GABRIEL
I walked past Tobias who was venting on the phone to his father. I rushed down toward the registration building. My legs pumped faster as I stepped inside. All the royals waited with blankets around them, speaking to Principal Jack as Master Conway gave them something for their nerves. To think that they were going to run a country one day was scary.
Their parents would arrive soon to come and fetch them and ask questions I hope Jack and Timothy Holden had the answers to this time.
I entered the infirmary. Vincent walked over as Ed downed a glass of orange juice.
“You okay?”
“More than okay.”
“Is Max?”
“She is getting a transfusion as we speak. I’ll be watching over her tonight,” Vincent said. “Are you okay?”
I nodded as I brushed my hand through my hair.
“Okay, do you know anything about six vials of elixirs that’s gone missing from my cabinet?”
“You were busy; I needed them.”
He sighed.
“I needed them. I know how valuable they are to you.”
He nodded as the corner of his lips curved upward. “I’m glad that you got them out of there. Max will be fine. I just don’t know about her X-Gene.”
“They harnessed it, didn’t they?” I asked.
He nodded.
“So it’s gone?”
“She wouldn’t be alive if it was. We need to find out the condition of her X-Gene and whether it will be able to strengthen by itself.”
I nodded.
“You need something?”
“I need answers. You need anything from me?” I questioned.
“No, but Jack might.”
I turned around and walked back down the hallway.
“Gabriel.” Ed followed me.
“Go rest, Ed. Please.”
“It’s not how it works. I’ll come with you.”
“I’m okay.”
“Stop saying that you are okay. Bane was like a father to you.”
I sighed. There was no more strength in me to fight Ed too. We reached Jack who spoke to Alexis.
“Gabriel, how—”
“Can we please leave that for later? I need to get to my uncle.”
“He’ll be here soon.”
I sighed as I brushed my hands through my hair again as Jack reached us.
“You look drained,” Jack said.
“It’s because I am.”
“Who is it?”
My gaze flickered to Jack and squinted.
“Alexis said that there was someone you knew.”
“Bane,” I breathed out.
“What?”
I shook my head. “Please, not tonight…”
He nodded. I walked out of the infirmary and laid down on the grass.
“Gabe!” Alexis yelled as Ed rushed toward me.
“Stop yelling, Alexis. I’m okay.”
A sob pushed through her lips. She always cried after the adrenaline washed away.
“It’s okay. You were great tonight,” Ed said. “We all could do with a good rest. Why don’t you go to your room, take a shower, and climb into bed?”
“You sure?” She sniffed.
“Yeah. You did enough tonight.”
“Sorry, Gabe.”
“I am. Go rest.”
She walked away, and I wondered if she was emotionally ready for the things I sometimes put on her shoulders. A sniff followed her down the hallway that led toward the girls’ dormitories.
Ed came and laid down next to me on the grass. We both looked at the stars. Everything looked so peaceful and yet in my heart, it was a turmoil of rampages.
The popping sounds of witches entering the shield of Beaumond Academy reached my ears.
Queens crying as they ran toward their children. The kings all wanted answers.
“Guess our break is over,” Ed said as he sat up. I followed his lead.
He got up first and lent me a hand.
I saw my uncle hugging Tobias, who was still ranting in his arms.
“Enough!”
“He was out of line,” Tobias said.
“He went through a lot with you tonight. That stress to find you. You are cousins. Don’t forget that.”
He mumbled something as he saw me coming near him.
“Thank you, Gabriel,” Uncle Matthew said.
“I don’t want your thanks. I want answers.”
My uncle squinted.
“You see?” Tobias said.
“I said enough,” Uncle Matthew replied.
Tobias grunted, walked away before he disappeared through his ring.
“What is this about?”
“She is alive. Did you know?”
“Who?”
“My mother. And Bane was right next to her.”
“Bane?”
Tears welled up in my eyes. “Who is my father?”
“I don’t know.”
“You said that she was dead.”
“Gabriel, she is. I buried her.”
I smacked my hand hard against the wall. “Stop lying to me. I saw her with my own eyes before she fucking shifted into the falcon.”
My uncle just stared at me. “Lower your voice. I know you are angry, but I’m still the king of the warlocks.”
I shifted back on the heels of my shoes and put some distance between us.
“Come home, so we can discuss this like two adults in my office.”
“Gabriel,” Ed spoke.
“I’m fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.” My gaze shifted to the infirmary. “Let me know when there are any changes.”
He nodded.
My uncle took me by the arm, and we transported through his ring.
The pull came fast. Before I could count to three, we were on solid ground in the castle’s backyard.
I walked with him up the steps and through the iron doors, up the staircase in the foyer and down the hallway toward his office.
There was no sign of Tobias. I knew I was out of line with him tonight, but he knew very well not to throw his title around during a time like that.
I walked into my uncle’s office and plopped down in the chair in front of his desk.
The door closed behind me, and the clinking of his whiskey trolley reached my ears.
A few seconds later, a tumbler of golden liquid got placed in front of me.
Uncle Matthew went to sit in his chair with a glass in his hand, too.
“You sure it was her?”
“Yeah. Lucious was with her.”
My uncle froze.
“I think it was him. They left fast.”
“No, Lucious was here.”
“I’m telling you what I saw.”
“And Lucious was here. We had to work together to get the princes and princesses back.”
I nodded.
“What did she say to you when she saw you?” My uncle’s question penetrated my thoughts.
“Nothing, her eyes said enough.”
I brought the tumbler to my lips and took a sip of the liquid. It warmed my tongue and glided down my throat.
“Is Bane my father?”
“No, he is part djinn and part werewolf. I told you that.”
“Then who is my father?”
“I don’t know. Tobias said that the girl that got taken with them was ready to join them.”
“She was trying to stall for time. She knew I was on my way. I told him that.”
“Gabriel?”
“They took her fucking X-Gene, Uncle. She almost died. Believe me when I tell you, she was stalling.”
Silence lingered. “Will she be okay?”
“She will live, but we don’t know what condition her X-Gene will be in. If it’s even going to work still.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
I sighed, as that was all I ever heard with Maxima Lane. “How did she die?” I asked.
“We found her body in the lake. I’ve told you that.”
“It wasn’t her.”
“Then it was staged, Gabe. But I buried my sister eighteen years ago. I raised her son from that moment on as if he was my own.”
I stared at the liquid in my glass. The tears were close by.
“I can only imagine the disappointment you feel about now.”
My shoulders shook as so many things washed over me. Disappointment was last. Betrayal was way at the top. Neglect and rejection followed a bunch of other feelings that I normally never bothered to let in as they would eat you like a virus if you gave them the time.
A hand squeezed my shoulder, and I knew it was my uncle. “What do you need? Time away from the Shield?”
“A break is the last thing I need now. Sleep. I need to sleep and something to eat. I’m starving.”
“I’ll get them to prepare you something.” He walked to the door.
“I’m sorry about the way I acted.”
“It’s okay. You scared your cousin, but I’ll tell him you were beside yourself.”
“Thank you.”
I got up and went to my room. I needed a warm shower, some food, and then my bed.
* * *
Gabby kept me company, asked a lot of questions that she probably got from her brother’s rant. She seemed satisfied with my answers.
I left early the next morning and went back to the academy.
Max was still asleep.
“She is almost out of the woods,” Vincent said. “Just give her time to rest, Gabe.”
I nodded and left her in his care.
When I got to my room, Ed’s door opened and he gave me that look. The one that said he wanted answers.
He followed me into his room. The door closed as I took off my vest. Silence lingered for a while.
“Gabe, what spell did you use?”
He was going to see right through me if I lied, but I couldn’t tell him the truth. I just couldn’t. Nobody could know.
“Gabe?”
I sighed but didn’t look at him. “Do you trust me?”
“With my life.”
“Then trust me that when the time is right, I’ll tell you everything. But right now, I can’t tell you more than that.”
“Does this have to do with the thing you have to figure out?”
“Ed, please?”
He nodded and left it there. “Are you okay?”
I huffed. “I don’t know. Finding out that my mother didn’t die…” Tears threatened to prick.
“I can only imagine.”
“Bane is alive. I froze.”
“Gabe, it’s normal. He was your mentor, a father figure.”
“Still, he could’ve killed Max.”
“You really think that she stalled?”
“I told her to stall. She was terrified of losing her X-Gene.”
He nodded and squeezed my shoulder. “I’m here if you need to talk.”
“I know. I appreciate it.”
“Always, Gabe.”
More days passed.
I went to the three funerals. Even Ben’s. It was hard to give my condolences to Nico. He wanted to know how Max was.
Of course, he knew her.
“Still sleeping.”
He nodded.
I let them be and turned around and left.
I checked in regularly on Max. She didn’t even get to say goodbye to Ben. How was she going to process everything without saying goodbye?
I carved two more lines on my forearm. Bane wasn’t dead, and the one that I’d carved out for him belonged to Petunia now.
I couldn’t believe that my mother had killed Zeke. Why?
There were now ten lines on my arm. I covered it with a bandage. They’d all died on my watch. Every time I said no more, they jumped on there.
Everyone got slowly back into routine. Everyone but Max. When was she going to wake up?