The Hanes Enigma

Chapter Three - Puhihu Manor

Etney Adara

Four Years Ago

I barely hear the pounding on the wooden, front door as I watch my fist hit it repeatedly; my heart pounds too thickly in my ears. As the door opens, I have to snatch my hand away before I accidentally knock on Namjoon's face.

"Etney?.." His eyes are open wide, surprised.

"I'm sorry I didn't text!" I'm panting; it's a struggle to get any word out.

"Don't be. I'm shocked, of course, but it's a nice surprise." He grins and that is almost enough to make me forget everything that is wrong with today. Almost.

"It's not. I... I didn't know where else to go. I don't have anyone else..." I feel my eyes getting hot and my throat stinging slightly. Don't cry. I hate crying.

"Et..." He frowns now. He's clearly worried.

"The clanless. They took Puhihu Manor. They have my family. I don't.. I don't know what to do. I don't even know who to go to! The high priestess would help me, of course, but I have no idea how to find her! All the people I normally go to when I don't know this stuff are being held hostage right now!!" Namjoon cups my cheeks and I immediately stop talking.

"Okay. First, breathe." He chuckles sadly, looking into my eyes.

I gulp and decide not to tell him that his being this close is probably the opposite of helpful when it comes to making me breathe. Instead, I nod and take a deep breath in and out.

"Secondly, can they get the Kawela stone?" His hands now drop to my shoulders.

I gulp thickly before shaking my head. "Only a warlock or a kalama could get through that magick."

"Good. Then wait here. I'll make something up to tell my mum - it's probably a bad idea to tell her that I'm friends with an Adara unless we have time for a game of twenty thousand questions. While you're here, I'll find out what I can from a few of my clanless contacts." He smiles comfortingly.

"I thought you said they'd let you go." I frown, not liking how it sounds as though he still talks to these people on a reasonably regular basis.

"They did! But I met a few others who didn't want to be in there either but were being blackmailed." He explains, and quickly my face softens. Of course, Namjoon wouldn't still work for people like that. He's too genuinely good.

***

Kim Namjoon

I speed-walk down the bustling street, sliding between crowds of people until I finally come to the sight I've been searching for. A man in a long, plum-coloured coat.

He turns to me, grey-white hair bouncing ever so slightly at the movement. "Namjoon. Long time, no see. I was glad for you. I thought you were the first of us to actually make it out alive. But everyone makes some slip-up, don't they?.." He sighs. "Even Kim Namjoon."

"Etney's family..." I purse my lips. "It wasn't in the deal. I said they couldn't hurt my family or her but because I didn't mention hers, this is what..? A message?"

"To other people like us, yes. They want to show that we can't win, no matter what. That good and moral can't win. No matter how hard we try." He glares at the ground and I grimly take a seat next to him on the bench.

"But.. But Senator, there must be something I can do! I feel so awful." I bite down hard, teeth grinding together. I hate being the cause of Etney's misery.