Prophecy: Tome of Magic

13. The Field Where They Died

"Don't look at me, none of this is in my hands. I'll be here when and if you need me, don't ask for anything else." Toby warned, heading to the door and pulling out his phone, texting Monica of the newest development. Percy remained where she was back in the shop, looking after all their friends that had just left. The ones who didn't know all the work that Blair had put into figuring out the spell, the things she'd sacrificed. How she'd put her own life on hold to see it through, even though she could've died. Even though she still might because of the plague that she was afflicted with. It earned her a sympathetic look from the ghost, but she was in no mood for sympathy.

The same couldn't be said for Wellever, however, and it was clear that he was looking for a little bit of empathy. He stumbled through the lobby of the Monica Wright Foundation, diseased, finding that he earned more looks of disgust than anything else. Whatever, that was fine, he tried to ignore it as he considered that there was really only one look that he really cared about. And true to what he'd been fantasizing about, the boss' expression when he burst into the office was exactly what he'd been expecting.

"You're alive," Vorne was on his feet immediately, rushing over to him and throwing his arms around him despite the clearly visible signs of the plague that covered him. "I'd started to fear the worst."

"No need to worry about me, sir, you ought to know I'm more resilient by now." Wellever smiled, his joy interrupted by the usual coughs.

"I never had a doubt. But I've still been worried sick, my men have been scouring this city looking for you!" A lie, of course, but the angel faced boss knew that he believed it. "Look at you, caught up in this mess. Where did you run off to? It's not a good time to be going rogue when all of this disaster is at a head. What was so important, huh?"

"Well, I, you see," the British minion seemed to have lost his words, and he fumbled for an answer. All along he'd been thinking about the sweet reunion, and not what came after. It would've been one thing, his betrayal, had he actually been able to save his lover's life. But he hadn't been able to, and so his betrayal was nothing more than just that.

"He was with me." Andreegys was calm, and they both turned to find him sitting on the desk, legs crossed as he leaned back seductively, making good use of Myrna's slender form as he stretched it out. "Still should be, though I suppose there's a story to be told there. No matter, he will still meet his end regardless, the same as you."

"What's going on here? What does he mean you were with him?" Vorne addressed his henchman, already beginning to put the pieces together. But the underling didn't get a chance to explain himself.

"You should look into acquiring more trustworthy help, old friend." The silver eyed immortal demanded their attention with a dominant smile. "It was his grand ideals that made him think he could save you-betray you, as it were, in order to convince me to spare your pathetic, fleeting life. Yet he failed even me, bringing me nothing more than his knowledge of a secret meeting you held with the mother of the abomination-Dede Fletcher."

"There is no secret." The boss was adamant, glancing hostilely over his shoulder at his subordinate, shocked at the betrayal. Many things could be said about Wellever for sure, but disloyal was not one of them. Until now. "The business I have with her is nothing that would concern someone of your stature."

"Even now, when you are already trapped in the ring of fire, you dare to lie to me. I've spoken with her myself, you see, and she was very forthcoming with all the things you thought you could keep hidden. I now know what you've done; how you waited until I was no longer looking to tamper with fate-to ensure her son would take Tobias' place, so that you could save him. Because you love him."