“Going through someone’s personal belongings is against the law, even if they’re a family member,” Dad said. “Also, imitating someone you’re not and taking valuable information that is not yours to take is against the law as well.”
Shit, we’re mediocre if we ever thought Mum and Dad wouldn’t find out about our phone call and gaining information. Believing we could get away with it was our stupidity. We’re always sneaky and never are found out. However, everyone else wasn’t our parents.
“We made sure that if someone else called, and was pretending to be anyone from the organisation, that they call us immediately. We knew it was the two of you when they said my voice was impersonated. Assuming you’re connecting two and two together, the place you were coming to next would be home.”
“What were we supposed to do? Wait for you to erase her memories again. Unlike last time, a mage is deliberately doing this, so we want to find out.”
Shit, Donte grew some balls as he yelled at Mum and Dad like that.
“Really? Who do you think it is?”
“We suspect that Rokk being missing and Eileen’s sudden memory lapse illness is because of a student mage that has a grudge against her and Highborn. For someone to break through her walls and make her view the reason she is like that, we assume it is because of the foster child of that mage.”
“You’re correct,” Dad grimaced. “Are you here to confirm who you deem suspicious?”
“We think it is Charlie. She wanted to befriend Eileen immediately. She has been inside our home. Charlie even knows which room Eileen sleeps in. She spoke to us about memory potions as well. She knew we had one. She Even started the Academy the exact same time as we did. Befriended her would have been a tactic to get closer to her to break her apart.”
“Interesting,” Mum murmured, and her eyes narrowed.
That is when I realised that we were dead wrong. Glancing at each other, we both silently thought that if it isn’t Charlie, then it must be whoever was working with her. Then, who the fuck was that?
Chapter 34.
Hopper – Pendant.
Wiping tears with the tissue, I stood from beside her bed, grabbed the teacup and saucer and walked out of her room. Grabbing the handle, I felt another presence as I was closing the door. Looking away from the sleeping Mistress and towards the living room, a white-haired teenager stood near the sofa. His eyes narrowed and posture rigid. Confused, I went to speak when I noticed the item clutched in his hands, as the pendant swayed along the chain. Closing her door slowly, I pressed my gloved hand onto the wood and felt the protection rune activate, swirl up the whole door and vibrate with energy and strength.
“Mr Clarintine, my Mistress is currently asleep at the moment. Would you be able to come back some other time? I can call you when she wakes.”
“I think you need to move, servant.”
He most certainly is going to refuse and go through. Slipping a hand into my suit jacket, I grabbed a small potion bottle that I know was swirling with bright yellow liquid. Paralysis potion, even a single touch on the skin will send one numb. It lasts a few hours, depends on how resistant he is to the liquid, but it is most certainly the strongest of its kind. Even if I touch it, I will be paralysed almost instantly.
When I stepped forward, my thumb curled around the lid, and it popped open. Lawliet narrowed his eyes further, and I was getting a sense of anger. I was always suspicious of him. How my Mistress was suddenly curious about him. How most of her time was drawing runes similar to his? It bothered me. I was jealous of him because he was pushing my day with my Mistress aside.
He moved forward quickly with determination. With his movements, I instinctively raised my arm out of my suit jacket, and the yellow liquid sloshed out and splashed across Mr Clarintine’s face. He stepped back, confused. Anticipating when he was going to drop. Instead, it made me surprised, as he wiped the liquid off and white scales rolled over his skin as protection. Paralysis potion was running down his right hand.
“You’re not . . .”
I trailed off as his hand with the yellow liquid slammed into my face, over my mouth. It was muffling my voice and made me inhale the musky scent.
“I know you’re only trying to protect her,” he pushed me down onto the ground. My face and neck were already under paralysis. I couldn’t feel a thing. “But you’re in my way.”
He released his grip. The white scales cleared into the pale white skin and he stood with a deeply annoyed sigh.
Following him with my eyes, my hand that wasn’t completely numb dragged to my suit pants pocket. Curling fingers against the plastic cover, I popped the cover off and felt a slight prick go into my leg before the wave of paralysis sweeps over.
Clarintine stared at the door, as the blue glowing rune stood active and was protecting her door. As long as he has bad intentions for her, he cannot go in my Mistress . . . I trailed off, as he turned the knob and opened the door. Astounded, he walked in and closed the door behind him.
With a new profound sense of motivation to move, as the anti-paralysis potion came into effect, I Pushed up off from the ground. I found that I underestimated Lawliet. Merely believing that he was an angered Highborn, I misunderstood apparently. No one has ever surprised me in a very long time in a threatening way. My mistress is the only one that surprises me daily when she becomes randomly affectionate.
Finally finding the strength to straighten up, pins and needles were zipping through legs, I walked to the door and grabbed the handle. Pushing the door open, I noticed Lawliet was sitting on the seat, head laying on her waist and the hand with the pendant clasped with hers. He was unconscious, as I nudged him, he made no motion of movement. Grimacing, I looked at his hand again and noticed that there was a rune lighting up a brilliant blue on the back of his hand. Knowing what it was, there was no point trying to move him or wake him up because right now, forcing him awake may harm my Mistress in the process. The next best thing to do is seek out the Head Mage, Mika, and demand answers as to why Lawliet has slipped himself into my Mistress’s mind.
It is unorthodox.
Taking steps to move out of the room, I glanced back once, between my Mistress and Lawliet and then sighed. Going to her bottom drawer, I pulled out a woollen blanket and moved towards them. Raising it over his shoulders, I gently placed it down and then left.
As much as I dislike this creature being around my Mistress, deep down I know that all he wants to do is what we’re, her family are trying to accomplish. Saving her is a priority, even knowing going about it may seem more harmful than good. Lawliet Clarintine, I do hope you understand what you’re doing.
Mage Academy during the day is daunting through my eyes. Besides the constant stares that don’t particularly bother me, it more knows the fact that they believe I am strange due to how I am treated by the Frost children. More than likely all of their Shapeshifters are nothing more but servants that bow regularly, rush to their every desire and lack confidence into talking back or talking at all. Seeing a shifter chastising the triplets, walking on his own without an order is a thing they wouldn’t understand. I was grateful to be able to leave the slaves and in a better environment. Not a lot of shapeshifters have done it. A rarity to have a mage buy you, bring you home, and tend to your wounds. It wasn’t the stories I would have heard when I was a slave. It was constant talk of tortures, begging, starving and belittling in the eyes of your surroundings. It sounded of a hell I was not ready to be greeted to, even if I was locked in a cage with many others, in a worst-case scenario, at least I knew what it was.
Frowning at a shape-shifter servant as I walked. He stood outside of the teacher’s faculty lounge, eyes downcast, barely opened, stiff back, and hands beside his side and was waiting for his master to come out and issue him an order. It often makes me wonder, what life it would be if shape-shifters had the same rights as mages. Sadly, that life will never exist when there is an organisation. An organisation is clearly showing us where we all st
and.
Going up the flight of stairs after going around the cafeteria, not wanting to see my mistress’s friends ask where she was, I went around and up the stairs from the public toilets. They had the lingering stench of urine that was coming from the males while the females smelt of various types of perfume.
Going up another flight of stairs, multiple picture frames of graduating students ran along the right side while on the left is a collage of different types of writing of thanks to Mika. Some overlapped one another and had different coloured writing in all different textures. I can imagine my master’s handwriting on there. The snide remarks of Donte and Nixon and the simple, ‘Thank you,’ that would come from Eileen was amusing to me. That lifting feeling before that dawning reminder as to why I was now standing at Head mage's door came crashing back.
Raising gloved hand, I let it hover over the oak double doors that were engraved with elegant textured flowers. They were painted gold and silver while the rest of the entry was smooth darkened brown. It was making the flowers stand out much more.
“Phrelale flowers. They’re quite enchanting,” I murmured.
“When seen, they’re supposed to bring back what was lost. You should know how it works, Hopper.” Turning, I noticed Mika behind me. He was staring at the door interestingly. “Sadly, the Phrelale doesn’t want to open in my presence.”
“Why would you need the Phrelale?” I asked as he moved around me to open the door.
He turned around, smiled and tapped his forehead. Understanding what he was trying to say, I did a small nod and watched him as he walked in casually without bothering if I was following.
I have known the Mika for a very long time. I was there when the Academy went up in a blaze of hatred and burning undesirable. Gospel Frost and I found him unresponsive to his surroundings up in the tower. Soon after, first order he issued to me that was a demand I couldn’t break, and that was to take Mika out and wait for him at the entrance while he looks for Chantelle. Since then, Mika would keep in touch to see how we are doing. I always enjoyed talking to Mika. Watching his mind advance while he was stuck in a never-ending cycle of an eleven-year-old boy. He is an immortal god. Not particularly sure if it is a blessing or a curse, however, I may understand if I can imagine myself watching the ones I have grown close to die while I stay frozen.
Head mage's office he resides in is brightly lit. With various orbs going counter-clockwise around the room, in the dead centre was a reddish-brown oak desk with a laptop propped on it as well as a mug. The room smelled like cocoa, so I assume it was coming from that steaming cup on the table. Other than the table and roller computer chair behind it, the room was bare. With just dark washed brown walls and darkened thick grey carpet. He asked if this chamber was calming in passing as he hopped up on the table. If he really wanted to, he would be able to change the scenery and overall outlook of his office to make the other party comfortable. Unlike students and possibly teachers, it is a rarity for me to be uncomfortable around others that's not the Frost family.
“Alright, did you get into Lawliet’s way? You reek of paralysis potion. Had no effect on him, correct?”
“He came into my Master’s home uninvited. Of course, I would have reciprocated when I felt threatened for who I am protecting.”
“I told him to knock,” Mika muttered under his breath. “Nonetheless, Lawliet is no threat. He would never harm Eileen because he likes her. Yes, he went about it the wrong way, but it is better than sitting around waiting for her parents to come home.”
“You know an awful lot about Eileen Frost.”
“No, I don’t. I find that your masters hide more than you let on. Eileen’s past, the documents of her have next to nothing,” Mika raised his hand and grabbed thin air. A small rune shimmered into focus in the air, and he pulled out one sheet of paper. “Date of birth, age, gender and description of what she looks like is what was emailed to me by her parents. I find this a pathetic excuse of bio that I was issued a month before they came to Mage Academy. You have to understand that for my Academy’s protection, I had to find out more about these Frost children.”
“It is oddly humorous that you say that, because you couldn’t protect a student from being murdered on an excursion you were on as well.”
“Rokk isn’t dead,” Mika stated as he leant back on the table. He caught my attention immediately because that is not what he told my lord and lady of the house. He specifically said that there was traces of blood but no body. They searched and responded it to be, because of so much blood, that it was a murder case. “Don’t you find it strange for so much blood to be splattered around like a crime scene but nobody for a mage to recover? Yes, if we were o-d-h, it is plausible, but we are mages. Master Mages at that and the organisation couldn’t find a body. Now that is humorous.”
“Then where is Rokk and why hasn’t he come out?” I asked.
“Because he is more than likely one of the mages who planned to fake his murder to pin it on Lawliet as well as send Eileen into a coma, which interests me a lot. Hopper, why would they place her in a coma?”
“They?” I avoided the question by asking another question.
“Rokk, Charlie and someone behind the scenes,” he nodded. “Now back to my question. What happened to Eileen when she was younger for someone to have vengeance against her?”
“I know you well, Mika. You know the answer, you merely want confirmation.”
“Then I understand the motive behind the assault. Your masters should have finished it because now that Lowborn mage’s child wants her to remember so they can finish her off with her knowing the reasons behind it, correct?”
“We believe so,” I murmured.
“Your masters truly are despicable Highborn’s,” Mika muttered bitterly.
Not saying a word, I stared down at my feet. I know all too well where he’s coming from. For I do think bitterly of lord and lady’s decisions when it comes to their children.
“There is something you must know, Mika, and in the end, it is your decision on what you would like to do about this matter.”
Lawliet Clarintine, as much as I despise you, you’re the only one that could defy my masters and help Eileen Frost. You have no fear, and I respect that. Bring my Mistress, Eileen Frost, home.
Chapter 36.
Lawliet – finding the real Eileen.
Landing on soft, freshly mowed green grass, I stared angrily at the wet soil that splattered upon my face. Rising into a seated position, the hose beside me was running with ongoing ice-cold water. Wiping face, removing the blades of grass and specs of dirt, I stood, now fucking sopping wet and in a pissy mood.
Two minutes into removing myself from her bedroom into her mind, and I happened to land in a large puddle of water. Aggravated, I kicked the orange plastic nozzle attached to the hose. It sprayed around to the right and sprayed near the side of the house where the tube leads around. Trailing after it, I rounded to the edge of the house to where the hose is connected to the tap. Twisting it until it turned off, I leant against the brick wall and frowned. If I were Eileen, where would I be? My first thought should be her room, except I recall her telling me how she enjoyed sitting in the library reading books about runes. Suppose if this were one of the many enclosed memories that Mika was talking about, best bet would be bedroom or library.
“Except, why was the hose left on?”
I doubt anything left out in memory should go unnoticed. In a world of Eileen, anything is possible and plausible.
Shrugging hands into pockets, I dragged eyes around and cast them along anything suspicious. The hose on, the hot sunny day that is quite comfortable that was soaking into the skin, and sopping wet grass. Obviously, because I am not a fucking idiot, they were or are still outside and was playing with the water.
Back to the front, there were no footprint tracks that went towards the brick stairs nor wet trail marks. The house looks ordinary in appearance; however, I feel the magic residing within. Not
enough to erase water markings on the tiled entrance. Arid. They must still be outside. Maybe around the back.
Walking around the other way, along the side has dark trail markings that were leading towards the thickly covered rose bushes that were forming a fence hedge to block out the next-door neighbours. Going towards it, I noticed feet were hanging out from the bottom. Small feet. If this is a childhood memory I stumbled in, this is going to be annoying.
Crouching down, I expected whomever it is to jump out at any given moment. I curled fingers around the thorns and parted them. Narrowing eyes further, I leant forward, pushed through when I walked out to the other side and into a darkened closet. Instead of parting the thorns, I was separating soft fabric that enclosed over me. Thoroughly confused, I leant back and reached out only to touch the wooden back smooth surface.
Did I jump into another memory?
Light shined brightly from the glass screen door when I opened the closet door. Now in an L-shaped hallway that bends towards a staircase that leads up, the first two rooms on either side of each other are the kitchen and lounge room. Not overly surprised to see that it is bland and clinically clean. Not a speck of dust in sight. The only part that is uncomfortable was the fact that it is surprisingly silent. Eerie even. Not even my apartment is as quiet as this. Unfortunately, I have Mika who breaks the silence that I enjoy the most.
I walked around the couch, touched things as I went when a suspiciously familiar blue glow underneath the placemat on the glass coffee table caught my attention. Moving the white mesh placemat, I exhaled a small amount of breath at Eileen’s jump rune hidden underneath it and very active. With the bright blue lines, there seems to be not that much age. Nearly fresh. Almost as if it has been done no longer than a few hours beforehand.
Emotionless: (Prototype: Zero book 1) Page 34