Renewal

Chapter 2

A week after their first successful sigil removal, Darius returns to the hospital to meet with their first patient to see if his magic has returned, but he hasn't arrived at his scheduled time. Impatient, Darius paces.

Alador enters the room, "I've sent Emira out to find him. He probably just forgot, or he's been delayed."

"What if that's not the case? What if he...oh, I don't know, what if there were side effects?" Darius says.

"I doubt that's what's happening," Alador replies, "We've had no indication there would be, and when he checked in mid-week, he said he was feeling fine."

"And if that changed? What if he's not here because something happened?" he says, his voice clearly betraying that he's nervous.

Alador studies him for a moment, "Are you worried about him or are you worried the experiment failed and it isn't ready? Is this really about you wanting yours gone, too?"

Darius stops pacing, "I...I...of course I'm worried about him. But...."

Alador walks over to him and puts his hands on Darius' shoulders, looking him in the eye, "Stop and take a breath. Even if something did happen, we'll sort it out. We have some incredibly talented people working with us, and I'm not just saying that because one of them is my daughter . You'll still get your chance." He lets his hands drop and steps back.

Darius nods, then quickly looks away as he feels the heat rise to his cheeks, " Yes . Of course," he says quietly. "Thank you for that reminder," he says, carefully trying to conceal that he felt his heartbeat quicken when the other man was standing close.

Alador smiles, "Don't worry. I don't think anything went wrong. We ran all sorts of scenarios beforehand and we were very thorough in our calculations. We did think it might take a little while for magic to return, so let's just give him time to get here."

Darius moves to sit on the window ledge and looks out over Latissa, "You know, I'd almost still do it, even if did kill me in the end," he says softly, "Just to remember what it felt like not to have this damned thing holding me back. I won't, though. It would crush Hunter to lose me, and I can't do that to him. Not after everything he's been through."

"You know, I never saw you as the parental type, Darius," Alador says, "but I'm impressed by how well you're doing with that boy. He's not an easy kid—he's got some big struggles. But you're keeping him steady, and that's something you should be proud of."

Darius shrugs, "He has his problems, but...so do I. I let the coven system change me, and not always for the better. I turned into a selfish, catty, vain man, and one who put myself and my belongings and status above even listening to him far too many times. We had to talk through a lot in the beginning, and some of it ended up with us both yelling, hurt, and angry. But I think we both knew it wasn't because we weren't trying, but because of who we'd been shaped into." Darius sighs, "That kid went through far too much and none of us did enough to stop it."

"Could you, really?" Alador asks, "Or would have that just led to an accusation of disloyalty and someone else put in your place, another Golden Guard thrown away for not being enough of whomever Belos wanted him to be?"

Darius shudders a little, remembering the piles of bones he and Hunter had been taken to see, "I don't know. I would have never forgiven myself if he'd been tossed down there with the others because of something we did."

Alador walks over to him and leans against the wall by the window, "I know. And I think a lot about how many times Hunter's told us he felt like he did something wrong enough he was going to be replaced, and how that still hurts him now. You can see it on his face sometimes when he can't get something perfect."

"I'm guiding a young man who was made, who was created to be utterly loyal to a master, not family, and who was never really loved. And somehow, he sometimes calls me Dad."

"And always thinks of you as such," Alador adds.

"I don't know how that all happened. I just wanted what was best for the kid, after everything. When I saw him standing alone once we were freed, my heart broke for him. He looked so alone, even with so many people around, and most everyone joyfully reuniting. I knew that couldn't be how he was left to feel. And I'd been so worried when he disappeared."

"Then you were already thinking of him as yours, in some little way, even then," Alador says. It isn't a question.

Darius laughs quietly, "I suppose you're right." He looks out the window and hurries to his feet, "They're here!" He grabs Alador's shoulders, beaming, "Let's go see if the experiment worked!" He lets go quickly, a little embarrassed by his sudden enthusiasm.

Alador glances out the window to see their patient coming down the path with Emira, "He looks fine—I told you there was nothing to worry about."

"Yes, yes, of course. Now hurry up, old man, we have work to do."

"You do remember you're only two years younger than I am, right?"

"And none of that matters because I don't dress like an old man," Darius teases, grinning. "Try to keep up, please, or can't your poor knees take it anymore?"

Alador rolls his eyes, "Just because you can turn into ooze and drop through the floor and I have to take the stairs doesn't mean I'm old!"

"But it does mean you can't keep up!" Darius taunts, changing forms and sliding toward the door, "If you hurry, I might keep this fair and turn back."

"No, you won't, and we both know it."

Darius smirks at him and glides down the first few stairs, "You're starting to catch on, old man ."

Mildly irritated, Alador hurries after him, rolling his eyes, but also amused. He never expected the playful banter from this particular former coven head, but at the same time, he wonders if he should have. Darius was whip-smart in their youth, always ready with a quip or a sassy comeback, and even better at witty take-downs. Alador had assumed he'd either grown out of it or he'd had it shamed out of him in the coven. He is coming to realize just how wrong that assumption is.