United (Magics AU - Part 1)

Chapter 18 - Marcus

Marcus's mind was whirling in anxious, infuriated circles as he paced endlessly across the floor of his royal office. His wife was sitting behind the desk, her elbows propped on the wooden surface in front of her and a book in her hands. Marcus could hear her foot tapping under the desk, something she did when she was anxious or frustrated. Her green eyes were skimming quickly across whatever words she was reading, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Marcus had been watching her absently as he paced for almost an hour now, but there wasn't much to pay attention to. She'd been stuck in that book for almost as long as he'd been walking around the room. Marcus was surprised his legs hadn't gotten tired yet, and he kept on pacing as his mind worked through several possibilities. 

After Emily was attacked - which was why he was so angry - Amy had immediately gone after the beast, which Marcus hadn't been able to see. It was strangely encouraging to see how devoted she was to her task, but not just because she was told to do it - because she seemed to be wanting to help them. About thirty minutes after Marcus had seen Amy hurry through the streets of Avalon, Falte had told them that Shintaro apparently followed her: He wasn't at his normal post. If he had seen the beast, Marcus assured himself, Shintaro would have taken it down no matter how long it took him.

But what on God's green earth was taking him so long? 

It was past sunrise, and neither of them had returned with the assurance or proof that the beast was dead and their problem was over. As much as Marcus wanted to believe that everything was going to work out, he was starting to doubt that Amy and Shintaro had done their jobs. 

Amy, the job she'd been "hired" for (Marcus wasn't yet sure if they were going to pay her or anything), and Shintaro, the job he'd accepted years before as a Guardian. 

The door to the office suddenly slammed open with the force of a mountain, sending Marcus's heart to his throat. His feet lost their rhythm, nearly causing him to fall forward; Ruby slapped the book down on the desk with wide eyes and an open mouth. 

As Marcus turned around sharply, Shintaro and Amy darted into the room with Aaron and Emily following them. Amy was limping, but her expression said she was hardly giving it any second thought. Shintaro was crouched slightly, a tired slump in his shoulders but an alert look on his face. Aaron looked annoyed, confused, and more exhausted than he'd been before. Emily's expression was twisted with concerned confusion and eager curiosity. 

Ruby closed the book with a whap and stood up hurriedly, her ginger waves swaying behind her. She quickly moved around the desk and toward the tracker and guardian, her expression confused and eager. 

Marcus ran one hand through his hair, trying not to feel relieved. Neither of them had said anything yet, and Amy was injured - which meant things had probably gone wrong. There was no reason to get his hopes up yet, though now he was frustrated that the two of them hadn't succeeded. 

"What happened?" Marcus asked quickly, his eyes darting from Amy to Shintaro. Had they managed to kill it? "Did you-" 

"Hold on," Ruby said in her orderly voice, raising a hand to silence her husband. Her expression had changed from eager hopefulness to stern, queenly business with mixed in concern. She lowered her hand and gestured to Amy, who had one hand against the doorframe. "You're hurt. You need to sit down." She stepped sideways and motioned toward the chair behind the desk.

Wordlessly Amy complied, though she did so with a frown, settling herself on the surface of the desk instead of in the chair. Marcus noticed that there was a bloodstained rip in her pants, and underneath this was a long, ugly cut. The tracker pressed her hands against the desk under her, her expression impatient.