The Tales Of Crowboy The Incredible: Of Ink and Power

Chapter Thirty

Zains POV

       My mom and dad were the some of the main leader of the Pures. It was weird. In the cult, me and my siblings grew up almost as royalty. Everyone knew us, all the kids wanted to play with us, and all the adults complimented us, saying we were going to do great things when we grow up. Mom and Dad would look at us, and spin us around, and tell us that we were so beautiful, and that we would take their places when we grow up. 

      I don't know if Mom and Dad are alive. I don't know if Alzero and Tommy are alive. I think they are, but they must be in hiding. Alzero is most defenitly alive. I saw his chest rising up and down when the Pures rushed me out of the house the night Felix got away. I don't know about Dad. I think he's probably the most dead out of everyone. Then Tommy and then Mom and then Alzero. 

      That night was strange. A fever dream. I remember Dad screaming at me to leave him alone. That is I wasn't going to help, I shouldn't be downstaires. I remember Zia crying and telling Mom she was going to tell the Court. That this was the last straw. And Mom just laughed and told Zia she wouldn't. I remember Tommy, Alzero, and I just sitting in my room, playing Uno. They knew I really liked Felix. That this one hurt the most out of any other people I had lured in. And then Tommy and Alzero went downstaires because Zia was getting loud. They said they would be right back. They said it would only be for a second, and then they would come right back up. And then they said that I wouldn't need to go down and help because they knew I was upset. 

      After that, I remember more yelling. I knew there were people there that I didn't want there. That I didn't like. That fucking Owen kid that Felix liked. He was so horrible. I hated him. I remember going downstaires and seeing that the entryway was a mess. I remember yelling something. I remember that I had grabbed a gun from my Dads room that he had given me when I didn't develop my magic. I remember saying words. I remember seeing Alzero and Tommy and my Mom on the floor. I remember blood. And then I remembered red. I remembered seeing red, and only red, and then lifting the gun to the last person who had spoken to me. I remembered when Dad had given me the gun, and that he took me into the forest and taught me how to shoot the gun and clean it. And then I remember a big boom, that broke all the glass next to the door. I remember screaming. Everyone was screaming. And then I remember falling down and yelling after everyone left. And then I passed out. 

      When I woke up, I was in the hospital tent in the Pure villiage I grew up in. We didn't have any fancy houses, because we all lived so deep in the forest. We grew up in cottages and canvas tents, wide open. I ran around and played with all the other kids. For a little while, at least. The family doctor that had worked with me my entire life was the one who was taking care of me. 

      It felt good to be back home. I liked being with my family friends. Some of the kids I was growing up with had kids at this point. Everyone who I knew was there, and everyone who was there wanted to see me and told me about the things they knew about me growing up. It was almost like I was coming back home from collage. I loved this. So much. 

      After I got better, I learned that my family was missing. I was going to be in charge until they get back. Maybe permanatly. So, I was thrusted into the complex life on how to run a cult, and try to do culty things. I was supposed to figure out what children to target and have the Lures lure them. I had to figure out the new ways to cut kids open and take their wings out in a more effective manner. I had to figure out how to do this whole fucking shit show. 

      "Zain. Dude. What do you think about my statement? Should we go ahead with the procedere on the Maria Kate, or do we wait a few more months until she gets into a better mental state?" Oh yeah. That was my assistant. Yeah, that's right. I had an assistant. His name was Issekial, but I just called him Ki.. He was around my age, but was from a different section of the Pures. He helped me with more of the Medical stuff, cause he was trained as part Bleeder part Scientist. Yeah, the Scientist didn't get fun names. But we worked well together. 

      "I'm not sure. Who's her Lure? Is it one of the new ones?" We usually had meetings like this every other day, just the two of us. I didn't realize how busy Mom and Dad were all the time. I'm glad that even if they didn't get along romantically, at least they worked well together on stuff like this. 

       "Uhhhh, I don't have all the paper work, but it's a girl named May. Do you know her?" Ki asked, his curly blond hair flopping over his eyes as he looked through all the papers on his desk. We were sitting in one of the canvas tents closest to the edge of the village, to give us some privacy. I could still hear some of the kids screaming and yelling, though. We had just reintroduced one of the kids to the Pures after we had cut her wings off. She was one of the ones who had actually survived without any sort of long term damage. Ki was pretty impressed. It was one of the most sucessful we had done in a while. 

      "I'm not sure. Maybe? But next group meeting, let's get some paperwork on her and then ask her what she thinks." I replied. "Do you know when that is?" My scheduling brain had turned into mush after being put through meeting after meeting after meeting. Ki was better at the technicality stuff like this. 

      "Tommorow. But sounds good. I'll make a note of it." He flipped through all his paperwork again, and then looked at me with beautiful pericing blue eyes. "I think that's it for today. Is there anything else you need to make a note of for tommorow?" I shook my head, and Ki glared at me. "Is there anything you want to talk about in general?" As well as being my assistant, Ki had quickly become my best friend. I didn't have time for anyone else other than the people I worked with. And Ki and I were the only kids our age who were doing any of this stuff. And so, we instantly bonded. It was wonderful. 

      "Nah. I'm all good. Actually, one question. So, uh-" I tried to start, but Ki cut me off with a sharp glance under his eyes. 

       "There's no word from the search team looking for your family. Please, Zain, it's been months." He took my hand from across the table. "I know you're still grieving, but it's not going to happen. You know that there are permanent workings to be in charge of the Lures. You have to give it up. It's not healthy. It's really, really not healthy." There had been search parties going out for my family for months. Lately, they'll only give updates to Ki instead of me. So everytime we have a meeting, I've asked for updates. And Ki exasperatedly has told me no, and that I should give up on it. 

      "Yeah. Yeah I know. I'm fine. I wasn't even asking cause I want them found. I was asking because we're wasting people going out to look for them, and it's stupid if we continue with things like this." I said, trying to save myself. "Plus, I'm excited to be head of the Lures. I've been working my whole life for something like this. And you know that." 

       Ki just looked at me with a knowing smile, and got up, and sat on my lap. He kissed me slowly, in a longing way. It made my heart flutter, and I started to get butterflies in my stomach and down there. Ki did that to me. Ki knew how to make me tick. 

       "I'm so happy that I have you. You know that. I'm so lucky to be dating the head of the Lures, and to be with you. You make me so happy." Ki said, pulling away breathlessly. He put his head on my chest, and then got up, leaving me time to process. 

      "I'm happy to be with you too."