Chapter 52 Ash
Ash
Ash had not shed a single tear since the afternoon, not even when he’d seen his grandfather’s body in the morgue. Spine rigid
and face wiped of any expression, he waited outside a meeting room at the Guild’s headquarters. It felt like his body had
shut down in the wake of everything that had happened, the stiffness forming a kind of armor to protect his heart. His racing
mind was a different matter.
Again and again, Ash replayed the moment he’d seen Yiran next to their dying grandfather. The stricken look on his brother’s
face, the guilt in his eyes. The flash of unchecked magic and spiritual energy that came from nowhere, and the destruction
it wreaked. Were Yiran’s white-knuckled hands reaching toward—or away from—their grandfather in his last moments?
“The Council will see you now, Captain Song.”
The assistant was smiling, blissfully unaware of the unfolding catastrophe. Updates were still trickling in, and only the
higher-ups knew of the Exorcist kidnappings over the last few days and the assault on the teahouse that had just occurred.
The Guild’s head had been cut off figuratively and literally, putting the entire organization in a vulnerable position. And
in true Guild fashion, the news of Song Wei’s death was being hidden from the public due to its inconvenient timing. At a
more appropriate juncture, a statement would be made, no doubt with an explanation that removed any mention of Song Wei’s
younger grandson.
It was the usual playbook. While Ash’s rational mind acknowledged the reason for the secrecy, the rest of him was nauseous
that he’d been forced to be part of it.
“Thanks,” he said, somehow managing to smile back at the assistant.
He walked into the meeting room, registering how one screen remained dark. The other nine screens were lit, the various silhouettes
of each Council member cast on them.
“Thank you, Council, for meeting with me on such short notice,” he said.
“We know this is a difficult time for you,” said a Councilwoman, her tone a practiced balance of sympathy and business.
“I appreciate the sentiment,” Ash said. “The situation with the public is contained, and no further threats are expected at
this juncture. The city authorities can handle all that for now, so I’m seeking authorization for the resources needed to
carry out an immediate rescue mission of the Exorcists and cadet that have been kidnapped.”
“A counterattack when we don’t have solid information on our enemies’ whereabouts?” a Councilman with a reedy voice said.
“That would be foolish and dangerous. You of all people, Captain, should know this.”
Another Council member added, “Vengeance is not our priority, Captain Song. Master Song’s incident is a setback we must overcome.
The chain of command must not be broken, and a new leader of the Council must be chosen at once.”
Incident? To have his grandfather’s death reduced to this . . . All these power-hungry Council members cared about was the leadership
vacuum. The numbness inside Ash turned to anger.
“Don’t insult me by insinuating that I’m only embarking on a rescue mission because of my grandfather. It isn’t vengeance
I’m seeking. There are two separate matters. The Hybrids kidnapped my comrades. Our Exorcists. I speak for all the Captains when I say we won’t forsake those who were taken.”
“It’s a clear-cut hostage situation,” the reedy-voiced Councilman said.
Ash had a feeling it had something to do with Zizi’s rogue spell instead, but the Council didn’t know about that yet and his gut was telling him to keep it hidden. He didn’t trust any of the nine shadows encircling him.
“I expect the Hybrids to come forth with their demands soon,” the Councilman continued. “We do not and will not negotiate
with those who choose to strike terror in us. The kidnapped are a lost cause we shouldn’t pursue. Collateral damage is to
be expected in a war.”
Ash lost his composure entirely. “So you’re just going to let them die?
Exorcists are not expendable, and neither are cadets.
We risk their lives every day to protect our society, to protect you while you hide behind your screens like cowards.
Is this the leadership the Council has now? What a bloody joke.”
“The audacity—”
“Mind your words, Captain!”
Several voices admonished him harshly.
Ash knew he’d been imprudent, and it wouldn’t endear him to the Council members or help his case. But he was done playing
Mr. Charming.
The first Councilwoman’s voice pierced through the chatter. “I think we should give the Captain some grace.” The room went
silent. “It costs us nothing to consider what he’s suggesting. We do want to find the Hybrids’ hideouts, and if a viable rescue plan can be carried out with little disturbance to the public,
perhaps we should consider that path.”
Ash didn’t deal with the Council much, but he sensed obvious factions and divisions among them. He pulled himself together
and took a performative step backward. He needed to play his cards right to get his rescue mission going.
“I apologize for my outburst,” he said, bowing respectfully, letting the pain in his heart rise to his voice. He would milk
whatever sympathy he could get. “It is, as you say, a difficult time for me, and I failed to keep my emotions in check. I’ve
always held the Council in high esteem, and so did my grandfather. He was . . . very dear to me.”
“As he was to us. Please, give us a moment.”
The audio cut out completely. The members were having a private conversation.
Minutes later, a different Council member spoke up. His shadow was hulking, his voice smooth like an experienced politician’s.
“We understand the trying circumstances you’re in, Captain, but there’s new information you need to know. Early analysis of
the security footage confirmed that there were Hybrids near the teahouse. We have good reason to believe that Song Yiran colluded
with them and that he is the perpetrator of Master Song’s murder.”
Ash’s blood was ice. Colluded . . . perpetrator . . . murder . . . The guilt he’d seen in his brother’s eyes . . . Was this why? Things had been awful between Yiran and their grandfather for
years. But did his brother really hate their grandfather so much that he would kill him?
“I want to see the footage myself. There’s no way that Yiran would join the Hybrids, and he has no special skills or anything
that the Hybrids want—” Ash paused as a thought struck him.
What if Yiran was the mole? He didn’t have much knowledge of how the Guild worked, but he’d been on a couple of missions before his magic
disappeared. There were things he could’ve picked up along the way in Song Mansion whenever Ash and their grandfather spoke,
useful information he’d overheard whenever their grandfather took meetings in his study. Like Surin said, the Hybrids were
smart. They could very well have made good use of any details they got from Yiran.
But why would Yiran betray his family and friends?
The Councilwoman’s voice rang out. “Feeling doubtful, Captain?”
Ash shook his head, staring coolly back at her screen.
“Master Song claimed for years that the boy did not have magic aside from an anomalous stint a few months back,” she said, “which itself is an odd occurrence. Out of respect, we didn’t pursue the matter at that time, but it appears Master Song was wrong about Song Yiran and his abilities.
I hope your grandfather did not deceive the Council due to personal reasons. ”
Ash was aware that there’d been some interest in Yiran from the Council when his magic manifested a few months ago. With the
unusual circumstances, he hadn’t been surprised by the curiosity then. But the accusation of any wrongdoing on his grandfather’s
part grated.
“There was no deception. Yiran hasn’t been able to do magic since he was a kid.”
“I believe that is what you believe. Regardless, it’s now clear the boy is dangerous. We traced the deviant eruption of spiritual
energy at the teahouse back to him. He’s responsible for the explosion, the destruction to property and any casualties. He
is a hazard to our society, especially if he’s with the Hybrids.”
“Again, respectfully,” Ash said, barely controlling his tone, “my brother would never join the Hybrids.”
“Since you think he’s innocent, will you locate him and bring him in?” the Councilwoman said. “We can grant you the resources
you need. Our main objective is to find Song Yiran. Rescuing the hostages is of secondary importance, but should it happen
simultaneously with the successful capture of the boy, the Council will be satisfied. When we have him, we shall have the
truth. If he is innocent, as you say he is, don’t you think it would be good for him to have the Council’s support?”
Ash could hear the triumph in her voice. She’d trapped him. He’d walked into the room with a goal to win, and he would walk
out seemingly having achieved it. A rescue mission had been authorized, but there were strings attached.
“Understood. My thanks to the Council,” he said, cursing them in his head.
The smooth voice of the hulking Council member called out as Ash turned to leave. “One last question, Captain.”
Ash felt the Council’s eyes on him as he faced them again.
The Council member continued. “Can we trust you to be impartial on the matter of your brother, should things go awry?”
Were they asking if he would take Yiran out of the equation if the situation called for it?
“My loyalty is to the Guild,” he lied effortlessly, without missing a beat.