by Namita Singh
is at least fifteen minutes from this place. I cannot believe we have taken longer than that. Then maybe my worry must have kept me fairly occupied to not realize how long we are taking.It’s eerily silent as Aakir parks next to my father’s car. The house has an indiscernible boundary with only plain sand extending beyond the driveway. Near enough, I sense the placidly placed auras in the house. Without further ado, I jump out of the car.
9.The Alpha Tales
Neal is richer than I thought him to be. His house is similar to the Victorian houses found in the United Kingdom, only double the size. It’s as odd as it is extravagant, considering it’s a beach house. His front door opens into a large living room; exceedingly large as compared to the normal sizes. A plain wooden frame divides it into two sections, one containing the plush sofas, while the other expresses a plain hall that ends in a vestibule, the latter, which I assume, leads to the backside of the house, the sea side. The wooden frame contains apanoramic sized glass, effectively separating the two sections. Everything in the living room, from the bronze vases to the marble flooring to the fancy curtains up to the hefty chandelier on the top screams money.
The huge mahogany entrance door to the house was ajar when Aakir and I entered. Neal, who is sitting on one of the plush sofas, has his eyes trained on us as we enter. He is sitting on the edge, his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped in front of him. He looks slightly petrified but above everything he looks annoyed and massively angry. Reprieved to see him in a healthy state and ignoring his annoyed looks, I dart my eyes toward the other two people. Ethan and my father have spoken not one word upon mine and Aakir’s entrance. They are engrossed in their own little staring match, a few feet away from where Neal is sitting. Ethan’s eyes flicker above my father’s shoulder, taking in our sight. He needn’t though; I am sure he can sense us well.
“Are you really going to retaliate?” Ethan asks my father, sounding almost tired. “You know there is no point.”
“You’re not taking the boy, Ethan.” Father replies placidly, but his tone is final.
Ethan scoffs, “You really don’t want to be caught in the middle of this, Nikolai.”
My father turns half way towards Aakir and I, “Take him home.” He says tersely to us.
I look at Neal who is furiously frowning, his eyes darting from my father to me. I gesture for him to come. His expressions turn more annoyed, if possible.
“I am not going anywhere with you.” Neal snaps, glaring daggers at me.
“Yes, he isn’t.” Ethan says, staring murderously at me.
“I am not going anywhere with you either.” Neal snaps at him. “This is my house. All of you need to get out of here.” He hollers.
“That’s not your decision to make.” Ethan quips.
“Excuse me?” Neal snaps.
“Now we can do this maturely,” Ethan says, ignoring Neal and instead glaring at my father, who hasn’t budged one inch from his position in front of Ethan, “or you’re really going to regret your decisions, Nikolai.”
“I want you to leave, Ethan. I want you to go back to your realm.” Father replies, his tone as placid as ever.
Ethan huffs, a disbelieving expression on his face, “You’re willing to turn against an occultist for a mere servant? Nikolai, you’re better than that. Think with a sane mind. The family in which you’re giddily inviting Neal in will cease to remain in the coming future if you stand against our rulers. You can sense him,” Ethan flicks his head towards Neal, “you know that he belongs to the First Occultist.”
I discreetly try to motion for Neal to get up and traverse towards us. Neal catches my eye but only settles at glaring hatefully at me.
“The boy is not going with you, Ethan.” Father repeats, almost monotonously.
“Is that a challenge?” Ethan snaps, his frowning stare hardening.
My eyes, which are mostly trained at Neal, turn fully towards Ethan in an odious glare. Ethan is unfazed as he continues to glare at my father, not even acknowledging his fluxing arm, which is turning into a monstrous claw right in the sight of my partner. I almost groan at how fast things are moving.
“What the hell?” Neal says, his voice shaking as he hastily gets up. His eyes are glued to Ethan’s fluxed hand in a mixture of disbelief, horror and annoyance.
“Josh, take him.” My father commands, not letting his eyes leave Ethan’s sight.
“I am not going anywhere.” Neal snaps, “I need a fucking phone.”
“Don’t make it tough for you.” Ethan says, stoically staring at my father, his fluxed arm threatening him wordlessly.
“I think you’ve mistaken for whom it’ll be tougher.” Aakir says, walking and standing behind my father.
“Stop, Ethan.” Father repeats.
“Neal!” I hiss, walking along the periphery towards him.
He gives me a petrified look and begins to inch away, towards the other end of the living room.
“That boy is not your property.” Ethan says, his face twisting in a grimace.
“Neither is he yours.”
“He belongs to my realm, Nikolai. He belongs to the occultist of my realm.”
“Shit.” Neal whispers harshly as my father also fluxes his arm. He moves away at a greater speed now, briskly walking to escape from the other end.
“Neal!” I exclaim, exasperated at his panic, walking towards him.
Ethan distractedly looks towards Neal, which gives more than enough opportunity to my father to grasp Ethan’s throat.
“I do not want to fight.” Father declares hastily as Ethan tries to pry his arm off, “I simply want you to leave with Vincent. Your luggage will be waiting for you outside the door of my house. The members of my cult will empower you, Ethan. Do not try to mess up.”
I am solely focused on following Neal as he retreats backwards towards the other opening. I motion for him to calm down but that only manages to infuriate and make him more anxious, making him fidgety as he keeps going backwards. In the blink of an eye a figure approaches from behind Neal, from the same vestibule he had been planning to escape from. My sudden reflexes have me on high alert until I realize that it’s just Rufina aunt drenched in water from head to toe, wearing a long cotton dress that reaches her feet. I am assuming she has swum to this side. Before Neal can even realize her presence, Rufina aunt holds him from behind, one arm keeping his protests at bay and the other hand pressing forcefully in the pressure point right below his right ear. It takes only five seconds for Neal’s eyes to shut close as he loses consciousness. He falls limp in Rufina aunt’s arms. She slowly lets Neal’s body fall to the ground and she looks up, towards us.
Ethan notices my aunt’s entry, his hands trying to pry off my father’s but not entirely succeeding.
“You’re a fool if you people think you can escape with this.” Ethan says, “How long will you hide him, Nikolai? It’s only a matter of time before I return back here with triple the force you’ve restrained me with. You’re wrongly keeping Neal with you. And you’re going to make your whole family regret your decision.”
My father lets go of Ethan’s throat, making the latter stumble back. Caught in the limelight, Ethan looks around only to find himself surrounded by the four of us with Neal peacefully lying behind aunt Rufina. Of course he can make the calculation about who will be escaping with whom tonight. Even with Vincent’s help, he can’t overpower my family.
“I’ll repeat again. Your luggage is waiting outside my house. Gather that along with your partner and leave my city.” Father says.
Ethan glares hatefully at my father before giving one brief glance at a helpless Neal. He has no choice but to walk out of that door. And he does so, with heavy steps, each thud of his step echoing a silent promise of coming back for vengeance.
As soon as we feel his aura disappear form the distance, our shoulders sag. Father fluxes his arm back into his human arm. He takes out his cell phone and immediately dials a number. The way he starts off with instructions, I a
ssume he is talking with Terry uncle. The rest of us remain glued to our places. I am stuck in my place more out of shock than anything else. Father soon disconnects and rubs a hand on his face.
“Alright.” He says, turning towards us. Aakir is standing almost next to him while I am standing midway between him and my partner. Next to my partner’s unconscious body is Rufina aunt, looking worried. “Aakir, Josh,” he points at us, using his voice that you can barely think of countering, “Go home immediately. Terry and Gwen are the only ones at home. Make sure that Ethan and Vincent depart without incident. Ruf and I’ll bring him home,” he nods at Neal, “after some time.”
Aakir immediately starts to walk towards the front door, to exit the house. I stand my ground, “But…” I start, “I want to stay.” I say. He should understand that I would want to be with my partner at this moment.
“Josh,” he says in a tired, yet strict voice, “Go.”
“Rufina aunt can go.” I suggest.
“Don’t argue with me, Josh.” Now my father looks angry and I am momentarily surprised that father is expressing something. But I still do not move.
“But-” I start again.
“It’s already enough that you didn’t tell me about your partner’s aura. And your failure at convincing your own partner to flee with you is again more than enough.” He snaps suddenly, “Now, do me a favor and at least listen to what I am saying. Just Go.”
The last time my father had