm, to draw his attention back. "Can I help?" He was obviously quite affected by all that had happened between himself and Ryan.

[Emilian Sota]

Emilian looked back at her, forcing himself to focus again. "I'm fine, I just have to go." He took her hand from his shoulder and kissed her knuckles again, slight compensation for not being able to pursue what he wanted. "It's been a pleasure," he said, looking into her eyes. The words were meant to be about their conversation, not about his and Ryan's.

[Adara Snow]

Adara smiled, despite the tension she had felt in the air. It had filtered into her blood, triggered by the brush of his lips on her skin. Don't think such things, she reminded herself firmly. And yet, "I look forward to seeing you again," she couldn't help responding anyway, just a little.

[Emilian Sota]

"As do I," Emilian said with a smile before turning to walk back up to the castle. For her benefit, and for the benefit of maintaining her trust, he looked back at her as he walked, flashing another grin before heading to the castle. He was going to find Ryan. The second he had turned from her, his entire expression had darkened.