Page 101 of Fallen Heirs

“Thanks.”

“Xavier should take on the role of both,” Ore announced.

Elliot raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think my son would want that.”

“His view on things has shifted with everything that’s happened. Besides, out of the four of us, he’s the only one who’s ever really respected the checks and balances ofExemplar.”

“Yeah, he used to report everything to you,” I said. “Always worried about things getting out of control, or not following thecorrect way.”

“Not to mention, he was hurt and bitter when I was being inducted toExemplarrather than him.”

“Hmm,” Elliot mused. “We did entertain a discussion about him needing to feel useful. Just like you, Orpheus, my son was schooled in the magical arts and trained from a very early age for years, with the intention for him to one day take my place atExemplar.With him being forcibly turned, all the knowledge and experience looked to be wasted, because he veered very far from the initial path he’d been on. Perhaps this is the way to rectify that and give him what he needs.” He nodded to himself. “I’ll put it to him once he wakes.”

A yawn escaped him and he sank down in the bed.

“Get some rest and I’ll prepare the spell. I’ll send Marlowe to the DFR to retrieve the dust. By the time you wake, we’ll have everything ready.”

“Perfect,” he said, looking even more weary than he already had when we’d first brought him here.

A cry sounded from next door and in the next second, Xavier burst into the room, looking really out of sorts, a haunted look in his eyes.

“X, what’s happened?” I asked.

“Son?”

Xavier held up the band around his wrist that his dad had made for him that warned of sire bond influence from Constantine. It was glowing.

“He just contacted me. Tried to give me orders, make me do things like before, but without the influence of black magic, I was able to resist. But… fuck.” He shoved his hand through his hair, all distressed.

“What did he want you to do?” Ore asked

X looked past him and at his dad. “It was about you. He said he’s going to do much worse to you. Unless…” He eyed Ore. “Unlessyoumeet with him. At the currently abandoned Electi Academy. He wanted me to teleport you to him, drag you there basically.”

“Meet to what end?” Ore pressed.

“He said he wants to strike a deal, one that will eliminate further bloodshed on both sides.”

“A deal?” I scoffed. “You’re shitting us?”

“It’s just what he claimed.”

“He’s scared,” Elliot said. “He didn’t foresee you creating a militarized force.”

“You can’t go, Ore. It’s gotta be a trap,” I warned him.

“You heard what your mother said, that they’ve broken the blood vow. It means he can kill you now,” X pointed out.

“There’s no deal he could offer that would satisfy me, or any of us. After what he’s done, he doesn’t just deserve punishment, he needs to be eliminated. He’s too dangerous to be left alive.” Ore looked out at Elliot. “However,what concerns me is what he plans to do to you if I ignore this proposed meeting.”

“Do you know how to break the link he’s formed to my dad?” X asked.

Elliot answered, “We have a proposed solution, yes.”

“Then let’s see to that immediately.”

“He needs to rest, regain some of his strength to be able to withstand the spell, the solution we’ve come up with,” Ore informed him.

“Fine, then let’s clear out, let him sleep right now, and we’ll see to writing the spell. What ingredients do you—”

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