At Esther’s new residence:
Freya knew the guy. She hadn’t seen him before, hadn’t spoken with him before, but she knew him. She knew him from the vision she had seen when she had touched Esther’s scarf.
She also knew him from Aiden’s memory, one of the many he had shared with her. She knew him from the one that had spoken of the bullying of Emma at the cafe. He was the one that Aiden had thought quiet, but not entirely innocent, even though he looked like it.
Aiden had read off an unsettling energy from him, and Freya was beginning to see that. She was beginning to see that the boy wasn’t what he seemed to be. She wondered what exactly he was.
A shifter like the others? She wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t about to cower in fear. No. Her people thought her better. She would fight this out. She would be leaving here with Esther, and nothing can stop her, not at this point.
She watched as Esther, and the rest of the clique gave the boy a look down-they didn’t rate him. Freya thought that was a shame. They shouldn’t be underestimating him.
“Don’t mind Lekan. He is a bit protective of me.” Esther spoke, a gentle smile on her face. “And I will go with you, only if you promise my safety, and the safety of my aunt.”
Freya nodded her head. “Of course. You are safe with us. Your aunt? Well, that will depend on you. We will need your help in finding and conquering Leonarya. I know she had been my mother for a couple of years, but I haven’t been with her since Derek’s party. A lot must have changed. A lot that you have knowledge on. We will need that knowledge.”
Esther exhaled deeply, then stood up from the bench. It was time to go. She only hoped the atonement for her sins wouldn’t be too costly.
“I don’t think any of you heard me the previous time. Esther wouldn’t be going anywhere.”
Esther furrowed her eyebrows, swerving a bit to look at Lekan, unnerved by the sheer look of determination that she saw in his eyes. What was this?
“Lekan, I understand that you are protective of the…” She was still saying, when Lekan scoffed.
“You still think this is about you, Esther? Not at all. I just put up with this clique bullshit, because of the plans drummed into me by my parents. I have no interest in protecting you, make no mistake. I am here to fulfill their plans, and one of the ways is to stop them from having you. Honestly, I am happy that my cover is blown. I was growing tired of acting as the errand boy, when I can easily topple you all with just a flick of the finger.”
The mouths of the other members of the clique, including Esther, dropped open in shock. They couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Lekan had little to no more powers. The only thing that they had thought of him was the shifter with limited shifting possibilities. What was this?
“Do you want to fight, boy? Do you think you can take us all? Scratch that, do you think you can take me on?” Freya inquired, crossing her arms across her chest, not in the bit threatened.
She doubted that the boy knew of her, or knew the true extent of her powers. Behind her, her people smiled and reclined their backs to the whitewashed wall, an attitude that didn’t dampen the activeness of Lekan though. He chuckled darkly as he heard Freya’s question.
“Are you sure you want to take me alone? I won’t take pity on you because you are a girl. Honestly, I don’t think a mage is a good match for me. I will take it that you have joined them in seeing me as powerless. Well, take my advice girl; run. Leave this place and run.”
Lekan’s statement caused Freya to laugh, and she pointed at an open space in the middle of the compound. “There. We will fight alone. If you win, I will leave with my people, without esther. But if I win, I will take Esther with me. Is that a fair deal?”
Lekan smiled snidely. “At your wish, mage.”
He walked to the center of the compound, and Freya followed him, blocking the mind path that connected her to Aiden. He would have a fit if he ever found out that she was fighting-best things was to keep it hidden from him.
She would of course let him know when all of this was over. She needed her whole focus intact for this battle, seeing that it has been a while since she used her fighting skills.
**
At Sheila’s residence:
“Does anything look out of place?” Lucille asked Sheila, as she watched her mother roam around the house, as if looking for something.
Behind them was Maya, who seemed to be following them step step, quite understandable as there was nothing to actually see here.
Maya was at the moment, contemplating suggesting to Sheila that they leave the place, which definitely had no clues at the moment-as it remained the same way that it had been before Emma had left-just a bit of dust, to find Freya and the others.
She was having the feeling that more would be going over there.
“Not at all, my dear…it’s just…the scent.” Sheila sniffed the air, as she spoke, her face contorted in what looked like a frown.
“What scent?” Maya asked, aware of Shane coming behind her. He must be through with searching the area slotted to him by Sheila.
“I am not sure. It’s not like anything I have seen. But we are not alone at the moment.” Sheila answered, taking a seat on one of the sofas in the living room.
“Show yourself, whatever you are; except you want me to smoke you out. I already know where you stand at the moment.”
Maya and Lucille exchanged looks with Shane, wondering who Sheila was speaking to.
However, they didn’t have to wait long to find out.