Dark Autumn's

20. A Refuge

The cold atmosphere again greeted the surface of Lea's skin as it returned to Woody Hill. The Val family home that Lea currently lives in is the final stopover.

Along the way in the hallway of the house, somehow Lea's feelings turned uncomfortable. Because the wind coming from behind the window that was still open felt very cold, as if something was following in its footsteps.

Lea stopped just as the cold wind slapped her face and body. Invisible, but it feels very painful and causes pain in some joints.

"Who are you?" muttered Lea while squeezing the right upper arm with the left palm, talking to something she believed was following her.

There is no answer or any reply, just rustling leaves from outside that still spread dim and make Lea's guts shrink. Because, basically, Lea is not a brave girl.

Lea smiled obliquely. A little thought of Val's story a while ago. When they were in Savannah. "Henny? Are you that?"

Suddenly, Lea's shoulder was pushed hard until it fell on the floor of a large, cold and quiet building Val's house. Nibbling because you feel a little pain in the tailbone which suddenly has to concentrate the upper part of his body.

"How did you know it was me?" replied Henny who had appeared in front of Lea. His face still remains the same— flat full of hate.

Looking up, Lea ventured to brazen her hazel with Henny's red eye.

"Who else would want to hurt me? If you're not the only one who can do that to me!" sarcasm Lea tried to erode the fear that he held half to death.

The flaming red dress Henny wore also shook the floor as the master brought a step closer to Lea.

Val... Pleases... Come, I'm afraid...

Lea brought herself backwards according to Henny's number of steps. The woman laughed wryly, no, rather laughed with a domineering killing aura. Lea knew and was well aware that at this time, Henny could have killed his life which was just an ordinary human in one snap of a finger. Lea would never have been able to escape.

However, suddenly a sign similar to the Rose flower on their bodies each shimmered. Lea paused, while Henny simply turned her gaze towards the right shoulder. Val stood behind Lea, cupped Lea's trembling shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"You okay?" val asked while distancing Lea's body and checking Lea's condition

A vague nod to Lea channeled a sigh of relief into Val's mind, grateful that Henny had not and had not done anything to Lea. Grabbing a mark on Lea's wrist and touching it slowly until the luminescence dims and the pain slowly fades, until it disappears completely.

Henny, don't ask her what she looks like when she sees that. His eyes even radiated a red color—lad anger.

"Henny, please don't bother Lea!" pinta Val with the low voice she had.

"Why? Are you in love with this woman? Vallen, I reiterate once again to you, he is only a redeemer! If you're feeling each other, don't expect me to just be quiet!"

Val sharpens his gaze on the figure of Henny who still stands arrogantly before himself and Lea.

"You haven't forgotten what I did to Abel, have you?"

Mandadak, the sound of the wind outside the house is heard increasingly noisy. Even a rumble also arose when Val began to tighten his jaw.

"You angry?" lea asked inductive manner, followed by a sharp grin on her lips. "You should know who you are, or you want me to tell this woman who you are, and who I am!"

The bluff Henny uttered was able to make Val temper his anger. She doesn't want Lea to hear anything about them, Val doesn't want to hurt Lea.

"You don't have to say it!" reply Val firmly with bead staring blank—Hampa. Leah can see that. "Leave us, let me handle this myself!"

Henny stood up, smiled sharply and horribly then disappeared as fast as the wind. Leaving Val staring straight as far as the hallway of the building, and Lea assuming that it was raging inside her brain cells.

Val looked down, looking back at Lea with a sad and worried look. Flipping the fallen mane covered part of Lea's pretty face to the back of the ear, pinning a soothing smile then rubbing Lea's entire body in a sling.

Lea's arms swerved and reflexively draped her arms around Val's burly neck. "Tu-get me down, I-I can walk myself to the room!" lea's voice stammered, he was nervous to death when he saw Val's face that close.

"Rest in the room, no need to come to dinner today! I'll get the waiter to deliver the room food!"

Lea stared at the beautiful sapphire blue bead before her two hazels, subconsciously Lea pulled both arms until Val slightly bent over, linking their lip blades for a few seconds with a short pagutan. Lea closed, shed tears, and endured the pain of the heartburn and the sign of the wrist that returned to glow.

***

Val enjoyed dinner at the family dinner table without Lea, inviting questions from the presence there.

"Where's Lea?" the father opened the conversation.

"She was not well, so I forbade her to come out of the room and told the waiter to take the food to the room!"

"Didn't he just have to sit and enjoy a quick meal here? Why does it seem so hard for humans to blend in with us?" cerocos Veyly, Val's brother.

"Henny's coming for Lea!"

Sontak made all eyes on Val who was pecking his sharp gaze at Veyly.

"For what?" ask Nana worried.

Val just kept silent without giving an answer, he put a big spoonful of rice in his mouth.

"Val, tell me what really happened when we weren't home?" the father's voice interrupted again, forcing Val to swallow the food in his mouth and then glanced at the father.

"Nothing, rather he hasn't done anything to Lea! And I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't come!"

Everyone fell silent, only looking at Val with an intimidating look.

"You love Lea?"

Now the sound of honey on the air. The same question that makes Val fed up, even he doesn't actually want to accept reality or confess his feelings that he loves Lea. "Don't do it, or you'll lose that woman Val!" the mother continued to provide reassurance that Val withdrew before falling into an increasingly distant emotional abyss.

"Mother, show me how! So I can kill my feelings for Lea!" sarkas Val then stood rudely and almost stepped away from the dining table just like that.

Then someone said,

"Give him back to his parents, and we'll come back when the time comes!"

Val stalled. He obviously didn't want that. Returning Leah was tantamount to building a great wall that he would not be able to destroy. Lea's father is able to protect her and can also take care of her daughter with all her body and soul, which Val knows will not be destroyed by anyone, except Lea.

"No! Leah's not going anywhere! He'll stay here! I'll protect her!"[]