The dining room felt so empty. It had once been bustling with conversation, now it was only Raymond and Victoria. She stared at her plate, her appetite fading. Roast lamb, potatoes and carrots. The meals at the Amitician headquarters had been bland at best. Nothing like the banquets she received in Concordia. Her favourite dish would surely be a disappointment. The hall was silent apart from the clinking of cutlery against plates.
"I dread to think what they'll do to Adelaide once they find her. Running away only further proves her guiltiness" Raymond said.
"Adelaide's not guilty" Victoria said.
Adelaide was guilty. She was involved with Dominic but that was a long time ago. It might as well had been a different Adelaide. And there was no way Victoria was going to let anyone hurt her.
"You might know that, but you have to look at it from their perspective" Raymond replied. "Frankly I think it was a stupid idea busting out of jail. If she was innocent, she would've been proven so".
Victoria would like to have thought Adelaide broke out of jail because she couldn't stand the dark damp cell or she was missing out on the action but Victoria had a sickening feeling it was because of Kiyan. Victoria had never seen Adelaide put her trust in someone she barely knew. It wasn't smart. It wasn't logical. And it wasn't Adelaide. It was not that Victoria wanted to intervene. It was Adelaide's life after all. It was just Victoria didn't want Adelaide to fall prey to another Dominic.
Kiyan walked in, but he didn't creep in quietly like he normally did. He walked with more purpose and force.
"You've decided us to join us this -" Victoria said.
"You must've trained pretty hard to get to where you are now" Kiyan interrupted her.
He was so reluctant to say anything on the airship and now he was casually interrupting her?
"Yes. It's the same for all AIA agents. But most people don't get to my position in their lifetime" Victoria said.
"It was easier for you being the boss's daughter" Raymond said.
"My father's status has nothing to do with my position in the company" Victoria snapped.
"You're Abel Elderwen's daughter?" Kiyan asked, as he sat down, all his new found verve gone.
"Yes. Do you know him?" Victoria said curtly.
"No but my mum did"
"That's nice" Victoria said and turned back to Raymond. "I've trained every day since I was twelve. Don't you dare accuse me of having an easy ride?"
"It just seemed a little suspicious. Such a young person already achieving level 6 status" Raymond said.
"That's impressive. How many levels are they?" Kiyan asked.
"Ten" Victoria said. "But no one achieves that unless you're in charge of the company"
"Would they let me join?" Kiyan asked.
Victoria thought she misheard him for a second.
"Please tell me you're joking" Victoria said.
"No" Kiyan replied.
Victoria threw a pleading look towards her fellow AIA member. Raymond looked like he was stifling a laugh.
"You don't have what it takes, kid" Raymond said.
A flash of annoyance passed over Kiyan's features.
"You don't know that. I've been self-sufficient for the past few years" Kiyan protested. "I can use a bow and arrow and I don't faint at the sight of blood".
"This isn't like killing animals. You would be killing people" Victoria reasoned.
"Criminals. Arresting criminals. It doesn't always come to killing" Kiyan objected.
"No it rarely comes to that. But we carry weapons around with us for a reason" Victoria said.
"And there's always the possibility you kill an innocent. Are you ready to live with that?" Raymond said.
Kiyan didn't say anything. Just stared at his plate.
"There's your answer" Victoria said, taking another bite of her food.
Later that night Victoria brought food to Adelaide given that she couldn't come to dinner. As she carried the tray of food up the spiral stairs, she thought about what Kiyan had said. What did Adelaide think about his ambitions? Did she know about them? Was it her idea? A sickening thought occurred to Victoria. Would Kiyan be coming back to Concordia with them?
Victoria pushed the door open with her back and spun round to find the room empty. Her heart lurched. The door to the en suite bathroom creaked open and Adelaide stepped forward and took the tray from Victoria. Adelaide then sat down and dug into her meal.
"Did Kiyan tell you about his ambitions to be an AIA agent?" Victoria asked.
Adelaide stopped eating. "I thought he was just joking" she said.
"He was asking me about how long I've been training. He sounded pretty serious" Victoria shook her head.
"Now I've thought about it. I don't see the harm in him trying it out. He'll soon see it's not for him and quit" Adelaide said.
"So it's settled? Kiyan will be coming back to Concordia with us?"
"Of course" Adelaide coughed. "He's not really an Amitician and he doesn't have anywhere else to go"
Victoria sighed. "If we must".
"You still don't trust him. Do you?"
"He knew about my father" Victoria hissed. "Don't you think that's a little strange?"
"You're father has made a number of enemies. He was never the most...approachable man".
Victoria didn't show it, but Adelaide's comments stung. She knew it was true, and it wasn't like she was ever close with her father, but he was the only family she had. For years she'd believed she was an orphan and being reunited with her father was both a blessing and a curse.
"If he had grown to hate the AIA why would he want to become a part of it now? It joins the many list of things about him that don't make sense"
A flash of annoyance passed over Adelaide's face. "Go on?"
"During the attack on level one there was only two people unaccounted for. Him and Cecelia who ended up dead on gym floor".
"But we know that was one of Dominic's followers. The message was about him"
"Adelaide, the doctors who examined Cecelia's body concluded that she had been dead hours before she was found. Before the attack even happened. Whoever killed her was already in the building before the attack"
"That doesn't prove anything" Adelaide protested.
"Why can't you see what's right in front of you?" Victoria said and with that she left the room, tired of Adelaide's nonsense.
Just as Victoria marched down the spiral steps Kiyan ran up them.
"A beast has got through the castle wards" he gasped.
"How could that be? Those wards are made of the strongest magic there is" Victoria said.
"I don't know I heard it from Raymond. He's gathering a group in the gym" Kiyan said.
"Good. And you were coming here to tell Adelaide?"
"Of course"
"Don't. We got enough trouble without Adelaide being thrown in the dungeons again. You don't want that, do you?" Victoria asked.
"No" Kiyan answered.
"Keep Adelaide from following us and I'll put a good word in for you in the AIA. The minute we get back to Concordia"
"Really?"
"Yes, but you have to stop Adelaide at all costs"
"How will I do that?" Kiyan asked.
Victoria had started to head towards the other flight of stairs.
"I'm sure you'll find a way" she said.
Priceless paintings and artefacts which had no doubt been inherited through hundreds of generations were strewn across the floor. It was a shame to see such beautiful relics in this state but Victoria had bigger things to worry about. Like the flying Cyclops rampaging towards the royal safe.
It was a stupid imp. Aimlessly circling the room. Victoria jumped on a table and slashed at its wing. This earned a wail from the creature. Another slash to the torso put it out of its misery. Black blood sprayed across the room. Victoria wasn't too concerned. The royal family certainly had enough rooms to live in. This room, along with its possessions, wouldn't be missed.
Victoria was the only person in the room until Raymond came through, a look of absolute horror on his face.
"Is that all the creatures?" Victoria said, almost afraid to hear the answer.
"Almost. There's just one..." Raymond said.
"Where is it?"
"Just outside the gate. A behemoth. I've never seen one like it. We'll need to use infernal magic" he said.
"That demonology degree is coming in handy" Victoria said as they ran outside.
Victoria stopped in her tracks. Raymond had been right. There really was nothing like this behemoth. It looked like a mountain of swamp, with eight legs protruding from it. A black fog surrounded it preventing anyone from getting to close to it.
Panic rose in Victoria's heart as she moved her way through the crowd. Panic that was dosed once she saw the bright orbs of light surrounding the monster. The light rose from the ground burst into sparks that rained down on the swamp monster. The light was blinding but beautiful. It could only be holy light.
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