ShadowBound: The Need For Power

Chapter 25 Don't Dare

*Few Moments Earlier*The school bell chimed, signaling the end of the day, and Liam was ready to head home. He stepped out of the classroom, moving with his usual composed stride toward the spot where the carriage always awaited him and Elsie. As he made his way there, his eyes scanned the familiar school grounds, taking in the fading sunlight.

Within minutes, he reached the carriage, where Paul, the driver, was already waiting. The man's eyes lit up when he saw Liam approaching.

"Hello, Mr. Paul," Liam greeted, his tone polite.

"Ah, Liam! Good to see you," Paul replied with a warm smile. "How was your day today?"

"It was quite good," Liam said with a nod. Over the past month, he'd gotten better at making casual conversation, and it seemed more natural now.

Paul looked around for a moment before turning back to Liam. "By the way, where's Elsie? She's usually with you around this time."

"I was wondering the same thing," Liam said, frowning slightly. 'She usually walks with me here or gets here ahead of me,' he thought to himself. 'If she had something to do, she would've told me… unless she forgot.'

"We should wait for her a bit," Liam finally said, maintaining his calm demeanor. "She might have been held up."

"Fair enough," Paul agreed, leaning against the carriage.

Liam climbed inside and sat, his mind wandering to other things as the minutes ticked by. However, as time passed, unease began to creep in. It wasn't like Elsie to take this long. After nearly ten minutes, he finally decided that something wasn't right.

"I'm going to look for her," he declared, stepping out of the carriage.

Paul nodded, though concern flickered in his eyes. "All right, we'll wait here."

Liam began to make his way through the school grounds, checking the usual spots where Elsie might be: the library, the garden, and even the benches near the main building.

Each one turned up empty. As he continued his

Evans, who had been watching the exchange silently, finally chimed in. "If you're that enamored by him, why don't you just go and join them, Eliza?" His tone was casual, but there was an edge to it, the words cutting.

"Exactly," Ethan jumped in, eager to regain some of his lost pride. "Besides, I saw the way you looked at him when he walked past you. All doe-eyed and desperate. Don't pretend you weren't practically drooling over him."

Eliza's expression shifted, eyes narrowing. "First of all," she snapped, "don't you dare call me desperate, Ethan. And second," she paused, a sly smile forming, "I'll admit he was… intriguing. There's something about confidence that's quite… irresistible." She tossed her hair back, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But don't get it twisted. Just because he's hot doesn't mean I'm switching sides."

Her gaze hardened, turning serious for a moment. "And you two had better make sure that girl knows her place. I don't want Elsie getting comfortable just because her little knight in shining armor showed up once. She needs to learn that no one gets in our way."

Ethan nodded, his expression darkening. "Don't worry, Eliza," he muttered. "Liam might have saved her today, but that doesn't mean she's safe. This isn't over."

Evans crossed his arms, a calculating look in his eyes. "Next time," he murmured, "we'll be ready."