Page 54 of Soul

Lindy was on the phone, and it was no surprise when half an hour later, Warden, Undertaker and Spice walked in. Spice wrapped Lindy up in his arms as she told him quietly what she’d witnessed.

“What happened?” Warden asked. I motioned to Lindy, who came closer and explained everything.

“And this is the second incident with the school?” Warden inquired.

“Yeah. It’s not a safe environment for them,” Lindy said. “Not with their uniqueness.”

Warden ran a hand over his chin as his eyes focused on something in the distance. “Iona hasn’t mentioned it. But what if our child is like me? And in school, when something happens? I’ve been thinking about how Ham and Maci have been coping. Always on edge. And Maci must be in agony, surrounded by lies all day.”

“True,” Lindy replied.

“What are you suggesting?” Spice questioned as he rubbed Lindy’s arms.

“Would Bryony be interested in a private teacher? Maybe the club needs to hire someone to teach our kids that has an understanding of what they are,” Warden mused.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to find somebody like that?” Bryony asked from behind us.

We turned to face her. She looked weary and carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.

“Yeah, I can imagine it is. Especially as you’ve never crossed anyone with abilities before,” Warden spoke.

Bryony held his gaze. “Why are you here?

“Soul informed me what happened,” Warden replied.

“And not to be a dick, so what? I don’t like you, and you don’t like me,” Bryony stated, and we winced.

“I really rubbed you up the wrong way.” Warden chuckled.

“Yeah. You did. And I haven’t decided if I’m staying or if I want anything to do with your damn club,” Bryony snapped.

“Bryony, I was testing you the other day. My brothers and sisters are everything to me, and their health and well-being is something I take seriously. I don’t expect you to understand, but being their president is more than being a leader. Everything comes down to me. I want them to find their anchors and be healthy and happy.

“I probably went about shit the wrong way and upset you. But an anchor is vital, and I needed to make sure you were genuine. That you wouldn’t use your status to hurt, blackmail, or abuse Soul.”

“You know what, Warden. I might have respected all that, bar one thing. Do you believe this was the time and place to have this conversation? My baby girl’s just been drugged up to her eyeballs because she’s in fucking agony, and you want to talk about your concerns? Well, fuck me, since when did you think you come before Maci? You’re really a dick!” Bryony snapped.

“Hey. I came because I care. I don’t want to see kids living like yours; afraid and cautious. You might not like it, but I’m trying to make amends here,” Warden growled out.

“Pick a better time,” Bryony retorted and sank down on a chair. She rubbed a hand over her face, and her shoulders slumped.

“What did the doctors say?” I asked.

“Maci is going to be in a few days. This attack has hit hard. Some of the compass wounds went deep. They’re giving her a tetanus to combat any filth that might have been on the tip. They’re also giving her antibiotics in case of infection.”

“Slasher’s on his way,” Warden said.

“Do you mind if we do some research around her illness? See if it can be cured?” I asked.

“Knock yourself out. But as they don’t know what causes it, it’s highly unlikely Slasher can cure it. But thank you for the offer,” Bryony replied.

I reached out and held her hand. For a moment, I thought she’d pull away, and then she wrapped her fingers around mine.

“What do you need?” I inquired.

“Someone to look after Hamilton. I have to stay, and I’m not calling Madden,” Bryony said.

“Not a problem. Ham can come home with me and Lindy. We’ll have pizza and root beers,” Spice stated with a gentle smile.

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