Sandy’s POV
A deep sigh escaped my lips as I gazed at the large mansion in front of me. Had it been seven years since I came here?
This place held a myriad of memories; both sweet and bitter. My mind veered to the last time I was here. I had gotten into a heated argument with my brother and ever since then never returned.
When Kevin requested me to return, I was tempted to refuse. I did ignore his incessant calls. But, this time he didn’t give up as usual. He started sending me messages every day.
Though the text of the messages was differently worded the gist remained the same. ‘The matter is of great consequence, Sandy. Else I wouldn’t have bothered you. If you have ever considered me as your brother; please come back.’
If he had sent a command as the Alpha of the Mystical pack. I would never have returned but he pleaded as my brother. I wanted to ignore his message as usual but here I was; standing in front of Gilkins Packhouse.
A deep sigh escaped my lips as I made my way to the large gate. The guards bowed to me as I walked past the gate. Nothing had changed here, the structure of the building, the gardens; everything was the same. Kevin hadn’t even gotten the walls painted.
A strange sensation tugged at my heart. Could it be that he really missed the olden days? I shook off the thought as soon as it formed in my mind. Kevin didn’t care for anything except being a righteous Alpha. He didn’t care about me or…. I quickened my pace. It was better to get over this as soon as possible.
“Where is Alpha Kevin?” I asked a servant as I entered through the ornate, wooden doors.
“Alpha is in the meeting hall, Master Sandy. He wanted to be here to welcome you but something came up….” The woman said, bowing to me. After a short pause, she added, “I will go and inform him….”
“There is no need to bother him,” I interrupted, raising my hand. “I will go and meet him in the hall.” I snorted and shook my head. Of course, he was busy. Everything in this world was more important to him than me; his brother.
Weaving my way through the long corridor, I arrived at the most secluded part of the mansion. The large and heavy door of the hall was guarded by four men. When they saw me, they bowed and pushed the door open.
The door crashed against the wall with a heavy thud; causing some dust to rise in a small cloud. This drew Kevin’s attention towards me. He got up from his throne-like seat and rushed to greet me, “Sandy! I knew you would come.”
His face beamed with joy but I knew it was all fake. So, when he tried to hug me, I stepped back and bowed to him instead, “Alpha Kevin, how can I dare to defy your order?” I didn’t even try to keep the sting out of my voice. I wanted him to know that I hadn’t forgiven him even after seven years.
Pain flashed in his eyes and he gulped, “So, you won’t even call me your brother now.”
I snorted and shook my head. Letting out a dry laughter, I taunted, “I thought you didn’t have time for small talk.”
Conflicting emotions crossed his features before settling on indifference; his fingers clenched into tight fists and he stated, “Very well then, let us get to the point.”
He spun around and strutted to his throne seat with a familiar arrogance. Once he sat down on the seat, his entire demeanor changed. His words became more calculated and to the point, “Over the past few months, the activities of the witches have been on the rise in Auroville. It is of great importance that we send someone to Halterland to keep an eye on them.”
He looked into my eyes; his gaze boring into mine, “Initially, I wanted to wait till I found someone trustworthy but the changing situation demands that I take drastic steps.”
He stopped talking and his gaze became distant; as if he were contemplating how to break some important news. My eyebrows furrowed for a moment but then it struck me, “Don’t tell me that you want ME to go to Halterland.”
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “I would never have asked you if I had another choice….”
“You know how dangerous it is to venture into the Halterland yet you want me to go? What kind of a brother are you?” I shouted even before he could complete his sentence.
“I really have run out of options, Sandy. Nivaan hasn’t contacted me for five years and Kiara is away for our son’s treatment. The only person I trust beside them is you, Sandy. You have to go.”
He sounded so exhausted. For a moment, I thought of considering his request but the painful memories from the past flooded my mind.
Letting out a forceful gust of breath, I questioned in a shaking voice, “What if I refuse, Alpha Kevin? Are you going to command me into submission?”
There was a long pause before he finally spoke up in a choked voice, “I will never do that again, Sandy…. I promise.” His grip on the arm rest tightened as he continued, “I am requesting you as a helpless brother, Sandy… Please help….”
His words were interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps. A guard came running in and he bowed to Kevin, “Madam Emilia wants to meet you immediately.” He raised and added in an urgent voice, “She looks very anxious.”
Kevin’s eyes drifted to me and then to the guard. He hesitated only for a moment before commanding, “Let her in.”
A disappointed sigh escaped my lips as the knot in my heart tightened further. My brother would prioritise everyone in this world except me. If I were the one interrupting some important discussion, he wouldn’t have let me in till the meeting was over; even if that meant I had to wait for hours.
I turned around intending to leave but my gaze landed on Emilia. Her face was extremely pale; her movements rushed and her eyes held a deep sense of panic.
I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “What happened to make you look so beaten?”
Emilia paused for a moment to catch her breath before blurting out in an extremely anxious voice, “You have to help me, Sandy….” Her gaze drifted towards Kevin as she continued, “Please, Kevin…. You have to help me.” With these words, a few drops of tears rolled down her cheeks and she sniffled. Kevin trotted down the stairs with hurried footsteps, “Emy, Take a deep breath and tell me exactly what has happened. We can’t help you unless you tell me what the matter is.” Emilia brushed past me and grabbed my brother’s arm, “My son, Evaan…. he has been kidnapped…” Shock flitted through Kevin’s features and he gasped, “Kidnapped?” “E…Evan, he had gone to play by the bank of the river as usual but he didn’t return the entire night….” Her voice was shaking so much that the rest of the words came out as a croaked mumble, “I looked for him everywhere, asked all our neighbours but we couldn’t find him.” “Your house is in the midst of a wilderness. It is possible that he just got lost. Do
Sandy’s POV The noise of chattering, screeching, and scowling droned in my ears as I entered the market in Halterland. My eyebrows scrunched in disgust. I don’t know what I expected but I definitely didn’t expect the market to be so crowded and noisy. Apart from the goods that were sold, it was no different than a chaotic human market. Letting my irritation ooze out through a long sigh, I tried to focus on the positive side. It was easier to blend in with all the chaos around. I ran my thumb along the ring on my finger reflexively; checking if it was still in place. My beating heart calmed just a little bit as my fingers grazed the cold metal. I raised my hand; letting myself admire the glint of the multicolored ring for a moment. This was a five-gem illusion ring. It could delude even the greatest of witches to think that I was a human. I had to spend the entirety of my life’s savings to forge this ring but I think it worked. None of the witches had doubted me till now. Thud! A L
Ora’s POVTo mask my energy field, it was better to stay in a crowded place. So, I teleported to the Halterland Market. As expected it was complete mayhem with witches and wizards fighting and dueling over the silliest of things.One might think that power brings peace and happiness to one’s life but quite often than not the reverse is true. Power makes people arrogant and boastful. It also lures us to show off at the tiniest opportunity that presents before us.“Thud!” A man zipped right in front of me and crashed against the wall. It was followed by mocking laughter and then curses. I teleported quickly to a corner. Getting stuck in the middle of a crossfire was worse than taking part in dueling.My gaze drifted over the hundreds of wizards and witches that swarmed the street. None of them seemed to be looking for anyone. Had I really managed to escape Mother’s location spell?The moment these words crossed my brain, I was hit by a strong wave of agony. My knees buckled and I droppe
Sandy’s POVIt didn’t seem like that witchy girl would wake up any time soon. It was better to continue my search for Evaan. If I did find him before waking up, I wouldn’t have to take her help.I made my way to the nearest bar. It was nothing grand; just a shack located close to the boundary with some tables and chairs. It was funny how nothing about Halaterland seemed magical in the least. The inn, market, pub, everything looked like they belonged to a run-down human settlement.This was probably because I hadn’t ventured deeper into the Halterland. I shrugged off those thoughts and focused on the chatter that drifted in the room. Most of the conversations centered around some stupid duel or fight. After listening to them for a while, I zoned them out. There was nothing useful here.I was about to leave when a sudden hush fell over the room. A man in about his fifties, dressed in somewhat flashy robes had entered. The silence lasted only for a moment but it was enough to signify tha
Ora’s POVI shook my head in disbelief as I gaped at Sandy’s disappearing back. I couldn’t believe that he left just like that. I ruffled Evaan’s hair, “You shouldn’t have talked to your uncle like that. He got so angry that he left.”Evaan sighed, “I wanted him to leave…. If he stayed here, he would have tried to stop me from looking for my father. He would never understand how important it is to find him; no one does….”His words tugged at the strings in my heart making it ache for this little boy. I don’t know what I was thinking but I found myself sharing my grief with Evaan, “I lost my father too when I was young…. When he died, I felt like a part of my soul had gone missing…. I feel that void even today….”Evaan’s eyebrows were suddenly shrouded by a thick layer of grief. “I never saw my father….” He said simply but the magnitu
“Why did you do that?” I snapped in a hushed voice the moment we emerged in the storeroom of my house. “Why did you grab my hand?”Sandy released my hand instantly as if stung by something. He took a step back and massaged the back of his neck, “I…I don’t know… probably a reflex.”I gave him a long hard look, “Did you pause to think that Evaan would be left alone?”His face flushed and he lowered his gaze. I sighed. “Lemme just check on my sister. Then, I will take you back.”I pushed the door open and tip-toed across the corridor like a stealthy thief. To my annoyance, Sandy followed close behind; almost like a second skin. He stuck close to me; sometimes bumping into me, sometimes getting in the way. I shook my head in frustration but didn’t comment. He was probably worried that I would leave him and teleport elsewhere. If I had been in his place, I would be paranoid too.
Sandy’s POVIn the blink of an eye, Ora teleported me to my room and vanished. I didn’t even get a chance to talk or respond to her. That Grand Magus they were talking about, seemed pretty powerful. What if something happened to Ora?My eyes darted to Evaan who was still sleeping soundly. What would that mean for him? I wrung my hands and gaped at the space where Ora had been a few moments ago. If only I could teleport like that witchy woman.I kept smacking my fist against my palm as I started pacing along the length of the room. Wasn’t there anything at all I could do?“F***!” I exclaimed loudly as I smacked my palm in frustration. This startled Evaan and he sat up with a start. Rubbing his eyes groggily, he questioned, “What happened Uncle?” His eyes roamed over the room and he added, “Where is aunty?”“Umm… she has gone for some work, Evaan…. You go back to sleep.”I was
Ora’s POVThe cold, damp wall pressed against my back. It was so dark in the room that I couldn’t see anything at all. Grand Magus Valence kept torturing me for as long as I could remember. She wanted me to track down those children for her.But, after what she did to my sister…. I didn’t have the slightest motivation to help her. I endured everything silently; letting the pain and grief fuel the rage that had started simmering within me. If some day, I managed to get out of this place, I would find a way to avenge my sister.A groan escaped my lips as I tried to raise my hand for the hundredth time. With great effort, I managed to keep my hand suspended in the air for a minute before it slumped to my side again. My body was just as battered as my soul.There was a soft creak. Then a beam of light streamed inside the room. In the backdrop of the bright light, I saw two familiar silhouettes. Rubbing my eyes, I straightened my position. Was