The Hanes Enigma

Chapter Seven - Connection

Kai Finton
Ten years ago

"But I hurt you. If they find out, they might not want to help me anymore..." The boy looks away, tears in his eyes. I can't begin to imagine what this kid has gone through and the hug I pull him into is genuine.

"Jin, my brother's the Kalamani Peacekeeper. Your father took me, not you, and he'll understand that you didn't have a choice. He'll also be grateful that you didn't leave me alone in order to run away faster. We will help. In return, all I'm asking is that you're honest." I cup the boy's damp cheeks with my warm hands and give him a friendly smile. He nods, still chewing nervously on his bottom lip. I take his hand and lead him into my brother's study.

"When are your parents getting home?" He looks up at me innocently and I clench my jaw silently.

"It's just me and Mishal. We have each other, that's it." I knock on the door and my brother calls us in.

"Jin! How did you sleep." Mishal grins from behind his desk, papers scattered over every inch of the surface.

"O-Okay, thank you." He mumbles. I know it's a lie. He had a nightmare. And set his mattress alight. Luckily, in a house built for Kalamani, pretty much everything is fireproof.

"I need to ask you some questions about your father." Mishal gives the boy a sympathetic smile.

"Why?.." Jin frowns slightly.

"Well..." My brother looks away, nervous to broach the topic. "This isn't the first time he's taken a Kalama. Now, he has to answer for his crimes."

Jin nods slowly. "Will he die?"

Mishal bites his lip and sighs. "It's likely..."

"Good. I'll help you."

Taken aback, my brother and I blink at each other for a moment before looking back at Jin.

"Right! Well. Good." Mishal frowns, laughing awkwardly before getting out a fresh sheet of paper and poising his pen above it, ready to note down anything of importance.

"Jin, are you alright for me to leave you to it? I want to go and thank that angel properly." I place a hand on the boy's shoulder. He looks up at me and smiles, nodding.

"Please be safe." My brother frowns.

"By 'safe' you mean dangerously good-looking and attractively reckless, right?" I smirk slightly. My brother purses his lips together and I wink at Jin before slipping out of the room with a cheeky glint in my eye.

***

I look down at the band of white stones suspiciously and point my finger at it. That seems to go through well enough, so I take a step forward but am thrown backwards and land abruptly and painfully on my arse. Grumbling to myself, I flick a whip of flame at the invisible wall, which reflects it exactly back to me and causes welts to form in a line on the arm I held up in automatic defence.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" The angle runs out of his cottage and clicks his fingers, immediately crouching next to me. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy." I grumble, refusing his outstretched hand and pushing myself to my feet.

"Come inside, I'll have them gone in seconds." The angel beams at me. I can't help but smile back, it's infectious. I follow him inside the circle and watch curiously as he clicks his fingers again.

"How does it work?" I stare back at it as the angel leads me over to the cottage.

"Oh.. I don't actually know. A colleague gave it to me." He shrugs and ushers me inside quickly. "You really should be wearing a jacket, you know." He scowls.

"Believe me, I'm hot enough on my own." I smirk slightly. The angel looks up at me and tilts his head. I wonder if he even gets the joke.

"Right... Well, let me see your arm." I stretch it out to him and watch as he examines it carefully. "This was quite a piece of magick... I'm impressed."

That ruffles my ego a little. "Thanks. My brother taught it to me when I became an adult." I chuckle at the memory.

The angel smiles and runs his hand over my arm. "I don't think I ever caught your name."

"Kai. Kai Finton. And you?"

"Jung Hoseok." He grins at me and reinspects my arm. Satisfied with his work and puts it down. "Did you hurt yourself anywhere else when you fell over?"

I smirk slightly. "That depends.. Will you put those hands anywhere I ask you too?"

"If it's necessary." Hoseok frowns. "Why?"

"Well.. I landed quite hard. There might be bruising." I bite my lip and he chuckles.

"You're really trying, aren't you?" He tilts his head and suddenly I feel a slight blush creeping up my cheeks.

"I uh.. I don't know what you mean..."

"Don't worry, it's not the first time. Yes, I get dirty jokes and, surprising as it may be, I'm actually not a virgin. You can joke as much as you want, but I've probably heard it a-"

"No, no, no! That's not what I was doing!" I frown. Do people really say those kinds of things?

"It wasn't?.." He frowns, suddenly confused. "Then what are you doing?.."

"Well, I... I was trying to flirt..." I clear my throat and turn my head away in hopes of hiding my red cheeks.

"You were..." He blinks, confused. "Oh..."

We stare at each other for a few seconds until I clear my throat again.

"I should go. I'm sorry for bothering you." I bow awkwardly and turn to his door, reaching for the handle.

"You don't have to!... You could stay... For a bit... If you want..."