Witches in Training (#2 in the Witches Trilogy) [rewrites ongoing]

Chapter Thirty-Six: House Visit

VERA

In my defence, going after the Exiles was not my idea. On the other hand, I did go along with it.

*

Kieran has been talking to himself and sketching in the ashes of a fire he made for the past hour. He won't let me go near him. So I've been exploring the Administration Building, but finding nothing except the solid statues of petrified people. I come across more than one Council member-people who were supposed to be in Parker's inner circle. It meant nothing to him.

"There's somewhere I want to look." Kieran says finally when I re-enter the office. "My sister's house."

"Your old house?"

"No... the one she was staying at when she met your sister, in your old neighbourhood." Kieran stands up. "I haven't seen Raelynn in six years. I need to find out what she's been up to."

"But the Exiles-"

"We'll get there. That's only part of the bigger picture. Right now, I need to understand the present Raelynn better. It's personal. And anything I can find out will help us fight against her." He dusts himself off and looks at me expectantly. "Can you get us there?"

"I don't know where she stayed. I can get you to the area, but I don't know where her house was."

"That'll do." He says. "I should be able to locate her place easily. Besides," he smiled slightly, "I have a feeling it won't be too hard to find."

*

When we pop up in my old neighbourhood, I feel a strong sense of nostalgia. I mean, I grew up here. This was my first home. I drink in the familiar surroundings. Not much has changed.

"That way." Kieran says, pointing. Following his lead we venture into the most secluded, expensive part of the neighbourhood, where all the posh people live when they want privacy. It made sense that Raelynn would choose here to hide.

It's as if Kieran has a GPS embedded in him. His steps never falter; he charges ahead confidently. Finally we come to a gargantuan private estate standing in solitude away from everyone else. My jaw literally drops. For a place with one thirteen year old girl, it's got to be six, seven times the size of my old house, and that wasn't small either.

Given the district, I was expecting maybe a large villa or something in that price range. I was not expecting a mansion. I wonder how she got the resources to buy it.

An air of cold neglect hangs around the manor. Kieran eyes the gate, shakes his head, and looks at me. "Teleport us in?" He asks. "It's less messy. Trust me. The shield spells should have worn off by now." I don't ask what he means, and we're soon at the front door. I'm nearest, so I move to open it.

The second my finger comes into contact with the door, a shock of electricity zaps me. I yelp, examining my stinging hand. "Uh... yeah, I might have expected that." Kieran says sheepishly. 

"You might have warned me, then." I mutter.

"Sorry. Here." Kieran places two fingers on the red spot and the pain fades. Then he transfers his hand to the doorknob. Only he doesn't get shocked. The metal glows, and when he releases it, he leaves behind a glowing imprint of the same lightning-and-circle symbol he has on his back. The door swings open, gliding smoothly over a polished wooden floor.

"Like it's haunted." I remark.

"Or magical?" Kieran raises his eyebrows and steps into the house.

He goes straight upstairs like he's lived here all his life. The house is fantastically huge, but Kieran is unfazed. "Is this normal for you?" I ask him, dumbfounded by the sheer luxury of Raelynn's house, despite its feeling of abandonment. I'm utterly daunted by the long hallways, huge rooms and incredibly plush furnishings. "This house?"