Chapter 8 #2
“I’d rather spend the rest of my life descending these stairs than accept your help, Arvid,” I told him.
“Lord Halvorsen, to you,” he corrected.
“The New Foundation doesn’t believe in the House system,” I replied.
“My title still stands,” he told me.
“Titles are for those deserving of them,” I told him in return.
He laughed, a deep chuckle.
“I like you, Percy. I understand the appeal,” he said.
“I don’t like you,” I replied.
“I think we’re going to be great friends, the best of allies,” he continued.
I didn’t reply. I wasn’t his friend, and we weren’t allies; it was an exchange. I provide him with information, and he helps me get off this base and back to Selene.
We had finally reached the end of the stairs, and I could see large glass exit doors.
“We’ll take one of the electric carts. It would take us many hours to cross the estate with you moving so slowly,” he told me, holding his arm out to guide me through the doors.
Outside was cold, and the green jumper I wore did little to protect me from the chill of the breeze.
“We still get winter in Halvorsen,” he told me as I pulled the sleeves of my jumper over my hands. “Thankfully, it’s far milder than what the northern Houses are currently facing.”
Arvid led me to the side of the building where two small, two-seater, green-coloured carts sat waiting. He pulled a key from his pocket and swung it on the little keychain.
“Get in,” he commanded as he took the driver’s seat.
“There are no belts,” I commented as I sat in the passenger seat. There were no doors and no roof either. It was really just seats, a steering wheel, and a small storage space at the back, all on four wheels.
Arvid laughed.
“Nope, no belts. Not necessary, these things don’t go fast. We modified them to nearly double their top speed but even then, they are dismal,” he told me.
“Most around here wouldn’t bat an eyelid at being thrown from one of these at its top speed.
Still, it’s quicker than walking, no one wants to run everywhere, or be constantly shifting,” he shrugged, “they make sense.”
He turned the key, and the engine whined to a start.
“Go and stop, no gears on this bad boy,” he told me as he pulled a lever and drove away from the building to the gravel road.
“They’re for anyone to use?” I asked.
“Not quite. A universal key system makes it easy to distribute keys to trusted individuals. Each officer, captain and team lead is issued a key. Normal recruits and privates are not issued a key,” he explained.
“And what’s your rank around here?” I asked him.
“I don’t have a specific ranking or designation,” he turned to smile handsomely, the kind of smile I had become accustomed to seeing from high-born noblemen, it made me feel uneasy.
It was the smile someone with too much arrogance and unearned confidence in themselves gave.
“Still, I suppose if I had a title, it would be somewhat equivalent to a high-ranking general. I’m not officially part of The New Foundation, but I am the main financier. I write the cheques.”
“And it’s hard to say no to the person funding all this,” I said and waved at the multiple buildings we passed.
“Something like that,” he smiled, far too pleased with himself.
It must have cost a lot to set up everything; it must have taken a long time, too.
“How long did it take to do all this?” I asked.
“Full of questions,” he commented.
“Wouldn’t you be?” I countered.
He shrugged.
“If I were in your position, I’d recognise my power,” he answered and chuckled condescendingly.
“The New Foundation has been around for decades, before you or I were ever even a dream of our mothers. But all this,” he waved similarly as I had to all that we passed, “this is my creation, so to speak. It’s taken nearly three years to build this all up. ”
He turned down a new gravel road that led into the surrounding forest.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“The Witching Division building,” he answered. “It was once an old mansion during my grandparents' time. It was a wreck to begin with. But the building was there, the forest having grown around it. So, we refurbished it. You lot desire privacy, even from your own troops.”
“My lot?” I asked.
“Witches in general. You keep to your own, even when begging for the help of other Houses,” he explained.
“Halvorsen's charm didn’t miss you, did it?” I asked quietly. He was as rude as Oskar had been.
His laughter was loud, and he veered off the gravel path and swerved back on track.
“I really do like you, Percy. No one but a true outskirter would speak to me like that,” he said, smiling widely. “It’s refreshing, and coming from one like you, quite attractive. If Oskar wasn’t so disgusted by the female species, he could have had himself quite the thrupple.”
“Thrupple?” I asked.
Arvid turned to look at me and grinned. “How have you remained so innocent?” he asked, before answering, “It means a three-person relationship.”
I gagged.
“Gross,” I said, just the thought of being with anyone other than Selene was repulsive, and the idea of sharing her, seeing her be with someone else, filled me with a sort of anger, one that felt shameful to be so upset by just a thought and tasted a lot like jealousy.
But Selene was mine; I’d never share her.
He laughed louder. “Do you despise all males, or was it just Oskar?” he questioned.
“Maybe it’s just you,” I answered.
“Ouch,” he said, gripping his shirt over his chest. “You wound my ego.” He laughed.
I could see an old stone brick building coming into view.
“Remember our deal, Percy,” he said, low enough that I could only just hear him.
I couldn’t see anyone around to be eavesdropping, and the sound of the gravel beneath the tyres I was sure would make our conversation difficult to hear even for a pureblood vampire.
It seemed overly cautious, but I nodded my understanding.
The mansion that we neared was covered in climbing ivy, dark brown stone peeking through, and mosses decorated the ground level; dead ferns lined the earth around the mansion. It was as if the mansion were a part of the surrounding forest.
“We have arrived,” Arvid announced as we came to a stop directly outside the large red entrance doors. I could see two more carts parked further to the side of the building.
The drive was short, but the air had chilled my cheeks, and my lips felt numb.
Selene would have offered to fix my discomfort with a kiss.
The emptiness in my chest stole my breath from me, as the weight of how much I missed Selene found me in that moment of longing.
But I couldn’t allow myself to be crushed by her absence.
I had to push on; it was the only way I would make it back to her.
I took a deep breath to ready myself, but as I stepped out of the cart, I felt a sudden wave of nausea ─ anxiety trying to rip its way out of my stomach.
“I don’t –” I began, my voice catching in my throat.
It was like I was only just then realising what was happening.
After so long, after forever, I would be meeting other Flores witches, not just my coven, but from Arvid's words, my family.
It had only ever been Father and me. No one else until Rosemary. Had they — the Flores coven — always known of me, or was my new ability what led to my discovery? Why did Father never speak of them? Why did my mother never write of them? What would they think of me?
Arvid’s hands came down heavy on my shoulders as he stood behind me.
“No need to be scared, Percy. You’re about to be with your people,” he reassured me while gently but firmly pushing me forward.
My legs felt weak and numb, each step was odd and disconnected from myself as I neared closer and closer to the red door. The red colour seemed ominous, surrounded by all the greens and winter browns and starkness of the forest.
Before we had even reached the entrance steps, the door opened.
To my shock, Mable smiled brightly from the entrance. Her hair was braided like when we first met, but had grown much longer in the months since the summer. Her green eyes shone warmly.
“Percy, child, welcome home,” she greeted me.
“Hear that, Percy, you’re home,” Arvid said mockingly beside me.
When we reached the top of the steps, Mable stepped out and held her hand up.
“I’m sure you can understand the significance of this homecoming, Lord Halvorsen. This is a private greeting for witching kind only,” she told Arvid.
Only then did Arvid remove his hands from my shoulders. I turned to look at him as he held his hands up as if in surrender.
“I do feel that my hospitality is often thankless,” he said, offended.
“I assure you that is far from true, and I apologise if it seems so. But this is a special event,” Mable reassured him.
Arvid only hummed.
“I suppose I will see you around, Percy,” he said.
“Wait,” I said, turning and unthinkingly grabbing his elbow.
I was scared to be left alone. Arvid was rude, pretentious, conniving, and untrustworthy, but he was my only link to Selene, and somehow that made him feel safe and familiar.
However wrong I knew those feelings likely were, the loss of his presence felt like the loss of anything familiar I had left.
“I assure you, you have nothing to fear, Percy,” Mable said, stepping forward. “I know you must be anxious. This is new for you. But you have my word that you are safer here than you have been in many months.”
“Yes,” Arvid agreed, “A rebel military base is certainly safer than any highly regarded educational institution could ever be,” he mocked.
“Percy is safer with her coven than she ever could be with any others,” Mable countered.
Arvid held his hands up again and smiled cheekily.
“Yes, yes, of course,” he said before, gently removing my hand from his elbow, “I am sure you will be well taken care of, Percy. Do not fret,” he reassured me before turning and walking down the steps and returning to the cart.
He waved happily to me as he reversed the cart and manoeuvred to drive down the long gravel road and away.
“Percy,” Mable called my name, and I turned back to her.
“Mable,” I said, not sure what else to say.
“You’re nervous,” she stated.
I nodded.
“I don’t know what to expect,” I told her honestly.
“I understand,” she said and held the door open further for me. “Come inside, out of the cold.”
She stepped back to allow me to enter.
I looked back at the retreating cart as it got farther and farther away before turning back to Mable.
Arvid wanted answers, but so did I.