Razed by Magic

Chapter 3

Eli stayed outside for several minutes after Benjamin drove away, enjoying the quiet, pretending that tonight just hadn't happened. It was a nice fantasy. One where his body didn't ache from being tossed around by two angry weirs, where his brain wasn't trying to bust through his skull. Like all fantasies however, it had to end sooner rather than later. He needed to head inside, get some ice for his head, some booze, and tell Amon what had happened. He had no idea how his roommate and best friend was going to react to tonight's events, but he wasn't eager to find out.

Sighing, Eli turned around and headed up the driveway to his house. It was a small home, nestled in an unassuming neighborhood, and there was nothing to set it apart from any other house. His neighbors were the nice kind, in that they generally left Eli alone. He had no idea how to make small talk with normal folks. He assumed it involved a lot of discussion about the weather, boring work, and even more boring stories about their kids.

"I'm home." Eli called out as he closed his front door behind him, double checking that all the locks were in place.

"Cool", a voice called from down the hallway, "I can't wait to hear all about how your plan went completely to shit."

Eli stifled a laugh; Amon had no idea. He went into the kitchen and poured two generous glasses of whiskey. It would help numb the pain and he felt that he deserved it after the events of tonight. Heading back to the living room he flopped down on the plush couch. Eli took a sip, savoring the warmth that spread down his throat and settled in his gut. He glanced around the room, noting that Amon had once again picked up the coffee cups that Eli left scattered around the room. He was grateful for his friend, for far more than just picking up after his messiness. He set the other glass on the side table next to the chair across from where he sat and waited.

"Alright, story tim- holy shit you look horrible"

Amon's eyebrows rose sharply as he stepped into the living room and took in Eli's bloody appearance. He strode over to the chair and took a seat, picking up the whiskey and taking a deep drink.

Amon had the gorgeous looks that made him seem like he had just stepped out of a photo shoot. Long dark hair framing a face that had men and women turning around for a better look. The most striking feature though, the one that marked Amon as something other than human, were his eyes. Pitch black except for pinpoints of white at the center.

They were the eyes of a Voidling, the nightmares of the world, beings used to scare adults and children alike. Voidlings were also supposed to no longer walk the Earth, trapped in the Void thousands of years ago, putting an end to the Beginning War. As far as Eli and Amon knew, he was the only Voidling to have escaped. Anyone else seeing Amon's eyes would know what he was and run screaming. Vampires, Weirs, sorcerers, humans, the Fae. It didn't matter; they all hated and feared Voidlings to a zealous degree. It was why Amon wore a concealment charm whenever he went out that made his eyes look normal, a construct that had cost Eli a small fortune. Sorcerers skilled in illusions were rare enough that they could charge an arm and a leg for their work. Arrogant bastards.

It was also why Eli went to such lengths to keep his powers hidden. He wasn't a Voidling, but being able to wield the same power would make him the same thing for most people.

"So, I take it tonight did not go as you had planned." Amon said, a gentle smile on his face. His initial shock at seeing Eli's beaten state had worn off, he knew better than anyone how tough Eli was.

"Tonight went to shit so fast I'm still not quite sure what happened. I am fairly certain that I was set up though, which pisses me off." Eli took another gulp of his drink before launching into the events from the last hour.