Witches and Devils

He Arrives

Ariel had gone to get the boy from the LA jail. He had assured us that he could get the boy back to the academy without anyone learning about the academy or the warlocks themselves. I don't know why they don't want anyone to find out about them, everyone knows about the witches, so everyone should already know about the warlocks. The rest of us wait impatiently back at the academy. As we wait, I nervously chew on my nails. John Henry places his hand on my shoulder, "Don't worry so much, you'll get lines." He takes a draw off his cigarette, "and then you'll end up looking like me." He smirks down to me.

I smile up to him and place my hand on his, "and there's something wrong with that?"

"Well, no, but still. You don't wanna end up like me." John Henry sits next to me on the couch in his office. "I want better things for you," he lifts my chin with his finger and inches toward me.

Before our lips can tough, we hear the doors open and we break apart. When we look over we see Baldwin in the doorway, "they're back."

John Henry and I follow Baldwin to the study area of the school, where we have our transfiguration classes. When we get there Chablis and a handful of other students are there as well. Before long Ariel comes in, followed by a young man. He is tall, with shaggy blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. He has a well built frame and his face bares the scars of his fight with the officers. As I examine the young man, I can feel John Henry's eyes on me, studying my every move. Ariel gestures to the young man, "everyone, Id like you all to meet Michael. Like many of us when we first arrived, he is not sure that this is the place for him. But in the days to come, we're going to show him that not only is this the only place he belongs. But that he's finally found his true home."

'Only place he belongs,' I have to hold back a chuckle at that thought. There are hundreds of other places for us to belong. With our families, out on our in the world. But Ariel liked to think the only true place a young warlock could really belong was under him, so that he could 'over see them.' I think it is just a way for him to feel as though he is in charge of something more important then just a school. Michael nervously steps forward into the group and the boys go about greeting him. Before long his eyes fall on me, but only for a moment, but that moment is enough. His souls says that he's in pain, he is lonely. But something else about him instals a feeling of excitement, one that I have never felt before. Ariel sends Michael up with the other boys to get him settled into his new room and to leave the council to itself.

"Do you think he is really the Alpha?" Baldwin lowers his thumb from his lips.

"I don't know." Ariel shakes his head.

"Well, what was he arrested for?" John Henry uncrosses his arms, still annoyed that Michael is even here.

"He was protecting someone."

"Is that what he told you or the officers?"

I scoff, "since when do you trust humans?"

"I don't, but I trust them more than him."

"He told me." Ariel admits.

"About about you?" Chablis looks over to me, "did you get a read on the kid? What did his soul say?"

"I don't know." I shake my head.

"Uh... isn't that kind of your thing?" John Henry looks over to me.

"Yeah, normally. But..."

"Then what did you get off of him?" John Henry turns toward me, getting a little more hostile than usual.

"Enough!" Ariel intervenes, "we have not asked Rose to use her gift in a very long time, nor have we given her a chance to practice it. We cannot ask her to simply start again, at least not at her full capacity."

"He is in pain..." I whisper

"He's what?" Baldwin looks over to me again.

"He is in pain." I look up to him.

"We're all in pain, sweetheart." John Henry scoffs, shaking his head before lighting another cigarette. "It's the human condition."

"Did you sense anything overly negative about him?" Chablis takes a deep breath.

"You mean evil?" I shake my head, "I don't know, I didn't get a long enough connection."

"You mean, you two didn't gaze into each other's eyes enough?" John Henry scoffs again.