Love and Other Crisis | Season 1

Episode | 35

A part of the front gates of the Falgor Estate stood askew, the other half lying on the grass. As they approached the once-grand mansion, a wave of disbelief washed over Kaliope as she witnessed the extent of the damage in person. The air hung thick with the acrid after-scent of smoke and scorched vegetation. Craters and charred earth mangled the lawn and gardens along the winding path bearing witness to the magnitude of the battle that raged short days ago.

The mansion lay in partial ruin, its windows jagged openings with their shattered remnants scattered haphazardly across the lawn. Missing sections in the roof exposed blackened beams and twisted metal. A profound sense of loss struck Kaliope. Witnessing the disaster via feed miles away paled in comparison to the impact of seeing it up close.

They crunched glass and other debris underfoot as they picked their way through the maze of sodden ash and rubble in the traversable area of the house. All the while, Kaliope surveyed the webbed cracks and holes in the roof overhead. The dangling cables and visible steelwork.

"Is it safe to be here?"

"I can feel the magic binding holding up the structure. It's safe. A complete wreck," Inola kicked a piece of concrete, and it clanged against the wall, "but safe."

Kaliope flinched at the clang, expecting a cascading effect. "Let's just find Ballister and get out." They continued deeper into the mansion's interior. "Ballister? Ballister? Where are you? It's Kaliope Barnes."

"In here."

They entered a small, relatively unscathed room. Ballister was kneeling on the floor facing a large piece of parchment mounted on the wall.

The Falgor House Constitution.

Kaliope expelled an agitated breath. "Seriously?" They built a shrine for the damn thing.

Around the room hung paintings of all the members of the Main House who basked in the glory the old piece of parchment afforded them. An empty frame stood, awaiting the next Head of the House. Funny how the room stayed intact while everything around it crumbled.

Ballister Falgor was a complete mess. He'd cried until his face and eyes swelled, puffy and red. Kaliope wanted to slap him for allowing some piece of paper to hold this absolute power over him and his fate, yet she wanted to comfort his despair. His clothes and hair looked like he hadn't showered or changed since the fight between his mother and uncle. Kaliope frowned at the soiled bandages on his arm.

Inola hauled Ballister upright, shouldering his weight like he wasn't twice her size. He swayed, and the fox demon steadied him with a hand around his waist.

"Mr. Falgor, we're taking you to the hospital. Juniper must be worried sick—"

"No. Leave me here."

Kaliope held up his injured arm. "Your injuries might be infected."

"I don't care." Ballister pushed from Inola. He swayed again, a hand over his face. "It's all my fault. I just wanted the fighting to end. Now my father's gone. And my mother..." He broke into a fit of sobs and thumped his chest. "She couldn't say goodbye because of me. When she wakes up..."

Kaliope glanced at Inola with a questioning expression. News hadn't reached them about the Patriarch's death. Inola exited the room to make a call.

Kaliope grabbed Ballister's hand to stop him from hurting himself. "Ballister." She held the man by the shoulders. He smelled of dust, smoke, and unwashed sweat, with a hint of stale liquor on his breath. "It wasn't your fault. Katerina..." She sighed. What did it matter whose fault it was? Ballister blamed himself for his weakness. For the desires that made him vulnerable to Katerina's influence. "We'll figure this out. That's why you called, wasn't it? You wanted my help to fix this?"