The Peculiar Alchemist

38 || A Terrifying Mix

The day finally came when Marc found his mother sitting there with a book in hand and a very relaxed expression on her face. Seems like she was in a good mood today, but he was about to ruin it as he sat next to her with a solemn face.

At first, his mother didn't acknowledge him as she flipped the page she just finished reading, but then she glanced at him to see that he was staring right at her with a clear desire to speak with her. That made her lower her book as she marked the page she stopped at, and set it down right next to her before giving him her undivided attention.

"You have something to say?" She asked curiously.

Marc, who was never close with his family, nodded his head not knowing how to approach the matter. Ever since his father went missing his mother began acting weird. She acted as if he was still there, or at least as if she knew where and how he was. It was either that or she was actually glad he was gone.

"I have many things to say, actually." He told her feeling slightly nervous but determined. "You're acting as if nothing is happening."

His mother frowned. "Nothing is."

"Then where's father? Why is he not back yet?"

An irritated sigh left her as she looked away from him with an annoyed expression on her face. It was clearly not something she wanted to talk about, but she still turned back to him with a sour look still on her face. "Would you let the matter go? You're not a child anymore. I told you already, he's attending to some business."

"That might excuse his absence, but we haven't heard from him since."

"You can ask him about it when he comes back." She said attempting to pick up her book once again, making it clear that she was done talking, but Marc was sick of being left in the dark. He was sick of her not giving him answers.So he decided to be reckless and ask her the one question he'd been dying to ask ever since he asked Agnes for help.

"Is it true that our family is involved with necromancy? Is that what father is doing?"

The way his mother's head whipped up in shock was enough evidence that what Agnes had told him about his family was true, but he still wanted to hear it from her mouth. "Who told you that?"

But Marc insisted on getting answers from her. "Is it true?"

They sat there in tense silence as he waited patiently for her to answer, and there was a loud intake of breath before she finally did. "Yes, it's true."

"That's what he's been doing all this time?" Marc exclaimed with a little bit of anger in his tone, he couldn't help but let it slip because he really was upset about it. "I was looking all over for him while you knew about all this? I had to find out from someone else."

Marc didn't know if the look on his mother's face was a look of shame or something else, but it was clear that she was tired, too. Especially when she started talking to him a little bit more honestly now. "It's not just your father. Most of the family is involved, too."

That admission did not shock him as much as he had thought it would, instead he only sat there with knitted eyebrows looking disturbed. He didn't stay silent about that. "I don't agree with any of this. Whatever father is thinking of doing, he should stop."

"You don't understand." His mother sighed looking conflicted as well, but the greed that Briar's followers displayed in their chase after power had shown itself on her, too. "This is power, Marc. Your father didn't want to sit still and let others take advantage of something he could have, too. He's doing this for this family, for you."

"Aren't we wealthy and powerful enough already?" Marc didn't look convinced by her words.

Those words were true, though. From the day he was born, Marc had inherited magic that was more powerful than most, and he was even born wealthier than most. There was nothing more that he needed, and he didn't understand why his family would chase after more.