48 Someone with ill intent

Someone had grabbed Sabrina's hand just as she was making her way to the washroom. She turned to glare at the person when her eyes widened in recognition. It was Uncle Darian.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, shocked to see Kavan's uncle. She shook his hand off her arm. His touch creeped her out somehow. He had been nothing but friendly to her so far but she can sense something slimy and shady about him. If she is a mere mortal, she would not have sense it at all. He is such a good actor. Much better at acting than Reesha.

"Sabrina. I just want to apologise for our family's behaviour towards you, including my father, they shouldn't have been so mean to you," he said to her, smiling broadly. She eyed him suspiciously.

"Why are you hiding in a corner here then? Kavan is out there with Ace and my friend, Dr Kaito, you could have joined us," she said.

"Hiding?" he chuckled. "No, my dear girl. Of course I am not hiding. I just arrived and I saw you so I thought I'd talk to you first, you know, to apologise for my family's horrible behaviour," he said.

A shiver slide down her spine. It was not the way he said it or the words or his tone. He sounded perfectly normal and like a normal person would apologise. It was just a feeling she had. Her dragon sense is tingling and clanging and warning her against this man. Outwardly, he looked harmless and even friendly.

"Okay, well, I am well over the Chokshis and so done, it doesn't matter anymore, just let me get to the washroom, you can see Kavan at the corner table outside," she gestured vaguely in the direction where she came from and then she hurried to the washroom without looking back. Once inside, she rubbed both her rooms. There were goosebumps on her arms. There was something wrong with Uncle Darian and she can't put her finger on it.

What was it that creeped her out so much? Since Kavan has already decided to cut ties with his family, it doesn't really matter. His uncle will probably be on his way soon, she thought.

When she went back to the table, Uncle Darian had pulled up a chair to sit with them. He was laughing and joking with the guys and they seemed comfortable with him. Even Kavan was laughing along. Worse of all, Uncle Darian is seated next to where she was sitting.

She slide into her chair and smiled politely at him while he nodded at her, giving her a conspiratorial wink. Kavan took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Uncle Darian just happened to be meeting someone here and he noticed us so he came over to chat with use for a moment," Kavan said. Sabrina nodded, as if believing the whole load of lies that Uncle Darian obviously fed his nephew. He is here for another purpose but she couldn't put her finger on it. She will have to watch out for him since Kavan seem to trust this uncle. It is always those humans who pretend to be nice whom we always have to be careful about, she thought. She will have to tell Kavan to be careful with this uncle too.

The men continued to chat and crack jokes, some at Kavan's expense since Uncle Darian watched him grow up, and Sabrina noticed Dr Kaito started to look bored. She was also getting bored. Human jokes can be a bit boring especially if they've heard it a million times before.

She caught Dr Kaito's eyes and he gave her a look as if to say 'ugh, get me out of here' and she grinned in reply.

"So, Dr Kaito, I thought you have an early shift tomorrow? Better be off then right?" she interjected suddenly, giving the other dragon an opening to make his escape. He gave her a grateful look and mouthed 'thank you'.

"Yes, yes, oh my, look at the time, I better be off then," he said, pretending to look at his watch. He stood up and Sabrina stood up too.

"I'll see him off, you guys continue, I'll be back," she said.

"Oh, I am sure he can find his way, why do you need to see him off?" Uncle Darian said flippantly. He looked at Sabrina and then Dr Kaito suspiciously. Then he nudged Kavan.

"Hey nephew. Looks like you've got some competition here, eh?" he said.

"Uncle Darian, they are just friends," Kavan replied.

"Hmm…that's what they all say before you walk into them in bed together one day," Uncle Darian said.

"Your uncle is not wrong there," Ace chipped in.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. This is so typical of all mortal men. A woman is friendly with another man means she must be aiming to have an affair with that man. Is that all men think about? She wondered. Fortunately, Kavan seem to trust her. She already told him about Dr Kaito's background and how he could possibly offer her help.

"Ignore them Sab, go ahead," Kavan said. He turned to Ace and his uncle. "Are you accusing my fiancee of being disloyal?"

Sabrina turned away then and walked with Dr Kaito to the elevator. As they walked through the bar and entered the elevator, Dr Kaito spoke up about Uncle Darian.

"You better be careful with that Darian guy, he's not good news," he said. They are inside the elevator alone as it made its descent down.

"Right? So my senses are right! I felt it too but I just couldn't figure out what," she said. She is relieved that she was not merely imagining things. Her dragon sense is on point!

"What is wrong with him, do you know?" she asked.

"He is hiding some ill intent, I am sure of it and it is against you and Kavan so you better be careful around him, there's no saying what he can do," Dr Kaito warned.

She nodded. She can't use her powers on a mortal but she can always use it to protect her and Kavan from harm. However, she can't risk being detected by the elders just yet so she can't use any of her powers for now. She told Dr Kaito her dilemma and he offered her a very human solution.

"Stay away from him, that's the safest bet," he told her.

It sounded kind of lame for a powerful dragon shapeshifter to be hiding from a mortal middle-aged man but it will have to do for now.

"Just hang in there, I will contact you soon about how to handle your elders situation," Dr Kaito said. He grasped her hand and squeezed it assuringly. They have reached the ground floor so Dr Kaito walked out. He turned and gave her a slight wave before disappearing.

Sabrina sighed. She wished she can use her traveling powers again, on top of other powers. It beats sitting in cars and traveling through traffic like a mere mortal. Now, she has to go back to face the insidious Uncle Darian. Since he is hiding some ill intent against her and Kavan, she better be around when he's with Kavan. Who knows what he will do to Kavan.