Page 149 of Wicked Heirs

Yeah, he knew how bad and out there it really was for Ore to be in that state.

Andhe was also aware of how destructive he could become as a result.

Talon:I’ll handle things from this end. You console and explain it to Alena. And please fucking don’t make it worse by trying to tell your dad about the fucking mission.

A couple of days after we’d set things in motion and X had opted out, he’d tried to get a communication through to Elliot Sabre about it all, but Orpheus had anticipated him doing just that and he’d blocked it with his magic.

X hadn’t tried since, knowing that would be another level and basically mean going up against Orpheus, the two of them throwing down.

Xavier:You’ve got it.

Talon:Good.

I pocketed my phone, then used my phoenix senses to pick up Ore’s appetizing cloves scent and track him through the corridors of the academy. The fact he hadn’t simply teleported was actually worrying. It meant that he felt his emotional state was too unstable to risk doing magic.

I found myself outside the gym, not the typical place anyone would expect to find Orpheus Hart. Whenever he worked out, he did so outside. Always. He hated being stuck indoors longer than necessary, hence him needing his garden in his suite.

It was all the more surprising considering the gym was closed for renovations and wouldn’t be open to the student body for another couple of weeks. It was in for an entire redesign which required plans to be drawn up and options to be put on the table, rather than just a quick magical fix or something.

The door was ajar, the place barely lit inside.

I pulled on my stealth abilities and slipped through, keeping to the shadows.

I heard commotion coming from the far end somewhere, near the small locker room and shower area. It was small because students had their own chambers, but sometimes it was faster after a workout between classes to quickly shower where they were at instead of heading to their suite—not everybody had vampire, or phoenix, speed.

As I drew closer to the sounds, I was able to make out two sets of voices. The first was most definitely Ore’s and he was a mixture of irate and devastated. And the other was… Professor Cornwell?

What was going on? It wasn’t one of the scheduledObsidianmeetings with him.

And what was Orpheus doing in here with him?

Obviously meeting in secret.

Yeah, I’d got that much.

Why, though?

I leaned against a nearby wall a few feet from the entrance to the showers and listened.

“I’m dealing with amateurs! After all my ball-busting work pushing them to be who they need to be for the inevitability of that psychopathic bastard returning, and this is what I get! More walls! More disappointment! More weakness! More fucking stress! I need them to be ready now, especially her! My father… fuck. I can’t… I can’t do this, Callum.”

Callum?

“Of course you can. And you are. This is just a wall, another to obliterate as you do so well, as you have done many times over.”

“No. It’s… it’s hopeless.”

“You feel helpless, not as strong or as prepared as you need to be, and I understand. After that meeting with your father, anyone would. He’s left little room for anyone to act, to be able to stop him from this foolish kamikaze action. But you will. You always find a way.”

“I need her to do this with me. I can’t take him alone.”

“All this effort I’ve gone to, all the carefully laid plans and manipulations to get Alena to where she needs to be and it’s still not enough. There may not be a choice for me now. I may have to go it alone.”

“You won’t be alone. I’ll go into battle with you before I allow that to happen.”

“You’re retired going on a decade.”

“Dabbling in black magic a little too deeply will do that to a sorcerer. But one battle will be fine.”

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