Chapitre 21: The Athenians are so Open
The upstairs of the café had several small rooms separated by wooden partitions, each intricately carved with designs of warriors, mythical beasts, and birds. Some of the partitions had branches hanging from them, giving the space a rustic, artistic charm. Only two of the doors were closed; the rest stood open, revealing cozy but unoccupied interiors.
David chose a room that wasn't adjacent to the closed doors. Once Newt and Tina entered, he shut the door behind them. As soon as he sat down, Tina's sharp voice cut through the quiet.
"Alright, David, what's going on?" she demanded, fixing him with a knowing look.
David blinked, startled. Even Newt looked puzzled.
"Grandma, how did you know?" David whispered, trying to keep his voice low.
Tina smirked. "Do you two really think you can hide anything from me?"
David sighed. She wasn't wrong. No matter how much he and Newt tried to keep secrets from her, Tina always figured them out eventually.
"Fine," David admitted. "I think I spotted someone from the R Organization, right here in the café."
"What?" Newt exclaimed, jumping up from his chair. He quickly realized his mistake and lowered his voice. "Where are they?"
David pointed toward the two closed doors outside their room. "I'm not certain yet, but they might be in one of those rooms. Let me investigate first. If we're wrong, we don't want to cause unnecessary trouble."
David took out his wand, focusing his magic as he opened a mental page from his magical illustrated book. Slowly, he summoned a small creature—a Bowtruckle—that looked identical to Pickett, except this one was duller in color with lifeless eyes.
The tiny creature scurried out of the room, blending into the café's greenery. David directed it toward one of the closed doors. If the room didn't hold anything suspicious, he could easily switch to the other.
Closing his eyes, David shifted his vision to match the Bowtruckle's perspective, a unique ability he'd developed through his research.
The Bowtruckle climbed up the wooden partition, peeking into the first room through a crack. David's face turned bright red. Inside, a couple was engrossed in an intimate moment.
David immediately redirected the Bowtruckle, embarrassed. Athenians really are open, he thought with a sigh.
The second room was different. The bearded man from earlier sat at a small table, a photo in his hand. The hooded man from before was seated across from him, looking visibly nervous. His hood was down now, revealing a young man in his twenties, trembling uncontrollably.
On the table was a torn envelope and a photograph. The bearded man seemed shocked as he stared at the picture, his disbelief turning into anger.
"What's wrong with you?" the bearded man growled. "I don't even know how you got involved with us. Couldn't you find someone more capable?"
He tossed a bottle of potion toward the younger man, who caught it with shaky hands. "Drink this. If you mess up our business, I'll kill you myself."
The young man hesitated, but under the older man's glare, he gulped the potion down. Gradually, his trembling stopped, and he seemed calmer.
David's focus shifted to the photograph. It showed a large iron cage holding a small cub, unmistakably the same species as the Kamera cub Newt had recently returned to its sanctuary.
I can't believe they're involved with this too, David thought, his heart sinking.
"Are you ready?" the bearded man asked, standing up.
The younger man nodded reluctantly.
"Good. Don't screw this up. You'll get your payment when the job's done." The bearded man strode out of the room, the younger man stumbling after him.
As they passed through the door, David quickly directed the Bowtruckle to hide in the young man's hat, ensuring he could track them wherever they went.
Downstairs, the café owner greeted the two men cheerfully, unaware of their sinister intentions. The bearded man responded by pulling out his wand and casting an Obliviate charm on her and the two other patrons. The spell left them standing in a daze as the men exited the café.
David opened his eyes, finding Newt staring at him anxiously.
"Well?" Newt asked. "Was it them? What did you see?"
David nodded. "It's them. They've captured a Kamera cub."
"What?!" Newt's face darkened. "Where are they now? Did you mark them?"
"Of course," David replied, flipping through the magical book in his mind. With a touch of magic, a glowing red line appeared, extending into the distance. "The Bowtruckle left a trace on the younger man. We can follow it."
"Let's move!" Newt said, leading the way downstairs.
The café's owner and patrons were still in a fog, symptoms of a poorly executed Obliviate. Newt sighed and rummaged through his bag, pulling out a small vial of potion. He added a few drops to the café's water jug.
"This should help ease their confusion," Newt said, turning to David. "We can't leave them like this."
As they stepped outside, David hesitated. "Should we inform the local Ministry of Magic?"
Newt frowned. "Not yet. The Kamera cub is a high-priority creature for them, but it's already been stolen once under their watch. I don't trust that there isn't someone on the inside tipping off the R Organization."
David nodded, realizing his grandfather had a point. "So we follow the trail first?"
"Exactly," Newt said. "We'll deal with this our way."
And with that, they set off, the red line of magic leading them deeper into the heart of Athens.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone