"Minso, I'm fine. Xander drove me around to help me get ANYTHING I could possibly need. Yes! Even the lingerie store! He helped me choose," I said with a hint of mischief.
I was talking to Minso on the phone, using my hidden speaker earrings to make it easier for me to multitask as I carried the boxes from the elevator to my new room which was down the same hallway as Xander’s.
It was the same size as his, making me wonder if it used to be Arrow's room. Xander had helped me shop for the basics and thankfully allowed me to pay for my own items after I gave him a deadly glare when he tried to pay for my purchases with his credit card.
The only thing I did let him pay for was the ten sets of lingerie he'd helped me choose, not wanting to hear his lecture of how “lingerie should be paid for by the man because it was created to please men.”
I almost hysterically laughed in the store when he said it, the cashier looking just as amused as I did. He didn't realize I bought lingerie for nobody but myself, and no man was going to change my mind about it.
When we officially got back to his place, or should I say our place, Dante and the guards helped carry the boxes into the elevator, and we'd unpacked them all when Xander got a call that they were needed downtown.
I assured them I'd be fine with moving my stuff to my new room, and they left while the guards returned to their posts to "protect" me. Like I couldn't protect myself.
Minso had called right on time and was now keeping me company while I completed the easy task. Ruby was running around, having fun following me as I carried each box and running back to the stack of them as if she were protecting them from thieves.
The moment we'd arrived she was right there waiting for me, and I already felt welcomed in this new temporary home.
I couldn't say permanent yet, unsure what Master's plans were. He hadn't killed me yet, and when I did check on him before leaving, he said he wouldn't need me for this assignment and sent Minju and Minsu instead.
Weird to think I felt a little discarded, like I'd completed my duty and now I was nothing but a backup tool, but I knew I shouldn't be complaining. I had gained a chance many past Reapers would have dreamed to have experienced when they reached 1000 Lies.
Either way, Minso was home and bored since her sisters were on a mission. It gave us the perfect time to talk which was hard to come by because it was always Minsu and her being sent on dual missions while Minju was left behind.
"Oh, please tell me you're keeping him!" Minso squealed in delight. I could imagine her lying in bed in pink underwear and a crop top as she kicked her legs up in excitement.
"You make it seem like he's a pet." I sighed, shaking my head with a small smile on my face. "I am thinking of being exclusive if possible."
Minso gasped. "EXCLUSIVE?! Hell no, honey, you need to devote yourself to all of them!"
"All of who?"
"All the roommates!"
"I'm sorry, Minso, but you sound like Minju. Did she clone herself to look like you and send you off looking like her? Because you just said something that she would say," I replied shaking my head.
"Meow." Ruby jumped and began to cling to my shirt, making me smile as I watched her swing from side to side. I lowered the box and continued to listen to Minso.
"I'm serious! Does Xander want you to be exclusive?"
"Not if it's by force. I mean, he doesn't want me taking that option away during missions and stuff. I don't know how he feels about me dating him and his roommates. I haven't met them all yet, FYI. I’m privileged enough to meet a man with such a strong connection."
Dante was attractive, and I assumed my magic had some sort of connection with him, but it was nowhere as strong as the pulse of magic between Xander and me.
Wrapping my hand around Ruby, I tugged her off my shirt and placed her carefully on my shoulder as I walked back to retrieve another box.
"Girllll! I'M MAKING SURE YOU HAVE A HAREM!" she vowed. Oh no...
When Minso got into her determined mindset it didn't matter how impossible the task appeared to be; she'd make sure it happened.
"Please don't go to a voodoo man and make me a love potion. None of those work in the movies." I sighed.
"I wasn't going to go to a voodoo man! That's what Minju would do. I'll go to the witch near the club we went to a month ago. Oh, she'll whip you something up."
"Whip me something up to die!" I exclaimed, not even wanting to think about the crazy witch lady we'd once seen after our night of too many drinks.
I picked up another box, and Ruby jumped off my shoulder to start running around in a circle on the top of the brown cardboard.
"You're overreacting! Just think about the idea. What about if the other guys are super-hot?" Minso suggested. "Imagine a threesome?! Oh, foursome. Fivesome. Is that a word?"
I groaned, shaking my head as I reached my room and lowered the box. I turned to walk back, but Ruby began to meow. Looking over my shoulder, I noticed her wide eyes as she sat there, waiting for me to pick her up.
"I don't know if that's a word, but if it is, it’s rather hot," I replied, walking back to the tower of boxes. I picked Ruby up once more, placing her on my shoulder and she meowed happily.
"Is that the kitten?"
"Ruby. Ya. She's been following me since I got here."
"Awww. See? Even the kitten loves you. It's meant to be."
"Sureeeee it is," I drawled out, reaching the final box. I stretched out a bit, lowering Ruby to the ground as I sat on the large box. It was the heaviest, and I wasn't sure if I could carry it without a mini break.
Ruby lifted up onto her back paws, pressing her front ones against my bare legs. I smirked, leaned over to pick her up, and placed her on my dark jean shorts.
"Just let your magic guide you," Minso sang.
"Minso," I began, a question coming to my mind. "Does our magic actually guide us to the ones we're destined to love?" I asked.
"Yes," Minso said with seriousness. "The stronger the connection between two or more beings, the higher chance of your magic showing you that person or people are meant for you. You can have more than one connection. Some people have five or six, while others have a single one. It's up to the individual to determine what they want to choose."
"I have a strong connection with Xander. I sensed that from day one, but I have a bit with Dante. Not as strong, but it's present," I confessed.
"SEE! HAREM!"
"No," I said with a groan.
Minso giggled. "Xia." Her seriousness returned. "Go with how you feel. Assess the way they treat you. Watch if they admire you in a loving way or in a controlling manner. If you’re connected to both of them, don't feel hesitant that you have to keep yourself to just one individual. I only know about this stuff because I read it in a few books that talk about how magic can lead you to your soulmate. Don't doubt the magic within you, but don't give yourself away unless you're ready to. The ball is in your court. All you have to do is decide if you want to have all four men or just one."
"You know? I can see why Master always asks you for advice. You're so smart," I acknowledged.
Minso let out a long sigh. "That's all you took from my amazing speech? Also, I'm the smart triplet. I thought you would have realized that by now."
"You and Minsu are pretty close. Minju is the irrational, go hard or go home type," I pointed out, picking up Ruby who was curled up in my lap. I stood, turning around to place Ruby on the top of the box and stretched once more. Picking up the box with a bit of struggle, I turned around to walk back to my room in a quick pace.
Minso whispered, "Xia? I have a question."
I stopped in my tracks, not liking the tone of her voice. It was filled with a seriousness that felt "dark" to me, like she was thinking of something bad.
"What's wrong, Minso?" I asked.
"Do you think Minju's in trouble? Or being used by Master in some manipulative way?" she asked. "I mean, him having sex with us is pretty manipulative, but we're used to that by now. He's been obsessed with her for a while now, and honestly...I'm getting a bad feeling in my gut."
"Have you talked to Minju about it?".
"We've tried. Minsu feels the same way. Like a dark, sticky feeling in our gut. It's just hard to explain. Minju just brushes us off. Like we're overreacting," Minso grumbled.
"Do you think she saw something? I mean, she does tarot cards once in a while and can predict the future when she's all zoned out," I suggested.
"I don't know, Xia, but Minsu and I have felt like this for a while. Each day it feels stronger, and I'm...scared she's doing something stupid that she'll regret."
"I'll have a talk with her before our mission," I vowed.
"Okay. Thanks, Xia," Minso whispered. "I'm gonna go take a nap. I gotta take advantage of some peace and quiet. Maybe listen to an audiobook or two."
"Alright. Have fun. Don't worry. Love you."
"Love you too, Xia. Enjoy your boy toys." She giggled at my groan before she hung up. With a struggled sigh, I decided to move before my arms gave way.
"Meow!" Ruby exclaimed at the sudden ding noise that went off behind me. I took a step back, trying to make sure Ruby didn't fall off the box at the angle she was currently in, but my leg gave out, and I was suddenly falling backward.
"Shit!" I cursed, biting my lip hard as my magic acted quickly to make a wind spell, but something caught me just as the box dropped from my hands.
I waited to hear a loud bang noise or the pain that would hit my feet when the heavy box landed on them, but nothing happened. I blinked, feeling a little confused as I listened to Ruby's happy purrs.
"Xander was right. You are pretty."
I lifted my head to look toward the voice, locking onto a pair of mismatched eyes that made me blink in admiration. Orange-like amber and teal that reminded me of the ocean looked deeply into my red ones.
I'd been so invested in those beautiful orbs that it took me a second to register the gold circle frames resting on his tanned face. I also realized he'd spoken Mandarin and not English.
"Thank you?" I replied in Mandarin, which caused him to give me a confused look.
"You're Chinese? I swear Xander said you were Japanese."
"I'm both and can speak a lot more languages than English, Japanese, and Mandarin."
"Meeeooowww." I hadn't realized Ruby was on my shoulder and currently reaching up to pat the hot male's right cheek.
"Causing trouble, little one? You almost made Xia hurt herself," he scolded. Oh, fuck! I'm literally resting my body weight on him.
With haste, I pushed off him and corrected myself, noticing the box was floating in the air like gravity wasn't working.
"Huh?" I commented and slowly turned my head to look at the man completely.
He stood at 6'7". His tanned skin made his mismatched eyes stand out. He had long blond locks that must have reached his lower back because they were currently in a ponytail and still rather long; the tips were a strawberry pink which looked rather intriguing.
He wore a turquoise polo shirt and brown khaki pants. I noticed the large tattoo that ran down his muscled bicep to his wrist. I didn't know what the base color was because it was currently glowing a bright red with magic leaking off it and was most likely the reason the box was still floating in the air.
My gaze locked with his, and he raised his other hand to fix his glasses. "Your eyes change color?" he asked.
"Uh...yes. Sometimes. What color are they?"
"Purple. Does that mean you're afraid?" he asked.
He knows about eye color reactions?
My eyes could change depending on my emotions. Purple represented fear or worry, blue of any shade was some type of sadness, and since my eyes were already red naturally, gold meant intense anger. Pink was hard to tell with my already red eyes, but Xander had commented during our car ride that my eyes were pink at some point in our lovemaking.
"You startled me," I grumbled. "Not you, Ruby."
He looked at the kitten in question who was currently rubbing her face against my cheek and purring away, looking completely unbothered.
"So you did name the stray."
"She's mine. Uh...I borrowed her," I replied protectively.
He smiled right away, which left me even more confused at how easily he showed his emotions.
"Ruby. I like it. You can borrow her as long as you like. I'll make sure she's fed when you're not around. Do you need this box somewhere? It's a tad heavy."
I blinked a few times, and Ruby turned her little head to look at him. "You're rather nice to strangers."
"You're technically not a stranger though." He headed into the room, the box slowly following him. I scurried to follow him, scooting around him and walking ahead to show him where to place the box.
Once I reached my room, I ushered him in and pointed to the corner where a few other boxes were. "It can go there. Sorry for the trouble." I didn’t want to seem ungrateful for his assistance. He shrugged, closing his eyes and directing the box exactly where I pointed to.
It lowered to the ground, and his tattoo dimmed until a black design appeared. It was an intriguing tattoo; a clock was in the middle of where his bicep was, and it was surrounded by vines and different thin and thick lines. I noticed there was a sun, half moon, and full moon within the vines.
Even though I couldn't tell the meaning of it, it was a very detailed tattoo and held power within it which he'd just displayed. Only a few people in the world could use tattoos or markings in general as a weapon.
It left me intrigued if he was truly one of those people, but I didn't even know his name which meant I couldn't directly ask. Not like I'd introduced myself either.
"Xia Hung Su," I introduced.
He blinked, looking shocked that I'd introduced myself. He fixed his glasses and his cheeks tinged a soft red. "Silas Shen."
Is he shy? He didn't look shy a moment ago.
"Are you shy?"
"I'm not used to people introducing themselves," he admitted.
"Why?"
"Complicated."
"You don't need to be shy around me," I pointed out.
He glanced away, fixed his glasses, and took a hesitant look back. "It's a habit. Anyways, finished moving in?"
"Yes. That was the last box."
"Cool. Xander or Dante around?"
"No, they were called in for something," I replied.
He nodded, and Ruby meowed loudly, getting both of our attention as she sat on my shoulder. Silas grinned, walking over to pet her.
"Are you hungry?"
"Meow." She hopped into Silas' hand and sat there.
"Oh...I forgot they eat," I mumbled.
Silas turned his gaze on me and I blushed. "You never had a pet before?"
"No..." I trailed off.
He nodded in understanding and a softened expression formed on his face. "Have you eaten?"
"Um. I had coffee this morning."
My stomach took the opportunity to respond as it growled so loud even Ruby heard it, her head lowering to my stomach.
My face flushed even more, and it was the first time I'd felt extremely embarrassed in front of a stranger. "Sorry."
Silas smirked. "I'm hungry too. Should I make us something to eat?"
"Okay," I replied before my phone began to ring. I immediately pulled it out of my shorts pocket and frowned at the caller id - MASTER.
With a slide of my finger on the screen, I answered. "Yes, Master?"
"Can I see you later today? Doesn't matter when, but I'd like to discuss with you and the triplets your next assignment that’s coming up."
"Next assignment?" I asked, trying to play the dumb card. I didn't remember the details because I'd been half asleep.
"Yes. Most likely next week. We'll discuss it in person."
"Alright, Master. I'll be there in thirty minutes or less."
"Good," he replied and hung up. Ruby began to whimper, looking so sad that her eyes grew as she reached with her paws. I reached out to pick her up out of his hand, and she snuggled right against me when I held her to my chest.
I glanced up at Silas who had an unreadable expression on his face. "I'm a Reaper. Duty calls." I shrugged, hoping he didn't worry about it.
"Still have time for lunch?"
"I doubt it. If I run fast enough, I can be at the main streets in ten minutes and then take an Uber back."
"You don't drive."
"I do, but I didn't really need a car before all of this," I replied. It would have been easier to explain my situation to him, but now I didn't have time.
"I'll drive you."
"You just met me."
"We're roommates. I think I can lend you a hand without knowing you. If Xander trusts you, we all do." He turned around and walked out of the room.
I stared at his broad back and my gaze lowered to his ass. Damn, he has a nice ass.
"Meow?"
"Yes, Ruby. He totally has a nice ass...I mean, yes! Follow." I shook my head pulled it out of the gutter. I'd been trying my best to ignore the way I was feeling, my magic tingling through me just like it had with Xander and Dante. Fuck...my magic sure loves finding me men lately. I just have to choose. Ya...choose.
I caught up quickly, and Silas came out from a small room, a bright red helmet in his hand. "What's the helmet for?" I asked.
"For you."
"Why?"
"Never ridden a motorcycle before?"
I was ready to respond back but paused, taking a long up and down look of him and raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm sorry, but you don't look like the type to ride a motorcycle."
He smirked, walking up to me until he towered over me. He leaned in and whispered,
"And when you showed those emotions earlier, you didn't look like a Reaper at all."
He pulled back just slightly, our eyes locked and our lips only inches apart. "Never judge a book by its cover. It can get you killed." He winked. "But you know that, Xia."
He moved back and turned to walk towards the elevators, leaving me speechless.
"We'll pick up food on the way, so you can eat before you get there."
"Meow...?" Ruby looked up at me, and I slowly met her intrigued red eyes.
"Ya...he's also dangerous," I whispered. Dangerous, but fucking sexy.
I gulped and raced to the elevator, Silas holding the door for me. When I was inside, he smiled.
"You free tomorrow?"
"Maybe?"
"Let's chill," he replied. "I like you."
He gave me a cute grin and pressed the close button of the elevator.
A small smile formed on my face as I watched the doors closed. I kinda like him too...
The thought of Xander, Dante, and Silas made me wonder what Ace was like. I wasn't sure what was going to happen when I officially started living here and enjoying the "double life," but I decided one thing:
Why choose?