How to Save a Hero [ManxMan]

Chapter Seventeen: Welcome to My Evil Lair

~Chapter Seventeen: Welcome to My Evil Lair~

The costume stays with Captain Koa.

He had suggested I take it home with me, in case I need it in the future, but all I could think about was Aldis stumbling upon it after a date, one of which is later tonight. I doubt he has any idea what the Blood Master might wear, but it would be hard to explain why I have a new cloak and mask when Halloween is many months away. Besides, if he one day sees what the Blood Master – that name gets stupider and stupider every time I hear it – wears and remembers what was hidden in my closet, I am in deep shit.

So, instead, if something really bad happens and I need to rush off to meet them without my costume, I will just wear a scarf or something around the lower half of my face. It would probably make me look like an even bigger idiot, but it is better than being found out because Aldis happened to be looking for a board game to play.

I glance at the clock – five-thirty – as I pull on my boots. Normally, boots would not be necessary, but it rained a lot this morning and there will almost definitely be puddles where I am going. In fact, the rain was so heavy that I was not able to run this errand earlier today, as I had planned to. That, and Tony only left a few hours ago.

Originally, my uncle had planned to leave yesterday, but he hated the idea of leaving while I was at work, so he decided to spend another night just so I could see him off properly. Though I suspect he might have also been trying to prolong his vacation, I think his delayed departure was mainly because he did not want me to come home to an empty house. I may or may not have mentioned how lonely that can be.

My keys jingle as I pluck them from the kitchen counter and stuff them into my pocket. Just as I am reaching for the door handle, however, there is a knock. I mentally search my brain for any meetings or deliveries I might have forgotten, but nothing comes to mind. Hesitantly, I glance through the peephole. Upon seeing a familiar face, I immediately open the door.

"Hey, I thought we weren't meeting until seven-thirty?" I ask, confused, but nevertheless happy to see him.

"Seven-" he cuts himself off and pulls out his phone. After finding whatever it is he is looking for, Aldis groans, "I meant to say five-thirty. Sorry."

I snort. "No problem," I reply. "I was just about to run an errand, but if you're okay with a boring drive and an even more boring place, you can tag along."

It's not like there's anything there that will incriminate me; he already knows I'm a witch.

Aldis' brows rise in surprised before his face breaks out into a bright grin. "Nothing's boring when you're there," he says, leaning forward to steal a quick kiss. If I was a girl, I might swoon. But because I am a totally macho man, I stick out my tongue instead. "So, where are we going?"

I step out of my apartment, forcing him to take a step back, and close the door behind me. "My evil lair."

- - - - - - -

"How exactly is this 'boring'?"

Aldis looks around the large storage room with open fascination, his gaze snagging on multiple things along the way. When he reaches out to touch the silver cauldron – yes, a cauldron; it retains magic better than a stainless steel cooking pot – on an oak table, I have to stop him, though. While a lot of the stuff in this room is probably extremely cool to someone unfamiliar with witchy things, some of it is incredibly dangerous. Most of the stuff in this room has been passed down to me by my family and even I am not sure what all of it does.