Twin Mages Book 2: Deception

Chapter 8: Christmas In Sanctuary

Leo wanders aimlessly through the halls of Sanctuary, hands in his pockets as he notices small groups of students sporadically grouped together. The clicks of his boots against the ground seem louder this evening, the sound echoing throughout the empty corridors as the black haired boy makes his way to his new office.

Leo makes his way to a door with a plaque reading 'C. Leo', the 'C' being short for Captain, opening it and entering the empty room. It's not much, just a desk and a bookshelf, with a door connecting to his new room. Leo's been sleeping by himself for the last few months anyways, so having a private room now isn't any different than before. Leo looks at the stack of paperwork, deciding to put it off since he's technically on vacation right now. Landry, Venus, and Verglas are gone on business anyways, so it's not like anyone is there to receive it.

Leo walks behind his desk, removing his cloak and draping it over his chair, plopping down heavily into his seat. He looks at the calendar on his desk. December 24. Christmas Eve.

He leans back, closing his eyes as the boy thinks about this time last year. The night that he became an Apprentice, along with Lily, Kei, and Dez. The dancing, laughing, and eating. Everyone was so happy for a moment, before the invasion. Before Fox, and Zeus, and Dimitri. Everything has changed since that night. Now Dez and Lily are locked in the dungeon, the Masters are doing everything they can to keep the peace, and Kei has been stuck in the middle trying to support everyone.

Leo stands up, throwing a foam stress ball from his desk against the wall with all of his strength, watching it flatten against the bricks and spring back to normal before it takes a fall to the floor, bouncing across the hardwood. "It's all such a damn mess."

He then hears a knock at the door, which can only be a few people. Nearly everyone has left for their winter holiday. Leo takes a few deep breaths to regain his composure, before sitting back down. "It's unlocked!" He calls out. The door clicks open to reveal Kei with Delilah. "Hey, baby. What's up?" Kei asks, standing in the doorway, leaning on the wooden frame with a grin.

Delilah walks in, sitting in a seat while working on her plate of sugar cookies. Leo smiles at his girl from across the desk, noticing that she isn't in her normal uniform. Her normally long, flowing ebony hair has been tied into pigtails, and she's wearing a pair of red and black flannel pajamas with matching slippers. "I'm okay. Just a bit stressed out. You look festive!" He acknowledges, forcing a joke and smile for her sake.

Kei laughs at the comment, posing in the doorway like a model, drawing a chuckle from Leo. The boy stands, grabbing his cloak and walking up to the doorway, waving for Delilah to follow. "Where are we going?" Kei asks Leo, not expecting him to have any plans. "I want to talk for a bit, and Delilah needs someone to watch her." Delilah sticks her tongue out at the Captain, drawing a giggle from Kei. "I'm not a baby!" Leo smiles at the girl, continuing to walk.

Lily sits on the wall, her ankles chained, but the rest of her body free to move around. She looks around, seeing the same bricks that she's been looking at for months now. She doesn't know what day it is, but knows that it's winter because of the cold air filling the room. Zephyr was kind enough to lend her a second blanket, but she still feels a chill. As she lies down, she thinks about everything that's transpired. Fox and Zeus escaping. The incident in the courtyard. Her own detainment. She's been interrogated and questioned so many times she's lost count. It's gotten her nowhere though. Everything has been so messed up this year. "I wonder what you're up to, Dez," she whispers, "I miss you."

Unbeknownst to her, Dez is a few rooms over, a sharp stone in hand. His untamed, disheveled red hair filled with dust as he shuffles along the wall, scraping the stone against the rough brick surface. The boy wipes his bloodshot eyes, mumbling under his breath as he etches on the wall. "Fox. Fox. Fox. Fox." He drops the stone, looking at the name on the wall. "Fox! Fox! FOX!" He collapses to the floor in exhaustion, under the hundreds of carvings on the wall. The name 'Fox' covering every square inch like a tapestry, a sign of Dez's obsession.