Page 78 of The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil

My blood boiled. She’d set up Walter, her son. Played on his nature. I panted, a necessity to inhale as much mana as possible. It made sense. Alden ensured the blame fell on her family because of Walter's actions. Actions he’d never taken. I balled my fists, digging my claws into my palms. It did little to settle my rage.

Her goal was probably to have Walter killed during the attack at the Magus Estate, but I messed up that part of her plan. So she pivoted, agreeing with the harshest punishments the tribunal could serve. Even when we escaped, she likely whispered helpful tips to Alistair, knowing he wanted to save his brother and would seek us out. He sent us Driscoll’s trail where she’d laid all the evidence in that damn grimoire. A book Walter deciphered and put together a perfect case against Driscoll. She probably had a plan to kill Walter and me after clearing his name and framing Driscoll for the coup where the role of magus landed in his lap.

“I’ll admit, I should’ve killed you the second you’d served your purpose,” Alden said. “Would’ve been less messy.”

She didn’t predict Ian, though. His hubris bent on bringing down the system she sought to climb to the top of.

“But you didn’t. And now, instead of getting that ranking you crave, I’ll be getting the world I want.”

Chancellor Alden laughed. A small snicker which grew into a chuckle, then her shoulders rocked and she held her stomach, and a powerful cackle erupted. Unhinged and full of delight. This was a woman who didn’t appear fazed by Ian’s triumphant declaration.

“A world you want? Oh, sweet, tragic boy. The Collective spans the entire world. You know this. We hold magic in check. We dictate law. We create policy. Granted, the shifts in this region have weakened mage authority to offer Mythics elevated voices. A sign of complacency which does no one any good.”

“You act like you know everything,” Ian snapped. “I’ve been building alliances this entire time. I saw through your lies. I knew you treated me like a pawn, but I’m a goddamn king.”

Admittedly, Ian had gone to great lengths and done his damnedest to ruin Alden’s plans for his own agenda. A foolhardy one, most certainly.

“A king? Important, perhaps. Weak, unmistakably.” Alden closed the distance, inching closer while lacing the gravel and debris with saturated mana. Quite the stealthy skill. If I hadn’t been taking the opportunity to guzzle down as much stray mana in the area, I doubt I’d have caught it. “Your moves were rudimentary, Ian. Basic and barely five steps ahead. And since kings only move one space at a time, it was rather simple to figure out your rendezvous and eliminate any connections that might serve you.”

“And yet, here I am,” Ian bellowed. “Devil at my side. City in my grasp. World moments from enlightenment.”

“Is that what you see? You have no Mythics. You have a bound devil. Artifacts you clearly can’t control.” Alden shook her head dismissively, in a shameful way I’d wager Walter had seen a thousand times. “You’re impetuous, arrogant, entitled, and pathetic. Honestly, finding someone who checked off all those boxes and had some decency in casting without a strong connection was a challenge. Everything you’ve done since…this couldn’t have gone better if I’d planned it.”

“Shut up,” Ian shouted.

“Truthfully, I accounted for just about everything you’d do. Even crushing on Walter and trying to find an excuse for him to leave, so I made certain Agatha’s Heart needed cataloging.”

I glared, seething with fury. She was vile.

“Beelzebub was a hiccup I didn’t plan on. I will say, devil, you were a wild card I hadn’t thought ahead on. Still, your purpose is proving quite beneficial. I can rid the world of this traitor and a Diabolic in one fell swoop.”

“Kill her,” Ian demanded. “Make it hurt.”

I cracked my neck.

She wanted Walter dead. Her own son. She’d conspired and planned for all of this, taking every precaution to ensure his life ended. Finally, Ian had delivered a command I’d gladly oblige.

I zipped ahead, claws drawn and channeling enough essence to rip through any defensive spells she might attempt. Her death was the last kindness I could offer Walter.

“W-Wal…” My throat tightened, burning and blistering when I attempted to speak.

Walter appeared from nothingness like stepping out of a shadow—it was he who’d conjured them, controlled them, and used them to grab the panacea and artificer chancellors in the midst of battle.How?

I widened my eyes, unable to form words. He swooped between me and his mother, snatching her away in a blink.

How’d he vanish so quickly? Teleportation required portals. Walter was far from strong enough to do that. No mage could. Not on their own. Where had he disappeared to? I needed to talk to him.

Warn him.

The woman he rescued, the one he called mother, had wanted him dead all this time.

27

27

Walter

Blood covered Bez. His bare torso. His soaked hair. His slick hands, so red it almost hid the black essence of his claws. The shock on his face when I grabbed my mother and disappeared. I clenched my jaw tightly. As much as I worried about him in this situation, I had to keep hoping he’d hold out until I returned.

---