Page 41 of The Magic of Revenge
‘Wait. You're serious? Your name is Napoleon? As in, the tiny tyrant who had small man syndrome and a world domination fascination?’
‘How do you know these things about me,géant?’he asked with suspicion as we zoomed across the dusty dirt floor.
I swallowed a chuckle at his distrustful personality.‘Just a good judge of character, I guess.’
Napoleon huffed at that and squeezed us underneath a massive knobbly wooden door that had to be three inches thick. A single desk lamp lit the space dimly, and I looked around the room as we dove underneath a shelf. What. The. Fuck.
There were rows of cages along one wall—like those at a dog shelter, only these were stronger. Meant to hold something far more dangerous than scared dogs. This just got a lot more interesting...
‘Napol—’My question died as the door to the room swung open and Bryce entered the dark room, flipping a switch that had several lamps brightening. Unfortunately, all the added light did was illuminate the horrors within this dungeon. There were several tools hanging on a wall above a sink and workbench. Tools used by interrogators... like Fischer. I'd only witnessed him using them a handful of times, as his most dangerous and useful weapon was right in his mind.
Bryce made his way to a row of filing cabinets just as his phone rang. "Hello?" he answered, the slide and clank of the cabinet drawer being pulled open echoing in the room, as he continued whatever he was up to.
‘We need to get closer,’Napoleon informed me. Not waiting for a reply, we scurried up the side of the bookshelf we'd been hiding under.
"I'm in the basement now. Updating the file from the girl in Emerald Lakes."Why does that sound familiar?"Alright. I'll see you in a few," Bryce said, before ending the call and shoving his phone into his back pocket.
We were doing some hardcore parkour to get over to the douche and hopefully see what he was up to. There was a shelf running above the cabinets and soon we were perched there, peering out from between two books. Douche was focused on a file he'd laid out on the top of the cabinet.
‘Let's see if we can see what he's up to…’I said to Napoleon, who peered over the ledge so we could see the file.‘Do you know what they're doing here, Napoleon?’
He sighed.‘Yes. For many years, Asrael has scoured this realm looking for rare and talented witches and mages.’
‘Like, to recruit them?’I asked, watching as Bryce scribbled some notes into the file.
‘Eventually, they're recruited. First, they have to be acquired,’he explained and I looked over to those cages again, a shiver of disgust rolling through me. There was something lying on the floor in one of the corners, something small and... fluffy? Nausea swirled in my gut when I realized I was looking at a filthy stuffed animal. One a child would carry around and use for comfort.
‘He fucking steals children?’I snarled, looking back at the file.
It was hard to read, but I was able to make out some details. The chart belonged to a girl named Annie McAlister. A photo that looked like it was her school year picture was stapled to the corner. She was young, maybe eight or nine years old. Blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. The pen in Bryce's hand moved across the page, leaving notes.
Just as I was trying to make sense of what her suspected power was, the door to the room blasted open and we scurried back to hide in the shadows.
"Tell me you have something new to share," Asrael stated, sounding annoyed as he headed for the desk in the corner. "Bring me the file."
Bryce finished his notation quickly, handing it over to Asrael, who had kicked his feet up onto the desk. "I think you'll find it interesting, Sir."
Asrael's eyes scanned the document, his gaze flicking up to Bryce. "Clairvoyance?"
"Yes. And I suspect it's connected to her artistic abilities," Bryce explained, standing up taller, boosted by the excitement in Asrael's dark eyes.
"Interesting indeed. Especially since her mother is human," the older man added, pausing to think.
"She'll be a valuable asset, Sir. Such power, and still so young."
"The mother is easy enough. We'll gather a bit more information before setting anything up. We need to ensure there won't be any other complications once she’s gone." Asrael handed the file back to Bryce.
Setting anything up?Like, murdering her mother?They were hunting down children across the country—maybe even the world—and then killing the parents to keep the kids and... do tests? Experiments?
A squeak.‘All he cares about is potential. He pushes the kids past their limits. Grooms them for a lifetime of service to his cause. I heard your conversation with your friends, that's the only reason I am showing you this. Perhaps you will be able to do something about it…’Napoleon said. My mind drifted to Hunter and I realized this was what had possibly happened to him. It made me sick.
"And what about the Radical team? What's your plan with them?" Bryce questioned and Asrael glowered at him. Which Radical team? The ones that were supposedly taking Fischer’s body or did he mean us, since we used to be Radical?
"My plans aren't your concern," Asrael snapped, then paused thoughtfully, his eyes mirroring a chilling twinkle that couldn’t promise anything good. "Though the pyro just showed some tremendous power outside."
Holy shit.
"He's a hothead with a huge ego," Bryce grumbled.
