The woman on the red couch was as welcoming as always. Kate stood quietly by her side, flashing a smile towards Amy.
Sarah lazily sat up and gestured to the space beside her. Embracing Amy, she kissed her on the forehead. "I missed you so much."
"Mm... Me too." Amy replied and reciprocated the hug.
It had been a while since she had felt her daughter's warmth. Feelings of peace coursed through her body as a smile blossomed on her face. "I know why you're here, but you don't have to worry."
"How can you say that?" Amy asked, her gaze meeting her mother's. "I can tell. I know what you see when you look at him."
"Amy..." Sarah sighed and caressed her daughter's head. "Just how much do you know about Max?"
Amy frowned. Annoyance wasn't the only thing she felt. "You had him investigated?!"
Kate responded to the question, coming to Sarah's rescue. The truth revealed, Amy sat frozen, disbelief all over her face. "You're saying Max appeared in Argent Village only a few months ago?"
"Yes."
"But that doesn't make any sense! Max and Liliana have known each other for years." Amy shook her head and tried to reason. "If they don't have a history with each other, why would he agree to be Liliana's familiar? Why would Liliana even want him as her familiar?"
"I'm not sure. Perhaps that is something only those two can answer." Kate carefully replied, "However, the truth is that they lied to you. When I visited Argent village, everyone I asked confirmed that Max just showed up out of nowhere."
"Why? The Academy doesn't care about student backgrounds and neither do I! Besides, this is hardly something worth lying about!"
"You're looking at this the wrong way." Sarah interjected and explained, "This is about that girl, Liliana, taking in a complete stranger as her familiar. It's likely she created the cover story to make it seem like her decision was justified."
Amy trembled, the turmoil in her heart apparent, her mind flooded by thoughts of a terrifying possibility, a possibility that aroused a vague sense of hope. Empathizing with her daughter, Sarah pulled Amy into another hug. The pair seemed to enter a silent yet comfortable world of their own as Amy slowly felt her emotional state stabilize. In her mother's arms, she stopped blaming Max and Liliana for hiding the truth.
"Mom..." Amy slowly said, "We still don't know if he really is -"
"I know dear." Sarah reassured. "Your father said something along the same lines."
"And Liliana, she – she's a good person. Whatever the reasons, you have to promise me that she won't be hurt."
Exchanging glances with Kate, Sarah silently reaffirmed her best friend's misgivings about Liliana's mother. "Am I that sort of a person?" She laughed and assured, "Don't worry. No one will bully your friend."
Max and Liliana hadn't imagined that their stay at the Walker castle would extend to a little beyond a week. Treated like esteemed guests, they had the full force of the castle's servants at their beck and call. The level of luxury left them feeling oddly uncomfortable.
Throughout the stay, Max couldn't remain at ease, continuing to instinctively deploy his senses through the air in search of any more surprise attacks from the Duke's men. The constant use of his ability left him nauseous and tired at the end of each day, but he kept at it nonetheless. Slowly, but surely, unbeknownst to him, the strength of his ability and, with it, the level of mana in his body began to grow.
YOU ARE READING
The Envoy of Darkness
Fantasy"Everyone loves a good fantasy, but my life was turned upside down by one." What would you do if you had the ability to control the air? How about if you were suddenly brought to a world where, despite your powers, you're at the bottom of the food c...
