Chamber of Magic

Chapter Seven - First Case

დ. Kael. დ

I kept quiet, unsure if I truly wanted to reveal the details of my brother’s death with Riley. As hard as it had been to talk to her about what my parents had done and the passing of my grandparents, I just wasn’t sure if I could truly let her know just how messed up my life had been.

“Kael, tell me,” I glanced over at Riley, she wasn’t looking at me with pity. She looked interested, concerned and dare I say it? She looked as if she was lovingly looking at me. I took a deep breath.

“Keagan, well, he had always been a trouble maker. Kolton and I are a lot closer, always had been despite the two of them being twins. When my grandparents died, as I said, Kolton and I both got our abilities. Keagan never did. He blamed us, I don’t know why, but he did. He went a bit crazy, to be honest with you. I had never had a good relationship with Keagan, so I had no problem in kicking him out of my life, turning my back on him,” I peeked a look over at her, but she just nodded carefully. “Kolton stayed with him, although that didn’t help. Keagan was insanely jealous of the power Kolton held. Anyway, Adam had approached me, Jareth was already here. Jareth and I had lost contact after my grandparents died, it was a shock to me to learn what he had gone through. I came here, and eventually, I asked Adam if I could go fetch my brother, he agreed. I was at Kolton’s apartment, waiting for him when Keagan came by. We had a massive argument; my ability was so undeveloped back then. I hurt him and he freaked out and ran, I chased after him, begging him to come back, to listen to me, to forgive me,” I stopped talking, the memory overwhelming me.

“What happened Kael?” Riley asked me, dragging me back to reality.

“I managed to convince Kolton to join me here, but we waited for Keagan to come back, after two weeks of waiting, we left. We had been here about three days when Keagan contacted Kolton, he snuck out to go meet him, but Keagan had a gun, and he threatened Kolton,”

“Omg,”

“Yeah, I had followed Kolton, when I saw Keagan threatening him, I zapped him,” I looked down ashamed. “I don’t know how it happened, you see Kolton also used his ability on him, and it seemed like Keagan just hung in the air for a moment and then he dropped down. Dead,”

“Dead? Just like that?”

“Yeah, just like that. Adam explained that the combined power that we used was so uncontrolled that it killed him. Kolton and I drifted apart after that, I mean, he is still here but we aren’t nearly as close as what we had been. I think we blame each other for what happened. Neither one of us had been willing to accept what we had done to our own brother,”

“I am so sorry Kael,” Riley pulled me close to her once again and I snuggled against her chest. “It was an accident,” I heard her whisper. She was right. It had been an accident, neither one of us had any intention of killing our brother.

“Kolton feels as though a part of his soul is missing,” I mumbled out. “I also felt that pain, but I suppose he felt it more so because Keagan had been his twin,”

“Sshh, it’s ok,” Riley comforted me as best she could. I would never admit it but my promised was making me feel whole again. I smiled sadly as I gently pulled away from her. She cupped my face in her small soft hands and leaned in, she pressed her full plump lips against mine in the sweetest kiss I’ve ever had.

დ. Adam. დ

I paced the office as I listened to Manny inform me about the latest case.

“Are you sure?” I asked him, interrupting his description.

“One hundred percent,”

“Banshee,” I whispered that single word. “I’ve only ever read about them,”

“Likewise, but here we are, sightings in three different towns and very dangerous. I never thought they would move in packs, but the witnesses have claimed to see four of the creatures together,” Manny went on to explain. “Four creatures with human-like features, one male, three females. The male being the leader, they aren’t just collecting souls. They are killing, then collecting,”

“They need to be stopped,” I announced and then added. “Bring Ellora in on this one. We need to know if she is ready and now is the time,”

“I agree, but where do you think all of these creatures are coming from? We’ve been doing this for years and these last two months has been ridiculous,” I thought about that for a moment and then nodded.

“It does seem strange doesn’t it?”

“It does, whether these creatures are meant to be hunting in packs or not is beside the point. The question is where are they all coming from?”

“Now that is a good question and I have an idea,” I picked up my phone and messaged Amelia, Jareth and Jordon to come to the office. “We need a small research team on this,” it wasn’t long when the three of them stood in the office. “Thank you for coming so quickly,”

“Sure,” Jordon said, smiling. Jareth stood there looking bored while Amelia questioned me with her eyes.

“Manny was just talking to me about a case and we both agree that there is something else going on, something bigger. I want to ask the three of you to look into these creatures that have been coming out to play in the last three to five months,” I handed over all the files to Amelia. “They have to be coming from somewhere, we need to stop this,”

“Research?” Jordon asked and I nodded.

“For as long as we have been doing this, it has never been this bad. There is definitely something else going on, can you help us?” Manny asked them. I knew Jordon and Amelia would be on board, but I watched Jareth closely. I was surprised when he spoke up first.

“Yes, we will,” simple, yet it had taken me by surprise. Jordon and Amelia nodded in agreement.

“Thank you, unfortunately, I am going to take you off the hunting team, for now, we need to put a stop to this and you three are the brains here,” I told them honestly. “Your help will be greatly appreciated,”

“Is this everything?” Amelia asked me as she referred to the files she held in her hands.

“Yes, that’s everything we have on each case,” I told her. She nodded and followed Jareth and Jordon out the door. I turned back to look at Manny.

“Let’s hope we are wrong about this,” Manny remarked, and I groaned out.

“I pray we are wrong, because if someone or something is releasing these things then we are up against something a lot bigger than what we’ve faced before,”

“Yeah, well, you stay back with them, I’ll lead the team on the hunt,” Manny informed me as he stood up and walked out of the office. I could only hope we weren’t rushing Ellora. She had a powerful ability and the sooner we got her out on a case, the quicker we would know the truth.

დ.დ.დ

I wasn’t surprised when Ellora burst through the office doors later that afternoon.

“Adam!” she called out.

“Yes?”

“Manny just told me that I am going out on a case!” she turned to look at me as I was standing in front of the bookcase.

“And?” I noticed she looked panicked and I wondered why.

“Do you think I am ready?” she asked me as she tried to calm herself down. I couldn’t help but smile at her. She didn’t even realize her true potential.

“Ellora, do you really think Manny and I would send you out on a case if we thought you weren’t ready?” it wasn’t a total lie. We were taking a massive chance but yet we both knew that if we continued to delay, then it would take her along time to realize her own power. It was complicated yet we agreed this was her time to shine.

“Well, what if I don’t feel ready?” she questioned. I could see her inward battle and I could understand her fear, yet I was also curious about her.

“Look, Manny has his team, he will work with you for the next two days. If he feels that you aren’t ready by the last day then he will pull you out. We always have a backup plan, now, if you feel you aren’t ready then you need to speak up so that Manny can replace you. However, my advice to you is to think about this, the first time you go out on a case is scary,” I paused and went back to my desk and sat down on the chair, Ellora sat down too and I continued. “I remember my very first case, I was terrified, I messed up, to be honest. We still saved the day, but I felt as though I had been more of a pain than a help. I do understand your fear Ellora, but I also feel that it’s now or never,”

“Yeah, I guess you are right,”

“Do the training with Manny, listen to the information surrounding the case, the research has been done on the creatures, a plan already thought up. Have trust and faith in the team and we will win. Ok?”

“Ok, thank you, Adam, you always know how to calm me down,” I smiled at that but quickly hid my smile. I felt the pull towards her. When she had come to me asking about our promised, my heart had skipped a beat and ever since then I’ve been wondering if she is my promised.

“Anytime,” I watched her get up from the chair and head out, she paused at the door to give me a small wave before leaving. I already knew I was hooked, hook, line and sinker.

დ. Ellora. დ

The last two days had been hard, I won’t lie. The training Manny gave the small team was intense. I was still committed to my morning run and gym time with Jareth but I didn’t have as much study time though, because, after a hot shower, I would join the team for training. The team consisted of five people, excluding Manny. Kael, Brent, Claudia, Oscar and myself. Claudia is a shield.  I was nervous as hell this morning. Today was the day we go on the hunt for the banshees. I watched as the team members entered the training room, followed by Manny.

“Ok, is everyone here?” he asked absentmindedly as he looked around. Happy that everyone was here, he nodded. “Right, you are all aware of your positions on this case, I don’t need to remind you that this is going to be brutal. Banshees are loud creatures and won’t hesitate to act violently. Remember your training, work as a team and be vigilant. Understand?” everyone nodded. “Good, we leave here at four, so I suggest you get some rest, calm and center yourselves for the fight ahead,” once again we all nodded, and he dismissed us. I knew Riley would be busy with training and that Jareth would be in the library with the others doing research. My nerves were killing me. Kael and Oscar hung back and I gave them a weak smile.

“Have you both been on a case before?” I asked them.

“Yeah,”

“Yes,” they looked nervous though and I felt the bile rise up. “I have to be honest though, I am worried,” Oscar admitted, making my nerves go up a notch.

“Why?” Kael asked him, even though, he looked pale and sickly.

“I don’t want to be the one to point it out but Ellora has never been on a case before and that worries me,” I could tell he didn’t want to look my way, but I stood my ground.

“I won’t lie, I am scared and nervous, but I won’t let you down,” I said with a lot more confidence than I actually felt. Both Kael and Oscar smiled at me.

“Good, so long as we have each other’s back, we should be fine,” Kael said. We nodded and eventually left the training room. I headed upstairs to my room and got into bed. I didn’t want to be tired when the time came, so I thought it is best that I was well-rested.

დ.დ.დ

The sound of my phone's alarm going off woke me up. I quickly turned off the alarm and noticed a message.

Jareth   ➺ Be careful on your first case!

I smiled reading his words and quickly responded, even though he had sent the message earlier.

Ellora     ➺ I’ll do my best!

I didn’t bother to wait for a reply. It was two in the afternoon and I wanted there to be enough time to prepare myself. After taking a hot relaxing shower, I got dressed in a pair of black leggings and a long-sleeved tight blacktop. I pulled on the flat black boots and braided my hair. The outfit had been given to me by Manny the day before, telling me that in these clothes, I would be comfortable to move and fight. I wasn’t much of a fighter yet, my punches were still weak. However, my kick was strong. I had been doing target practice with a handgun and wasn’t too bad.

“You’re still here!” Riley said as she entered the room. I smiled at her, thankful to see her before we left for the case. She came towards me and we hugged. “Be safe tonight,” she whispered in my ear.

“I’ll do my best,” I told her the same thing I had messaged to Jareth.

“Come home safe and alive,” she said in a sad but authorized voice.

“Of course,”

“Good, you should go eat,” I nodded and with a quick hug, I left the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Manny, Kael, and Oscar were already seated at the island, eating what looked like a sandwich. When I entered, they looked over at me and nodded.

“Try to eat something,” Manny said as he pointed to the plate on the table. As I made my way towards them Brent and Claudia entered. The six of us ate the chicken sandwiches and drank water. By half three, Manny was ready to get going. “I’ll be waiting outside, its time,” he announced before leaving. I hung back waiting for the others until we were all ready. Silence followed us as we went outside. Manny was standing next to a big black SUV. He nodded at us and we all climbed into the vehicle. Manny behind the wheel, Oscar next to him, Brent, Kael, Claudia and myself sat squished up in the back. The tension was high, and the nerves were obvious. I sat between Kael and Claudia and I grabbed their hands giving it a slight squeeze before letting go. The drive felt long but after two hours he pulled over. He turned in his seat and looked at all of us.

“Are we here?” Brent asked.

“Yes, now remember, the minute we enter, things are going to be tense. Remember your training, remember the goal and don’t panic, ok?” we all nodded and climbed out of the car. Manny opened the back of the vehicle and handed over our weapons. Brent, Oscar, and Manny didn’t have any weapons as their abilities were more powerful than a simple gun. Kael was handed a shotgun, a weapon he had trained to use. Claudia and I were given handguns, weapons we had trained to use. “Right, now remember, Ellora will open the connection for us to communicate, so don’t think of anything other than the job at hand,” he looked over at me and I turned my power on, creating that link between us.

“Good?” I asked through the link and they nodded eagerly.

“Can you pick up anything?” I heard Oscar’s voice and I concentrated. Suddenly I could feel them. They didn’t have thoughts as humans did. They just had emotions. Hunger and desire being the highest emotion. I looked over at Manny.

“Three females and two males,”

“What?” he was surprised since he was sure there where only four and not five.

“Three females and two males. The one male is the Alpha or the leader and the other is busy um,” I stopped unsure of how to phase what was going on. Manny gave me a look. “Having s*x or something with two females,” I blurted out.

“Eeww,” came Claudia’s voice.

“Alright, that means that at least three of them are distracted. What is the Alpha and the other female doing?”

“The female is sleeping, and the Alpha is eating, and Eeww,” we started creeping towards the old abandoned building, Claudia in front with her shield. The smell was so strong and unexpected that I thought I would pass out. I felt Kael’s hand on my arm, reassuring me and I shrugged off the uneasy feeling that had built up inside me. We moved slowly but steadily towards them. The sounds where loud and I cringed. Claudia turned a corner and we entered a large area. The desires of the banshees were a lot stronger now and threw me off guard as I let go of the communication link. I struggled to push their desire and emotions aside and quickly formulated the link again.

“We good?” Manny asked and we all said yes. Then I saw him. The Alpha. I wanted to scream at the sight, even though Manny had shown us how they looked, I was still disgusted. Fear washed over me in big waves. “Calm!” Manny shouted out. I tried to even my breathing, using the exercises my mother had taught me. I looked back at the Alpha and this time I really looked. His skin (if I can even call it that) was paper-thin and see-through, his bones visible. He had long stringy hair that looked as if it had been glued to his scalp. The creature wore a wraparound faded brown leather skirt (again, if I can even call it that as I am unsure) that covered his well, his area. His legs were long and his feet weren’t human at all. His arms were short, which surprised me and his hands were bony and scary looking. Four fingers, long, with yellow nails that looked like it could slice you open. The worst was his face. A face with no eyes and two holes which I assumed was his nose. His mouth was wide, stretching upwards. With no lips, it was easy to see his yellow razor-sharp teeth. I turned and saw the female that was still sleeping, and she looked much the same as the Alpha. Smaller but the same. I didn’t want to see the male that was doing whatever with the other two females, I wasn’t prepared for that kind of scarring. “Let’s roll!” with that instruction everything happened very quickly. Oscar and Kael moved towards the sleeping female, Manny and Brent moved towards the male that was probably having a blast and Claudia and I stood still watching the Alpha as we helped the others. Claudia managed to shield Kael and Oscar as Kael shot the banshee in the head twice. Yellowish whiteish blood leaked out from her skull. The loud shots aroused the others and the Alpha opened his mouth wide and let out a scream so loud that I thought my eardrums would burst. Manny threw out lightning bolts towards the one female that was turning around, blowing her up in a cry of pain. Brent threw multiple fireballs at the male and female. The male was faster and dodged the fireballs quickly. All three females were now dead and the Alpha male was pissed. We moved together as the two males charged at us. I wasn't sure what I should do but I entered the Alpha’s mind and he stopped. Confused. The other male stopped also, looking or whatever, at the Alpha. They both screamed out, I assumed this was their way to communicate.

“Take him out!” Kael shouted out and Brent threw a fireball at the other male, who screamed in agony as he went up in flames. I kept the Alpha frozen on that spot as Manny moved forward slowly, being protected by Claudia’s shield. I watched in amazement and shock as Kael snapped his fingers and suddenly appeared on the right-hand side of the Alpha. He raised his gun, ready to shoot him but I lost the plot and the Alpha turned, hitting Kael so hard that he flew. Oscar cried out in anger and manipulated wind to his will, throwing the Alpha clear across the room. I rushed over to Kael, who was now lying unconscious and I panicked. I had no idea what was happening behind me as I lifted Kael up and dragged him out of the building. I felt Oscar help me as he lifted the other side of Kael and we made our way to the SUV. We laid Kael down on the ground and I started to cry, knowing that it was my fault that Kael had gotten hurt. The communication link was broken as I shut off my ability. Not wanting to hear anyone else’s thoughts.

“Stupid b***h!” Oscar growled out to me as he checked Kael’s pulse. The others came rushing out before I could respond to Oscar's heated words.

“Get him in the back! Now!” Manny ordered. Brent and Oscar easily lifted Kael and slid him into the back seat. “Brent, Claudia, stay here with Ellora, Adam is on the way,” we nodded and watched as Manny got behind the wheel and Oscar went around to the passenger side. As we watched them drive away, I looked over at Brent and Claudia who were hugging each other tightly. Brent looked up at me.

“Come here,” he said softly, his voice strained. I joined them and Brent held onto both of us tightly. The guilt I felt was overwhelming and after what felt like forever, I pulled away from them.

“It’s my fault, I lost concentration and let go of his mind,” I whispered as I wiped at my face.

“No, it’s not your fault, Kael should have waited. He rushed it and that’s why that happened,” Claudia said. Brent nodded and I looked at them both.

“But how can you say that?” I shrieked out.

“Because Kael knows better than that! Him suddenly appearing next to that Alpha is what caused you to lose that control. I’m no mind controller but even I know that!” Brent was getting angry as he spoke, and Claudia was grabbing onto his torn shirt trying to calm him down.

“Relax Brent, calm down,”

“It doesn’t matter now, he will learn,” Brent said as he pulled her roughly against his chest. He looked over at me and called me to him once again. I didn’t hesitate as I joined them. We sat down, Brent in the middle, cradling us both as we waited for Adam to arrive.

დ. Adam. დ

I looked over at Amelia as she continued explaining what information she had found.

“It seems that some creatures are loners, they aren’t meant to be in packs or groups. Yet when more than one of their kind is together then they automatically form a pack or group. By nature, most of them hunt alone, so although it isn’t a rule that they hunt together when they do, that is when they become more vicious,” I nodded as I listened to her. It made sense but then again, how was it that more than one creature appeared in such an environment.

“The question is, where the hell are all these creatures coming from?” Jareth asked. It was a good question. One that I had no answer too.

“A lot of these creatures are said to be myths from long ago, such as the banshees, yet here they are,” Jordon pointed out. Suddenly the loud ringing of a phone interrupted us. I quickly took out my phone and answered.

“Manny! Talk to me,” I had been waiting for his call.

“You need to get here! Fast!” from the sound of his voice, I knew something had gone wrong. Amelia, Jareth, and Jordon all looked at me with horror and worry on their faces.

“What happened?” I asked.

“No time to explain, just get here!” he hung up the phone and I jumped up from my seat.

“Ok, I need to head out, Jareth comes with me, as for you two, keep digging,” I turned on my heel and headed to the garage. Jareth was hot on my tail. We climbed into the silver SUV and I reversed, heading out. We had been driving for a good thirty minutes when the phone rang again. Jareth took the phone from me and put it on the speaker.

“You’re on speaker,” he informed whoever had called.

“Same here!” it was Manny. “Alright, Oscar and I are heading back with Kael. He is unconscious, although he doesn’t seem to be bleeding, we don’t know if he has any internal injuries. Brent, Claudia and Ellora are waiting back at the building,”

“What happened?” I asked curiously.

“Ellora had the head male frozen in place and Kael took the opportunity to zap himself just next to him, ready to blow the things brains out. Ellora must have lost the connection because the male hit Kael clear across the room,” Oscar explained as I assumed Manny was concentrating on the road, as was I. I nodded over at Jareth to continue the conversation.

“Is anyone else hurt?” Jareth asked.

“No, just Kael,” Oscar answered.

“Ellora is pretty shaken up though,” I heard Manny add and Oscar groaned out.

“She should be if she hadn’t lost the connection then-”

“Deal with that later,” Jareth snapped, and I nodded in agreement. It wouldn’t help for us to point fingers now.

“Whatever,” Oscar muttered loud enough for us to hear.

“Let us know when you’ve reached the house,” Jareth ordered, and Oscar agreed before hanging up.

“She is safe,” I whispered, more to calm myself than for Jareth.

“I just hope Kael is going to be alright,”

“He will be,” I said, even though I had no idea. “Someone will heal him,” I added thinking of Riley. “In fact, call Kate and get them ready for Kael,” Jareth nodded as he phoned Kate, informing her of the situation so that they can get the healers ready. I saw the black SUV pass with such a speed that I sent a silent prayer that they would arrive at the house safely. I knew we still had about an hour on the road and I decided to talk to Jareth about my thoughts. “We need to rethink about the gear,”

“What?”

“The gear, none of them have a phone with them,” I pointed out and he nodded.

“Yes, although I am sure they can look after themselves having a communication device would be appropriate,” I rolled my eyes at Jareth’s choice of words.

“You sound like an old man talking an ancient language,” he laughed at my teasing and we drove the rest of the way in silence, too nervous and worried to talk. As I pulled into the grounds, I spotted them.

“There,” Jareth pointed out. I nodded, although I had already seen them. Brent helped the two girls up as I parked just in front of them. Jareth hopped out and ran over to Ellora. Jealousy ate at me as I watched her throw herself into his open arms. Claudia and Brent climbed into the back.

“You guys ok?” I asked them.

“Yes, although Ellora is pretty out of it,” Claudia informed me. Jareth came around and asked Brent to sit in the front so that he could sit with Ellora. I wanted to stop them, but I didn’t. Brent climbed in next to me and Jareth helped Ellora into the back. As soon as he was sitting next to her, he pulled her into his arms.

“Ok, go,” he said to me and I started the car back up and soon we were back on the road. I wanted to talk to Ellora, but I couldn’t. Not while she was being held so protectively by Jareth. An incoming call broke the silence as Brent answered the call.

“Yeah?” pause, “Ok, good, I’ll let them know,” he hung up and turned to the back. “Kael is awake, Kate healed him. One broken rib and some bruising but he is fine now and demanding we bring him pizza,” we all laughed slightly, except Ellora who had fallen asleep in Jareth’s arms. Ugh, kill me now.

დ. Jareth. დ

I laughed quietly along with the others as relief washed over me. Happy that Kael was fine. I wrapped my arms tighter around Ellora. She looked so peaceful in my arms as she slept. I knew without a doubt in my mind that she was, in fact, my promised. I also knew it would take time before she would be emotionally open enough to realize that the small crush, she had on me wasn’t just a crush. I wouldn’t push her though; I’d give her time and space to figure it out for herself. Adam stopped at some random pizza joint and ordered ten pizzas. I knew we would be here for a while, so I shifted to get into a more comfortable position. Brent and Adam had gone inside to wait, and I glanced over at Claudia who had leaned back and closed her eyes.

“Staring is rude,” she said.

“Sorry, just checking if you are still ok,”

“I’m ok, thank you, Jareth,” she opened her eyes and turned to look at me. “I know she feels bad for what happened,”

“Tell me honestly, was it her fault?” I hated to ask but I was dying to know.

“It would seem like it but honestly, no,” she turned away and looked up. “Kael shouldn’t have done that without warning, he is the one that destroyed the connection,” she turned to look at me again. “In the training, we all had seen Ellora’s power. But she is still learning, she loses connection when something happens, I mean, she is strong, don’t get me wrong. She isn’t easily distracted but in that kind of situation you can’t just act on impulse, even you know that,”

“Yeah, so Kael didn’t let her know what he was going to do?” I asked.

“Exactly, he just did it, catching her off guard and ruining the connection she had,” I looked down at Ellora and pressed a soft tender kiss on her forehead. “Ellora created the communication link, it dropped only once throughout the whole fight. He could’ve easily let her know of his plans, but he didn’t. Manny was on his way to take out the leader, Ellora saw Manny moving forward but Kael took us all by surprise, she blames herself, Jareth,” I nodded in understanding and looked up as Adam and Brent approached the vehicle with the boxes of pizza. Time to go home. The rest of the ride was silent and we were about five minutes away when Ellora woke up screaming. We all got such a fright and Adam swerved in the road.

“What the hell!” he yelled out. Ellora sat straight up, eyes wide as she looked around her. I reached out to pull her back to me, but she pulled away.

“Kael?”

“He is fine,” Claudia informed her that Kate had healed him. I felt hurt that she had pulled away from me but as soon as she heard that Kael was fine, she leaned back into my arms and I smiled. She rested her head on my shoulder as Adam pulled into the driveway. We all climbed out of the car and Ellora rushed inside. The rest of us not far behind.

“Ellora!” I heard Kael shout out and when we entered the living room, I saw the two of them hugging fiercely.

“I am so sorry Kael,” Ellora cried as she held onto him.

“No, I am the one that messed up,” Kael reassured her. “Did you bring pizza?” every one that was standing around burst out laughing as Kael’s only interest was food. Adam and Brent placed the boxes on the coffee table and soon everyone was eating a slice of the delicious pie. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I could see that she was still shaken up. This whole thing had messed her up and although she was relieved that Kael was alright, you could see that she wasn’t completely convinced. Adam ordered us to get some rest when the last piece of the pie was gone. It didn’t surprise me that Kael snapped his fingers and zapped us to our room. I sat down on my bed and looked over at my best friend.

“Are you alright?” now that we were alone, I had to know.

“Honestly, yeah, I am perfectly healthy. Kate took great care of me,” he pulled off his shirt and sat down on his bed. “But emotionally, I feel like s**t,” he admitted as he looked at me. I could see the unshed tears in his eyes, and I wondered what he was feeling.

“Tell me,” I pushed softly. I wanted to why he felt like s**t. Was it because of what he had done? Was it because of Ellora? Or was it because of what the banshee had done? I wasn’t sure but I was curious to know.

“Tomorrow man, right now all I want to do is sleep,” he stood up and pushed down his pants, staying in his boxers, he got into bed and turned his back to me. “Goodnight bro,”

“Yeah, night bro,” I said as I got up and went into the bathroom to take a shower. I could only hope that Kael didn’t blame Ellora for what happened. Otherwise, things could get quite complicated and awkward.

დ. Ellora. დ

Claudia and Riley helped me upstairs to my room.

“Get some rest,” Claudia said as she hugged me before leaving me alone with Riley. I peeked over at Riley and let out a small sigh. She hadn’t spoken a word to me since I had gotten back, and I wasn’t sure what she was thinking. I was far too tired to turn on my power and pick her brain.

“Are you ok?” I asked her softly. She turned to look at me.

“What?”

“I asked you if you are ok?” I repeated the question.

“I’m ok, the question is, are you ok?” she asked me. She didn’t look happy although she had just said she was ok, I somehow didn’t believe her. I wanted to be honest with her and tell her how I was feeling but judging by the look on her face, I wasn’t going, to be honest at all.

“I’m fine, just tired,” I lied as I went into the bathroom to take a shower. In the last few days, Riley would keep me company whilst in the bathroom, but she didn’t tonight. I took my time in the bathroom, hoping that by the time I was done, Riley would be asleep. However, as I pushed open the door, I saw that she was still very much awake and sitting on her bed in her pj’s.

“Can we talk?” she asked as she spotted me. I nodded as I went to my closet and pulled out my own pj’s. “What happened out there Ellora?” she questioned. I tried to read her expression, but it was blank.

“Didn’t they tell you?” I asked, not really wanting to relive what had happened.

“Yes, but I want to hear it from you, I want to know what happened to Kael from your point of view,” I finished getting dressed and climbed onto her bed. Sitting across from her.

“Riley, everything happened so fast. The Alpha was coming towards us and I entered his mind. I clouded him, making him believe that he was frozen. Suddenly Kael appeared next to him and I lost the connection,”

“Why did you lose the connection though?”

“I wasn’t expecting Kael to appear right next to him as Manny was moving in, I thought Manny was going to make the kill. I wasn’t even able to get the control back because that thing was so fast in reacting to Kael standing right next to him,” Riley was quiet after I spoke, and I got off her bed and climbed into my own. “I know it's my fault that he got hurt, Riley. I know I shouldn’t have lost connection. I know I failed Kael. I know I failed the team and I know I failed you. I am sorry,” as I spoke, tears slipped down and I quickly wiped them away. Laying down, I turned my back to Riley and squeezed my eyes shut. “Night Riley,” she didn’t respond but she did turn the light off and as the darkness closed around us, the image of the Alpha banshee flashed through my mind and I flinched in horror. I had not been expecting my first case to end as it did. Victorious but with a price.