Trusting the Devil

Chapter 19: Sage

Sage

After helping Nina into a sitting position and giving her her first batch of blood, I explained to them what I had seen in Azure's memory.

"It looked like someone was crafting or even using magic to change the face of someone. I don't know. Azure got shooed away as soon as they saw him and the person was nearly done with altering the face of the person. We can't know for sure who betrayed us, but at least we know that there are multiple people. They left as soon as they kicked him out." I crouched down to pet Azure who relaxed next to my feet.

Thomas and Logan tensed. It was Logan who broke the silence that followed my declaration, "Mage. Send word to Sedna and your spies at your parents' house to search for any trace of magic or mage."

I nodded and spawned a paper and pen from thin air and started writing.

Thomas shook his head. "Could it be? Mages? Aren't they extinct?"

Logan was thinking, his hand rubbing his chin, "I don't know, brother. Some might have migrated to Nevrala after the big war with the vampire hunters, but I'm doubting their loyalty. They used to be against vampire hunters. I wonder what changed their minds."

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. The night Scarlet came over as Logan's rebound. The white calming magic. The source of it. The difference between my fiery magic and his cool magic.

"Choufu is half mage."

Everyone looked at me, surprised. I continued, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure he is. The night Scarlet came, he tamed my magic by using his own. It had a white aura. Mages aren't extinct. He must be half mage and half vampire to be able to serve you. That's why he was the most illegible to train me."

Logan nodded, slowly looking at the ground while Thomas' eyes looked like they were going to pop from their sockets.

"We can't think of that right now. We don't have much time left. Do you guys want to investigate the kitchens or not?"

Nina surprised me by proposing an amazing plan. She usually followed orders. Maybe turning into a vampire was a good thing for her. After she woke up, I made sure she and her baby were healthy and that the transition went well– and it was perfect. They were both as healthy as ever.

"Great plan, sister. Let's go. I sent a message to Sedna. I told her to put the new spies up to the test. Let's go. Don't look suspicious. This is a last-minute mission. No one can know."

We set out into the dusky air and belined to the kitchens. It was mostly empty. People were cleared for today and ready to go home or fight with us.

"What exactly are we searching for?" Said Thomas.

"For anything in here that could help us discover who might be betraying us. If the mage was changing someone's face, that means the person with the real face is still out there somewhere."

"Sis, I don't think we have time to find out who it is," Nina responded. I looked over to her. She was glowing. Maybe vampirism was better for her. I smiled.

Logan turned to me, a serious expression taking his face by storm, "Mages don't have access to unlimited magic and normally, have a price to pay for dwelling with magic that they stole from the earth centuries ago. Which means they don't have as much freedom as you do, Sage. Their magic is dark, dangerous, and unpure. They make sacrifices and rituals. It's sickening. I honestly don't know how Choufu could be related to them."

Choufu. Of course, Choufu! "He can help us. He would know what altering someone's face requires."

As if on command, Choufu appeared in the kitchens. "Sage? What are you guys doing here?"