Chapter 7: True culprit
I was curiously satisfied with what I did. And very afraid. How would my countrymen face that? Did I do well? Did I do wrong? Surely he was responsible for making them run away for the rest of their lives. But until then, what could we do? It was either live on the run or die. And that's what I told Reg when I found him twenty minutes after he escaped. He was a good-looking guy. Unmarked and a little too muscular to look like a low-grade nephilim. His hair was dark and straight and hung down to his muscular back. He never wore a shirt. Just a pair of white linen pants, threadbare and torn in more than one place.
It was as if he said to everyone who could hear, "I'm an unmarked healer who can give you lots of healthy children." And that was what most women understood as they looked at him. Not that he was pretty, but in a place where survival was the greatest achievement of all, staying alive and looking relatively nice…well, you couldn't blame him for that.
- So you arrested 43 elite nephilim and came to warn about a dissident who failed to open a library that will be used to destroy us...
- Yes and no. The guy's intention is to destroy the library, we'll just be an extra. - I spoke. – When it's over, they'll conclude that "the campers stole the book and after not opening it they just thought they could destroy it. Their ignorance was the cause of death".
- I understand.
- Anyway, we need to get out of here and...
- Well, maybe.
- How maybe? – I asked. I was just starting to move when he waved his hand and closed the door. A shiver ran down my spine as the sound reverberated through space and I realized something was very wrong.
- Reg? – I called. – Why did you close the door?
- Maybe we should leave it at that. – he said and came to me. - From what I understand you need time to master someone with your magic. This means...
- Reg... You're weird. What happened? Because...
I looked at him and realized, just by looking, what was wrong. It wasn't someone from the elite who stole the book. It was him. But why?
- From what I saw of your expression you must already know... well, it doesn't hurt to tell. As long as you don't try any of your jokes. If I realize you're bewitching me I'll destroy the library.
- Reg...
- I'm from Attila's elite. - it started. - Astonished? Do not stay. You are strangely clean for a low class, but I should have been suspicious. Someone like me here? Well, I think I should be more detailed.
"Seven years ago I tried to lead an heiress astray, if you know what I mean. It was the fastest way to become an heir and it was what I wanted. Power. But her father was a hateful man and he was always in my way. An heiress couldn't mix with a rabble like me, he said. And I was always killing myself to conquer the body of the beautiful heiress.
"In Attila, sex equals commitment. Different from this filthy place where we are. There, if someone sleeps with someone else, it means he belongs. I would belong to her and she to me and we would be one. All this talk there would guarantee me the power I've always wanted.
"My father is an heir, understand. But that alone doesn't make me powerful. Mainly because my mom was just a human. I was immune to the mark, had a spellbook, but not strong enough to be accepted in my home. So when I tried to approach the heiress, who would guarantee me strong enough heirs... They betrayed me.
"My father set up the man who would be my father-in-law and they together made my fallen angel return to his natural state and my spellbook ceased to exist. So I ended up coming here, in this hell, near useless nephilim. So I stole the spellbook when I had the chance, but it was too powerful to be opened by a non-heir like me. Apparently not even the heirs were able to open it."
I was astonished. And desperate. There was only one reason he told me all that and I didn't want to get killed yet. I was only 13 years old. I hadn't even enjoyed life yet. I hadn't taken advantage of the scarred nephilim's advances that wanted me. I still needed to find a way to open a bakery and make sweets and cakes like the ones I used to eat in my village. Even if I needed to learn how to cook yet. Anyway, I still had a lot to do.
- Tell me... is your mother also human? Your father is an heir, isn't he? – Reg started. – You might be able to open the library.
He smiled like I was his hope. I did not understand.
- You defeated elite nephilim. Must be able to. – He continued.
- Me...
Then he picked up the spellbook and threw it to me. My hands closed on the tome without realizing it and I felt a slight jolt of recognition. What was happening?
- Open it!
- Why are you giving me this? – I asked. – If I can't… what happens?
- Nothing more. – He laughed shamelessly. – You'll just kill everyone who's here. And that includes me. if i can'thave what I want, so what's the point of living? Huh?
- Look, why do you want to die? Does not make sense! I started, but my hands were tingling. - You are a handsome guy. You have your whole life ahead of you. There are a lot of women here wanting you. And do you want to go back to the elite? For the people who betrayed you and abandoned you? Or do you want revenge? Because if so, I'm sorry to say you can't even do it with a grimoire. They are too powerful. Listen... we can return the spellbook. Saying we found the guy, but he ran away...
- Open that shit! - Roared. I squirmed inside, but it didn't feel scared. For some reason I felt more sorry for him than scared. I don't know what was getting into me, but I looked at the library and felt the heat and tingling increase. I... this spellbook...
My!
What? Where had that come from? Like? Why did I say that?
My!
The feeling just took over. That spellbook was mine. That simple. I watched as my hands went to the thick cover of the book and just wandered around. I watched as the bluish glow began to spread across the book. I felt more than heard Reg screaming, saying he'd rather not die, that he'd changed his mind. Unfortunately the sound was too far away. I was kind of an automaton now. If I could, I really would have stopped my hands. But all I could think about at that moment was that this book was mine.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone