Chapter Three: A Deal Struck

  It did not take long after Adrian's conversation with Aunt Mira ended for Freya to catch up to him.

  She was a cute, slender girl with lively movements that made it seem as though she was always in motion. Though her real name was Freya, almost everyone knew her by her nickname—Carrera. Adrian, however, preferred something shorter.

  "Hey, Car, what are you—"

  He never got to finish.

  Freya leapt off the ground without warning and latched onto him mid-sentence. The sudden addition of her weight sent his balance reeling. His footing wobbled dangerously, and he would have fallen flat if his instincts had not kicked in fast enough. One arm wrapped securely around her waist, anchoring her against him and keeping both of them upright.

  "Nice catch," she teased, wearing a proud smirk that made it clear she had done it on purpose.

  Adrian grumbled under his breath. That smirk irritated him more than the surprise tackle itself. He wanted nothing more than to wipe it off her face.

  Without warning, he released the wooden sword from his grip and intentionally turned his body. Tilting himself forward, he bent at the waist so that Freya's back was now facing the ground. Gravity did the rest. They began to fall, and if things continued as they were, Freya would be the one cushioning the impact.

  Her arms tightened instinctively around his neck as she screamed in fear.

  Adrian felt a brief sense of satisfaction. That should teach her.

  At the very last moment, he shifted. Still holding her waist firmly, he twisted his body mid-fall and reversed their positions. His back slammed against the ground with a dull thud, while Freya landed safely on top of him, unharmed and untouched.

  "Is that enough to teach you a lesson about suddenly latching onto me without my permission?" Adrian asked flatly.

  Freya did not respond. She was still trying to recover from the shock, her breathing uneven as she lifted her head slowly. When she finally released her grip around his neck, she shot him a sharp glare, her cheeks puffed out in anger.

  Without saying a word, she rolled off him, stood up, and stormed away with her arms folded tightly across her chest.

  "Hey, that was a joke," Adrian said quickly, scrambling to his feet as he hurried after her.

  She didn't listen. Instead, she marched forward with exaggerated, angry steps, clearly ignoring him on purpose.

  "What part of a joke do you not understand?" he asked, closing the distance between them.

  She stopped abruptly and spun around. "I could have broken my spine if I had fallen!"

  "But you didn't," Adrian replied calmly. "That's because I had everything under control."

  "What if I had?" she shot back.

  "But you didn't," he repeated, unwavering.

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  And it was true. The entire situation had been under his control from the start. He knew exactly when to switch positions so he would take the impact instead of her. Adrian had no issue with her falling on top of him. His body was strong enough to absorb the force without trouble.

  Demi-kin were known for their superior physical strength compared to other races. As a half Demi-kin, Adrian shared that trait, his body far sturdier than it appeared.

  "Things turned out fine," he continued. "So can you stop being mad at me over nothing?"

  He genuinely disliked fighting with her. Aside from Aunt Mira, Freya was the only person he could truly call a friend. More than that, she was the second most cherished person in his life—just behind Aunt Mira herself. There was no one else he valued nearly as much.

  Freya's anger faltered. She tried to maintain the farce, but it didn't last. She couldn't stay mad at him for long. She knew it. He knew it. And because he knew it, she often felt that Adrian took advantage of that fact.

  "Fine," she said at last. "But for your punishment, I had something I wanted to give you earlier. Now I'm never giving it to you after what you did."

  "Sure," Adrian replied easily. "I can live with that."

  He turned away without hesitation and walked back toward the spot where he had dropped his wooden sword. Losing it would mean having to go through the trouble of making another one, and he had no interest in that.

  His immediate agreement—without protest or hesitation—irritated Freya even more.

  Of course she was going to show it to him. She had only said that to teach him a lesson about not playing excessive tricks on her.

  "Don't you want to know what it is?" she called out.

  "Nope," Adrian answered firmly as he picked up the sword and brushed sand off its edge.

  "Not even a little bit?" she pressed, stepping closer and leaning in to whisper near his ear.

  "Not one bit, Car," he replied almost instantly, his tone deliberately dismissive.

  That wasn't the reaction she wanted.

  Carrera decided to bring out the big weapon.

  "Not even if it was about Crusader Elliott?"

  Adrian froze.

  His ears perked up the moment he heard the name. "What about Crusader Elliott?" he asked, turning despite knowing full well he was walking straight into a trap.

  Carrera smiled slyly. "My dad—as you know—has been out of town for over a month," she began, deliberately dragging out her words. "He came back today and brought with him the latest edition of Crusader Elliott's article."

  She paused, watching his reaction carefully before continuing. "I was planning on giving it to you. But since you said you're not interested…"

  With a satisfied smile, she turned and began to walk away. "Are you coming?"

  She glanced back at him, both hands clasped behind her back as she swayed lightly from side to side.

  She had him exactly where she wanted.

  Adrian liked to think he was clever, but Carrera had just proven she was smarter—and far more devious.

  As his longtime friend, she knew his likes and dislikes better than anyone. Crusader Elliott's articles sat at the very top of Adrian's list of interests. The man was his hero—an exemplary figure Adrian dreamed of becoming like one day. Carrera knew exactly how much he idolized him.

  In her head, she began counting as she walked.

  Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven…

  She was nearly at one when Adrian's hand came down on her shoulder from behind.

  Carrera smiled to herself, victorious. He couldn't see her face, but the satisfaction was unmistakable.

  She composed her expression before turning around. "Is there a problem?" she asked innocently.

  The scheming smile she wore caused Adrian to grit his teeth. "I—I changed my mind," he admitted reluctantly. "Can I, uh… have it? I mean, you told your dad to buy it because of me, didn't you?"

  "Wha—" She stiffened, caught completely off guard.

  Carrera quickly turned her face away so he wouldn't see the blush spreading across her cheeks. She coughed lightly, pretending to clear her throat.

  "Well," she said softly, adopting a fragile, innocent tone, "even though you blew me off earlier, I can still find it in myself to give it to you… if you really want it."

  Adrian squinted at her. He knew that tone far too well.

  "Alright," he said slowly. "Tell me. What do you want in return?"

  She giggled, clearly delighted. "I'll give you the article if you give me a piggyback ride back to town."

  He stared at her in silence—long and hard.

  She met his gaze without flinching, her eyes making it clear she was serious and had no intention of backing down.

  Adrian sighed inwardly. He had brought this on himself. If he had dropped his pride earlier, she wouldn't have made such a ridiculous request.

  This was her way of getting even.

  "…Fine," he said at last. "I'll give you a piggyback ride back to town."