Ascension - Book Eight - Man x Man

Chapter 6

The welcoming chill leaves my body as we stand quietly behind the rigid form of Lotta. I refuse to pay attention to the questioning police officer as my gaze tracks X, if only to assure myself that Tiberius's crew would take possession of him. The linger of a returning glance from the exiting patrons assures me that he was not the only hero who witnessed what happened here tonight. 

It was not lost on me that the magical community had been too quiet, too tame, when it came to the news. My belief in that reality wained whenever I had moments of clarity out in the midst of all my angst over lockdown. Looking back on the past six months caused me to pinch the bridge of my nose, banishing the thoughts, I could have been much more productive than figuring out ways to make our lives more difficult. 

Press lights flicker outside the large windows, fractured in some places, steamed over, and foggy in others. I note a woman waving her hand casually on the sidelines and assume she is the one responsible for the blocked view. Censorship, just as we were trying to do away with the display of force, they were protecting us from the public eye. I struggled to place ownership of the benefit of such tactics. 

A metal worker begins the process of dragging the destroyed chandelier from the wreckage, teams in white suits stand by in preparation to collect the bodies of the wraiths coupled with men in black suits, stiff with the stress of the situation, I peg them as government officials. Only a mortal could look so concerned over the loss of wraith lives. 

I, on the other hand, was more so irritated that I'd lost all my hard work. Gone, the magic that had flowed through my veins had left me like a whisp in the night. I had been redeposited in a body that I recognized, revitalized by my moments with my abilities and a surge of fresh insight, I wish I had gone about this event in an entirely different light. 

Looking back on the past hours, on the days, the months of my solitude, I couldn't quite tell you who I was. A stranger in my own mind, I could feel the quiet approval of those chocolate eyes at the realization that I'd been lost to myself in the quest for the wolf. Perhaps, it was more so the escape from it. 

With the last bits of my intoxication slipping away, the drug purged from my system, there was no protection from the memory of my lackluster performance as 'bait'. Palming my forehead with an exasperated sigh, I steal a glimpse at my warlord. The menacing scowl seemed to be enough to cause the police officer to pause, much as Lotta's own air of unhinged anger was doing the job quite soundly. 

I was over displays of aggression, my element had always been the uncomfortable dealings with officials. There were better ways to handle these sorts of people. 

The major argument was over the possession of the remaining wraith. While the police had jurisdiction over events such as these, magic creatures were under the protection of the new laws that stated mortal holding cells were oftentimes inhumane or unfit when it came to proper containment. The man seemed to accept that he couldn't arrest nobility, without a massive court order or probable cause, that it wasn't worth his time. 

A stalemate, I suppose they'd call it. Once more it rouses my newfound suspicion, my mind free of the fog of resentment, I could think clearly on why an officer would want the wraith in the first place. The oddly-colored bags they stuck the lifeless husks of bodies in gave me no solace in the resting place of these unfortunate corpses. 

The large clock in the event center chimes midnight, my soaked watch makes a meager attempt at alerting me of the same. Taking a soothing breath, I step forward, carefully placing myself beside Lotta much to her disapproval at my interjection. I can't blame her, I'd been useless for far too long. "Excuse me, officer, we really need to wrap this up. I have children at home and a babysitter who needs to be relieved."