Blood

Chapter Thirty three: Alistair's secrets

The city's hum was almost soothing, with its bustling markets, clinking shop bells, and children laughing as they ran through the streets. Aiden and Kaelin strolled side by side, momentarily detached from the dangers they'd left behind at the Academy. Here, the world felt simple again.

"Feels good to be out," Kaelin remarked, a hint of relief in her voice. "Almost makes you forget everything…"

Aiden chuckled softly, glancing over at her. "Almost. If only we could have a few more days of this."

Just then, his gaze caught on a familiar figure up ahead. He tensed, instinctively reaching out to stop Kaelin. "Look," he whispered, pointing down the road.

There, slipping into a dimly lit alley, was Alistair. He moved quickly, glancing over his shoulder as though he, too, was hiding from someone.

"What's he doing here?" Kaelin murmured, her brows knitting in suspicion. "Shouldn't he be taking care of whatever made him cancel our classes for the day?"

"Only one way to find out." Aiden didn't wait for her response. With a swift motion, he waved his hand, casting a cloaking spell. Their surroundings shimmered, wrapping them in a nearly invisible veil. "Stay close, and don't make a sound."

Carefully, they crept into the alley, sticking to the shadows as they followed Alistair deeper into the city's winding backstreets. Alistair stopped near a row of dilapidated buildings and pulled out his phone.

"Yes… I sensed him," Alistair murmured into the phone, his tone clipped and urgent. "The one who stopped me from taking over the multiverse last time. He's back."

Kaelin's eyes widened, and she shot Aiden a startled look. The edges of Alistair's voice held something they'd never heard from him before—unease, maybe even fear.

Who was he talking about? And what did he mean by "stopped me from taking over the multiverse"?

"...No, no," Alistair continued, his voice dropping lower. "This wasn't part of the plan. I need your help to deal with him."

Aiden frowned. A plan? His thoughts spun, trying to make sense of Alistair's words. He'd always trusted Alistair; they all had. He was their mentor, their guide—but now, hearing the thinly veiled frustration in Alistair's voice, they were beginning to see him in a different light.

A pause. Alistair listened, nodding slowly at whatever response he received on the other end. "I understand. I'll do what I must," he muttered, his tone as dark as the shadows around him. "This… interference has gone on long enough. It's time I took over what is rightfully mine."

Kaelin's grip on Aiden's arm tightened, her nails digging in as she whispered, "He's hiding something."

Aiden swallowed hard, his heart pounding as he tried to process the implications. Alistair had been a trusted figure for so long, but now, watching him here in secret, speaking with some unknown ally—it was as though he was seeing a stranger.

Suddenly, Alistair stopped talking and turned, his gaze piercing and intense as it landed exactly where Aiden and Kaelin were standing.

Aiden's pulse quickened, his fingers twitching as he resisted the urge to move. They were cloaked—Alistair shouldn't be able to see them.

Should he?

"Come out, you two," Alistair called softly, his voice a strange mix of amusement and menace. "You're not in trouble."

Aiden glanced at Kaelin, unsure. His instincts screamed for him to keep hiding, but Alistair's tone held a subtle command that was difficult to ignore. Finally, Aiden gave her a small nod.