Elliott leaned over his desk. He took deep breaths but nothing seems to calm his raging heart. With a ferocious growl, he slammed the desk to pieces. Jaxon winced while Kai glared grimly. Joshua looked completely unaffected while Owen did not even have the energy to reprimand him. Aeron looked like he wanted to vanish while Haley just curled up with a pale face.
"Have you found Mark Rowe yet?" Elliott growled at Joshua who shook his head.
"The little weasel has hidden himself well. Maybe he skipped town."
"I doubt it. He knows that we will hunt him down like a dog. No, he most likely went to Ronan Walsh for protection," said Kai openly took a drink. He was in no mood to hide his drinking habits.
"Probablement. He most likely was under Ronan's order," Joshua replied.
"Doubtful. Ronan would never allow anyone to kill a child," said Elliott and Joshua snorted.
"No, he just abuses them."
"He doesn't consider a sixteen years old boy a child. But Lewis Nottingham was just five years old. He won't let that stand," Elliott said and Joshua cocked an eyebrow at him. Elliott grimaced as he knew how it sounded. He did not want to defend Ronan but this was not like him.
"I'm not worried about Walsh but we need to find Mark Rowe and punish him. Or all shifters might be blamed for this," said Owen and all of the room fell silent as they all knew that this was the truth. The coven has wanted to blame the shifters for something. This was a golden opportunity for them.
"Why not hand Rowe over to the coven?" Jaxon asked. His voice came out like a meek whisper as he still could see the broken, little body of a child in front of him. The smell of blood haunted him. Kai glanced at him before putting an arm around his brother who at the moment looked very young.
"Because the coven would rip him apart. You saw what they wanted to do to Blake even though he was innocent," said Elliott grimly.
"And that is a bad thing. The lad is a murderer," said Joshua."He ripped a child to pieces."
Elliott sighed and rubbed his face. This whole incident was bizarre at best. Mark Rowe was many things, but a murderer? What the hell happened? Could it be...
"What are you thinking?" asked Owen.
"We know that someone is pulling the strings in the background. I am wondering if Mark's action was truly his own," Elliott muttered.
"The choice of killing a child was his," Joshua answered but Elliott was not as sure. There was plenty of magic that could affect a person. Not to mention taking control of them. Fingal Keir was the proof of that.
"Anyway, I don't think that sending a child to be ripped apart by a mob is justice. Rowe need to be judged in a trial, not by an angry mob," said Elliott.
"I don't think you have any choice?"
Everyone turned to the door who had opened and a pale Hamish Macrae stood there. His face was red after all the crying and his eyes were hollow. Haley got up and embraced his boyfriend without saying a word. Hamish sniffed while asking how Lewis could be dead. He and Haley just babysat him last week. The words hit Elliott's heart and it ached with the thought of his own future child. The pain Matthew must go through...
"What is going on?" Elliott asked gently and Hamish looked back at him when he had collected himself.
"The head Druid is mad. He wants Rowe dead. He even blames you. Knowing that you won't give him what he wants, he has gone to the coven that is more than willing to stir up trouble."
"Shit! Seems that we really need to hurry to find Rowe," Kai grumbled.
"That is not the only problem, we need to call in every shifter. Send a warning to all shifters in Elan academy. All those living outside our pack are at risk of being assaulted," Owen said grimly and Elliott nodded.
"Kai, take a few of the pack members and head over Elan Academy and warn Freya. She needs to know about this," Elliott turned to Joshua."Find Ronan. If we find him we might be able to locate Rowe."
Elliott looked at the youngest in the room and could only grit his teeth as he saw their confused and sorrowful eyes. They were too young for this. No one should have to handle seeing a child die.
"All of you, go home. Rest. Grieve," Elliott turned his gaze towards Hamish." You are more than welcome to stay with us."
Hamish just nodded without saying another word as he curled up into Haley's arms. No one said another word as it wasn't needed. All that was left was the overwhelming emotions and numbness.
*****
Blake closed to the door to his room. Alex stayed at Hadrien's home again which left him with a very empty room. Blake could not blame in after what happened but he did not want to spend the evening alone. It was just too hard. His thoughts came rushing back at him like a landslide. If he hadn't curse Ronan then Rowe would never have gone after Nottingwood and his son would...
Blake shook his head to chase away the lingering feelings of guilt. He could not blame himself for the actions of others. That is what Jaxon always tells him. Right now he really needs to listen to that advice.
"Blake?"
A familiar voice sounded behind Blake and he turned to face Leon who stood there with a gentle expression on his face.
"Oh, hey," Blake muttered and could hear the hollow sound coming from his own voice.
"Sorry I couldn't be here sooner," Leon just said without caring for the coldness underneath Blake's words. Blake let out a long sigh.
"No, it's not your fault and from I heard you spoke in my defense in the trial which cost you the heir position."
"And my place in the coven. I was exiled and is officially a Hedgewitch now," Leon said with a humorless chuckled.
"Well, there are no rules, we have a great community with two members and you might even have a shot of becoming the leader of our group. Pyramus won't take the position and I cannot for the life of me get in contact with any other Hedgewitches."
"You have tried to contact other Hedgewitches?"
"Yeah, I got the idea that if we could band together we might stand up to the coven. Even got the phone number to Cainen Harwen but the guy won't pick up."
"Cainen... Yeah, he could definitely be of use. He has a lot of pull among the Hedgewitches. But he is..." Leon scratched his head. "Well, he is Cainen."
"You know of him?"
"I- yes, you can say that. He is two years older than me. Graduated last year. Extremely... charming but cannot for the life of his care about anything."
"Sounds like you have a history."
"Yes, it quite accurate to say so," Leon sighed. "I can try. He will definitely answer when I call."
"You are that close?"
"Not really, at least not since I found out about him cheating with half the school," Leon muttered and Blake cocked an eyebrow while Leon avoided his gaze.
"Well, I appreciate the sentiment at least."
"I'm just happy to help. How are your elemental studies going?"
Blake groaned at the thought of his failed spells. He had burned himself to the point that he just stopped trying.
"That bad?"
"I am so bad at it that it has become a standing joke by now. I thought I was supposed to be good at magic. Turned out I was miserable at it," Blake said with a shrug and Leon chuckled.
"There are hundreds of different crafts. Maybe elementalism isn't your thing. Magic is no different from sports or creative works. Not all have the talent for all things. I doubt that Jaxon could ever paint anything that didn't resemble a doodle."
Both of them chuckled at Jaxon's several attempts of paintings when he wanted to spend more time with Blake and joined some of the art lessons Blake went to. The Art teacher had just stared and called his painting a youthful expression of cubism.
"Well, at least he makes a good model," Blake chuckled as last time Jaxon was forced to spend three hours sitting on the table in a weird position for the art kids.
Leon grimaced at the memory, he had to serve Jaxon with food and drink or he refused to do it. Leon shook his head before looking awkward.
"Yes, well, I wouldn't mind continuing your training in fire elementalism if you don't mind."
"Of course, I don't. But I must tell you. I am now able to start and extinguish a fire. So I have pretty much mastered it already," Blake said sarcastically while the two friends went over to the diner to get something to eat.
*****
Ahriman grimaced as he stared up at the sky of his prison. He could feel his skin burn off before healing again and again as the acid rain fell upon it. The blood-red sky screeched as clouds formed into a face. It was neither male or female, neither was the being's voice that boomed through the hollow prison.
"Your sins run deep, Prince of Darkness."
"My mistakes are created by foolish humans. Sanity is not one of their traits," muttered Ahriman while staring down into the well of knowledge.
"What are you seeking?"
"An enemy hiding in the dark. I cannot find a trace of them."
"You are looking at the wrong thing."
"Do you know something, Hel?" Ahriman asked while smiling up at the clouds. The face did not change as it answered.
"I know many things as the Archon of the Hereafter."
"True, but it must be dull down in the land of the dead if you keep sneaking peeks into the land of the living, " said Ahriman and turned his gaze towards the chaotic water of the well. It flashed to whatever he wanted to see. Past or present. He saw the corpse of the dead child and pondered his mistake.
"What did I miss?"
"Names."
"Names? What-"
"You don't have one."
"I have many."
"But none are your true name. Names represent what we are, who we are. You forgot so as you do not have one. Just a title."
"That title speaks of what and who I am. It is my most important thing."
"It might be but for others, their names are important and you forgot to look at that obvious fact. Find the meaning of the name and you find your answer, Prince of Darkness." The face faded and Ahriman turned away from it and touched the water of the well.
"A name I should know..."